Do you follow overseas racing?

[Kentucky Spring]

Steeplechasing, many tracks outside the GB/IRE are for Harness racing, especially in France and Sweden.

Best Wishes
Silk

[Steeplechasing]

Thanks, KS. Any idea how they split percentage-wise – horseracing/harness only?

[Venusian]

Steeplechasing wrote:

Thanks, KS. Any idea how they split percentage-wise – horseracing/harness only?

I’m not KS, and I don’t know that particular split, although the great majority of French courses would have at least some trotting races, but many stage races an all 3 disciplines.

Figures for 2014 show around 4900 flat races, 2200 jump races and 11000 trotting races run.

For Sweden, the numbers are 600 flat, 22 (twenty-two!) jump and 8750 trot.

Source: http://www.horseracingintfed.com

[Steeplechasing]

Many thanks, Venusian

[Drone]

I have an interest in the European Pattern Races, dallied with French NH after French imports to the UK became popular and find the Breeders’ Cup quite entertaining; but outwith these have little interest

Are we racing buffs really much more xenophobic/parochial than resident followers of other sports in the UK?

Other than when British teams/individuals are competing in foreign countries is interest limited-to-minimal?

How many Brits are riveted by the Bundesliga; or the Sheffield Shield; or the ITM Cup; or the PGA Tour; or…?

[Slowly Away]

Good point that

I’ve got Sky Sports and BT Sport and there’s football every day from one European League or another – I never watch any of it

I don’t watch Champions League between two non British teams

I don’t think it’s being parochial as much as not caring who wins. Once you don’t care who wins sport loses it’s raison d’etre

Watching British football or British racing you can usually come up with some reason to want one team or one horse to win

[Gingertipster]

Slowly Away wrote:

Good point that

I’ve got Sky Sports and BT Sport and there’s football every day from one European League or another – I never watch any of it

I don’t watch Champions League between two non British teams

I don’t think it’s being parochial as much as not caring who wins. Once you don’t care who wins sport loses it’s raison d’etre

Watching British football or British racing you can usually come up with some reason to want one team or one horse to win

I don’t have many bets on foreign racing for the main reason of not knowing the horses/form. There’s enough goodish racing in Britain and Ireland to keep me interested. Can’t be an expert on everything so it’s best to specialise.

Value Is Everything

[BigG]

I have always taken an interest in the ARC, I treat it like any
other top race here and enjoy trying to work it out weeks before
it goes off. I always have a financial interest in it and I enjoy
the coverage of the meeting. It’s been a fairly good race for
me over the years, so that perhaps explains some of my interest.

But by a mile, my favourite is the MELBOURNE CUP. I think the
build up and the Australian coverage on the radio is better than
just about any coverage here. I’d need to look back in the forum
for the radio station which I posted, I think for Moehat to tune
into. It was an absolute hoot, I wished I had taped it.

It was hosted by two guys, I don’t know the names of either and was
one of the funniest broadcasts I have had the privilege to listen to.
I was on a weekend away with Mrs BigG in Pitlochry and from about 1am
I had my earplugs in, and listened right through until after 4am when
the race was run. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at times, I’m
fortunate that Mrs BigG is an understanding soul. I had my money on
MAX DYNAMITE, and I don’t think it was Dettori’s finest hour, finishing
second…. strewth mate, I thought I was going to chunder.

It’s not on a par with The Cheltenham Gold Cup, or the meeting, but then
again nothing is (for me anyway), but I have to say that I look forward
to it every bit as much as The Derby.

It was a bitter sweet Melbourne Cup this year, it was marvelous that Michelle
Payne won the race, the first woman to do so, and also tragic in that Red
Cadeaux, whom the Australian public had taken to their heart for finishing
runner up in 2011, 2013 and 2014, sustained a seriously leg injury in the
race and subsequently had to be put down.

The whole of Australia, it seems, gets behind the race, and even those that
normally have no interest in horse racing join in the party. It’s no doubt
an exaggeration when it’s called “The race that stops a nation”, but it feels
like that. It’s absolutely ripper mate.

For one day a year, I’m definitely a full blown adopted son of Australia.

G’day cobber

[BigG]

Slowly Away wrote:

Good point that

I’ve got Sky Sports and BT Sport and there’s football every day from one European League or another – I never watch any of it

I don’t watch Champions League between two non British teams

I don’t think it’s being parochial as much as not caring who wins. Once you don’t care who wins sport loses it’s raison d’etre

Watching British football or British racing you can usually come up with some reason to want one team or one horse to win

Hi SA, I take your point, and that of Drones, but for the reasons stated in my post above,
I do love the coverage of the Melbourne Cup. Admittedly there is always a British contingent,
which adds to it, but I do enjoy the coverage so much that I would listen in even without there
being a home grown interest. I think the Aussies do it so much better than our friends across the
pond.

[MarkTT]

Plenty of money on offer at Cagnes Sur Mer this afternoon. British racing doesn’t come close to that at smaller tracks, particularly on a Sunday

Ireland can do it. France can do it. Why don’t we even make an attempt at top class Sunday racing ?

[droffats]

Don’t follow overseas racing. Find it hard enough to folow our own rather than racing in another country.

[Author]

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