Varactyl racing was a sport that involved racing varactyls for enjoyment or ceremonial purposes. At some point during the Republic Era, the Iltan clan of the Inner Rim planet Pijal imported varactyls to the world for their use in the planet's ceremonial Grand Hunt event. By using the varactyls in the race, they hoped to gain an advantage over other beasts in the competition. By 40 BBY, racing of Pijal varactyls was often done for sport on Pijal, and was a favorite activity of the world's lord regent, the Jedi Rael Averross.