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I’m curious as to who the typical racing fan is. Whilst the resounding answer is that there isn’t a typical racing fan, I figured I’d draw up a little survey and present it to the forum. Your answers to any of the questions can be as brief or as detailed, or as vague or as precise as you wish. There are no prizes unfortunately but on the bright side, your details aren’t really taken let alone passed on to anybody plus you get to see other people’s answers.
Age
Gender
Location (area/type)
Occupation / Class
Political views
Relationship status
How often do you go racing?
Favourite racecourse(s)?
How would you improve the racegoing experience?
What initially got you into racing?
Which other sports to you watch?
Flat or Jumps?
Favourite horse(s) of all time?
Racing hero(s)?
Do you gamble? (if so to what extent, if not why not)
What are your views on promotion of the sport?
What are your views on animal welfare?
How would you improve the sport in general?
Finally, is racing bent?
Anything else?<b>Age</b>
Late twenties
<b>Gender</b>
Male
<b>Location (area/type)</b>
North West England / Urban
<b>Occupation / Class</b>
Sometimes / None
<b>Political views</b>
Formerly on the libertarian socialist side of the spectrum but after realising that most people are incapable of looking after themselves and that many lefties are amongst the most unpleasant people one is likely to meet, I’m now an apathetic cynic… with a hint of Titoism
<b>Relationship status</b>
Engaged
<b>How often do you go racing?</b>
Couple of times a month
<b>Favourite racecourse(s)?</b>
Haydock, Wetherby, Chepstow
<b>How would you improve the racegoing experience?</b>
Anybody who can’t name at least ten winners of any given major Group 1 under that day’s code must be kept in an enclosure at least two furlongs away from the winning post (or within the inside of the course) and be refused access to the parade ring. A loosening of the dress codes would also be welcomed.
<b>What initially got you into racing and how old were you?</b>
Nobody in my family was a racing fan. My grandfather felt that I was getting obsessed with football and that I should divert my interests. So I flicked the page to the racing and stuck there ever since. I was 8 I think.
<b>Which other sports do you watch?</b>
Football, road cycling and occasionally boxing
<b>Flat or Jumps?</b>
Jumps by far. The horses stick around for much longer and the races are generally more exciting. However, I must admit to finding this season to be most intriguing.
<b>Favourite horse(s) of all time?</b>
Kauto Star, Jair Du Cochet, Harchibald, Party Politics, Istabraq, Baracouda, Viking Flagship, Beef Or Salmon, Persian Punch, Frankel
<b>Racing hero(s)?</b>
Tony McCoy
<b>Do you gamble? (if so to what extent, if not why not)</b>
Not at all any more. I used to bet way beyond my means and have a lot of reckless fun doing so. If a bet wasn’t going to make me either relatively wealthy or extremely poor, I got no fun out of it. Now that I’m engaged however, I’ve pretty much had to grow up although consequently, I find my enjoyment of each race heightened considerably. Nevertheless, I don’t begrudge other people of gambling in the slightest.
<b>What are your views on promotion of the sport?</b>
Thoroughly opposed to the concept of bringing people who aren’t interested in racing to racetracks. Utterly indifferent to how Joe Public perceives the sport as it will not alter my perception or enjoyment one iota.
<b>What are your views on animal welfare?</b>
The sport has a long way to go before it reaches my own personal moral standards although admittedly, the same can be said of most of wider society. I would like to see a massive clampdown on the overproduction of racehorses as well as a wellness test for all prospective owners as far as post-careers are concerned. Also, a zero tolerance policy on all forms of neglect and substance abuse. and extensive research into physical growth and development of racehorses. I think that Grand National should either be ran over bigger fences on softer ground or, sadly, be done away with. Racing should do what it can to distance itself from hunting although point to points are cool. Finally, the whip doesn’t physically harm the horses.
<b>How would you improve the sport in general?</b>
As above on racecourse entry and welfare. Eliminate all the bookmakers and fund the sport using a levied totalizer and exchange (no compensation for the bookies either – if they push for it, behead them). Also, increase competition between French, British and Irish national hunt horses to a degree that matches that of their flat counterparts.
<b>Finally, is racing bent?</b>
It would be extraordinarily naive to think otherwise but so long as the cheating stays out of the top level races then I’m OK with it. If one is daft enough to bet on garbage racing then one doesn’t deserve to have money.
<b>Anything else?</b>
Apart from bugle fanfares, I don’t want to hear any music on racecourses or on racing programming. I enjoy music and I enjoy horse racing. However, I have my own tastes in music and anything other than my particular tastes simply compromises my enjoyment of the sport.I’m curious as to who the typical racing fan is. Whilst the resounding answer is that there isn’t a typical racing fan, I figured I’d draw up a little survey and present it to the forum. Your answers to any of the questions can be as brief or as detailed, or as vague or as precise as you wish. There are no prizes unfortunately but on the bright side, your details aren’t really taken let alone passed on to anybody plus you get to see other people’s answers.
Age 32
Gender – Male
Location (area/type) – Lincolnshire urban
Occupation / Class – Civil Engineer / Working
Political views – Mid left
Relationship status – Single
How often do you go racing? – Quarterley
Favourite racecourse(s)? – York
How would you improve the racegoing experience? – ?
What initially got you into racing? – Family
Which other sports to you watch? – Most – but regularly – Football, boxing, tennis.
Flat or Jumps? – Both, but slight preference for flat
Favourite horse(s) of all time? Flat – The Tatling, Young Mick, Hawk Wing. Jumps – Spirit Leader, Denman, Harchibald.
Racing hero(s)? – None.
Do you gamble? (if so to what extent, if not why not) – Yes moderately
What are your views on promotion of the sport? – No views.
What are your views on animal welfare? – Nothing original.
How would you improve the sport in general? – ?
Finally, is racing bent? Define bent – there are certainly non-triers on handicaps, so yes.
Anything else? – NoAge
: fifty something
Gender
: Male (any female who wants to make sure is welcome to)
Location
(area/type): Milton Keynes / soulless sh*t hole but handy because every racecourse in the UK is reachable as a day trip
Occupation / Class
: Many and various before taking early retirement and a nice pension then retraining as a journalist / there is no such thing as class
Political views
: Can’t be compartmentalised – hold 95% of politicians in utter contempt – the ones I do respect come from all political persuasions
Relationship status
: I have a green piece of paper which says I am married
How often do you go racing?
: three or four times a week
Favourite racecourse(s)?
: Large- Ascot Small – Fontwell
How would you improve the racegoing experience?
: Reduce admission costs. Make it mandatory for horses to pass in front of the enclosures before every race. Better control of the sale of alcohol to reduce drunkenness
What initially got you into racing?
: Watching racing on TV with my Grandad, earliest memory is Nicholas Silver winning the 1961 Grand National
Which other sports to you watch?
: Rugby Union
Flat or Jumps?
: enjoy both, prefer NH have little time for artificial surface racing (t has it’s role in the winter but should be banned during the turf flat season)
Favourite horse(s) of all time?
: Desert Orchid, Middleton Grey, Sea The Stars
Racing hero(s)?
: The word hero is oft abused and I have no heroes in racing. There are plenty of people I admire and respect
Do you gamble? (if so to what extent, if not why not)
: I have no more than half a dozen "serious" bets a year – usually at Cheltenham and Royal Ascot. Will sometimes have a bet if something catches my eye in the parade ring.
What are your views on promotion of the sport?
: Curates egg, better than it was but could do a lot better. Needs to be more targeted, seems too scatter-gun at the moment
What are your views on animal welfare?
: Put it this way I get more concerned when a horse is injured than when a jockey is.
How would you improve the sport in general
?: Finance needs to be sorted out and the sport needs to be run and controlled by a single entity not the mish-mash of self interested, conflicting parties it is now
Finally, is racing bent?
No sport involving humans and betting will ever be 100% straight. It’s not inherently corrupt, it’s certainly better than it was but if anyone thinks the sport is 100% clean then they are totally naive.
Anything else?Age
18
Gender
Female
Location (area/type)
Virginia, USA (I live near Washington DC but go to university in a very rural area)
Occupation / Class
Student/lab lackey, middle-class
Political views
A moderate by British standards, a gosh-darned socialist by American standards
Relationship status
Single
How often do you go racing?
Once a month when I’m at home
Favourite racecourse(s)?
Colonial Downs, and I have a soft spot for Charles Town
How would you improve the racegoing experience?
No smoking on the apron, increase the non-smoking section in the grandstand, decrease the number of races per card (9 or 10 is the norm in the US)
What initially got you into racing?
I ride horses, so it was the pretty pony aspect that got me interested. Then I got caught up into Smarty Jones fever and I was hooked.
Which other sports to you watch?
(Gridiron) football, baseball, equestrian sports, harness racing
Flat or Jumps?
Jumps, particularly timber racing. I like being able to watch horses year after year, and not have to worry about what strange drugs the trainers are putting in them. The NSA is much more proactive about raceday medications than the NTRA as a whole.
Favourite horse(s) of all time?
Flat: Confucius Say, Russell Road, Joey P., Immortal Eyes, Better Talk Now, Presious Passion
Jumps: McDynamo, Good Night Shirt, Slip Away, Bubble Economy, IncompleteRacing hero(s)?
Julie Krone
Do you gamble? (if so to what extent, if not why not)
I’ll place bets on track, otherwise I have better things to do with my money.
What are your views on promotion of the sport?
Needs to be more of it, and more positive. We need to get back on network television, back in the sports sections of major newspapers, back into the national consciousness. Horse racing has fallen so far off the radar of sports fans that it’ll be difficult if not impossible to bring it back to the glory days of the ’50s and ’60s.
Also we need to get jumps races back on major parimutuel racetracks. It used to be that almost every card at Belmont, Aqueduct, Laurel, Pimlico, Delaware, Monmouth, and Saratoga would include a steeplechase. Without support from the racing establishment there’s no way we can grow the sport in this country.What are your views on animal welfare?
I wish we’d follow the lead of the rest of the world on these issues. Lasix and adjunct medications have got to go. As far as jumps racing goes American jumps racing is quite safe, and I really have no complaints there!
How would you improve the sport in general?
The NTRA either needs to be scrapped completely or given a major overhaul. It’s as powerless as the United Nations. Racing rules need to be uniform across all jurisdictions.
There’s been a lot of talk in the flat world about globalization but I think that Jumps racing needs to be more global as well. Both American and Anglo-Irish racing will benefit from more quality horses venturing across the pond. We get plenty of mediocre horses from you guys, but I would like to see some stars try out our big races. Our purses are larger in comparison to the actual level of competition, and our hospitality is second-to-none! On the flip side I’d like to see more top American jumpers try British racing. Those who have gone did rather well.Finally, is racing bent?
With the exception of certain low-level harness tracks in Chicago (the mafia is still powerful there), no.
Anything else?
http://www.nationalsteeplechase.com/
For the next 3 months all American steeplechase events will be at parimutuel tracks so Brits can actually wager on them! And be sure to watch them too, online or possibly on ATR. We need all the support we can get.
Age
– 51
Gender
– Male
Location (area/type)
– East Of Scotland, Urban
Occupation / Class
– Technical Author / Class? You tell me!
Political views
– Middle of the road
Relationship status
– Married
How often do you go racing?
– Twice a month
Favourite racecourse(s)?
– Sandown/Musselburgh/Kelso/Perth, but I like various other courses for various reasons.
How would you improve the racegoing experience?
Encourage people to take more in the competitors
What initially got you into racing?
Family interest
Which other sports to you watch?
Football, Cricket, Rugby League, Golf, Cycling
Flat or Jumps?
either quite happy to settle with the seasons, and have no problem with all-weather either
Favourite horse(s) of all time?
Arkle, Nijinsky, Persian
Punch, Minus Man, OscardealRacing hero(s)?
Do you gamble? (if so to what extent, if not why not)
No, I invest when I judge the odds to be in my favour. Small stakes aiming at a profit on regular turnover.
What are your views on promotion of the sport?
It varies across the board. Promotion of Scottish racing is very good with some fine days’ racing well promoted to the public. On the other hand some big race days don’t seem as well pushed as they could be and the racing ought to be the focal point. I don’t like the idea of a concert with a race meeting attached, something Newmarket seem to have ‘perfected’.
What are your views on animal welfare?
More resources should be available to care for horses after they have finished racing. I don’t like seeing unwilling horses racing.
How would you improve the sport in general?
The sport’s finances need to be organised so that the sport is run for the good of the sport and not as a cash cow for large bookmakers. The race programme should be less dependent on handicaps, a medium which penalises the successful.
Finally, is racing bent?
No. As with everything that involves money the sport will attract a shady element, but I think the sport in general the sport is straight.
Anything else?
Age
18
Wow. Your indepth knowledge of racing on both sides of the Atlantic is fantastic for someone so young. Much better than most of us older ones.
Age
50
Gender
Gelding
Location
Coventry
Occupation / Class
Warehouse worker and shop steward. Seemed to have turned full circle as was HR Manager before taking reundancy. Game keeper turned poacher you could say.
Political views
Labour, although disappointed they are veering to the right so much.
Relationship status
single
How often do you go racing?
Not as much as I want or as much as I used to. Just a few meetings per year now although still a member at Cheltenham.
Favourite racecourse(s)?
Cheltenham and York. Also love photography and Stratford is great for being able to get close to fences and the action.
How would you improve the racegoing experience?
Cheaper entry to racecourses
What initially got you into racing?
Saw a copy of Racing & Football Outlook in newsagents just before 1983 National. Backed Corbiere on it’s advice and became hooked, obsessed you could say.
Which other sports to you watch?
Football occaisionally but prefer cricket, otherwise not much although I do enjoy the Olympics.
Flat or Jumps?
Jumps although enjoy flat as well.
Favourite horse(s
) of all time? Denman, Dawn Run, Dessie Dancing Brave ( must be something to do with letter D.
Racing hero(s)?
admire lot’s but no real hero’s
Do you gamble? (if so to what extent, if not why not)
Now and again I do but only small stuff. Do quite well on jumps but not so much on flat. Main interest is the sport.
What are your views on promotion of the sport?
We need to promote it more to the young. They are the future.
What are your views on animal welfare?
In racing it is generaly good but we do need more money to go on after racing care.
How would you improve the sport in general?
Try and make on course facilities better.
Finally, is racing bent?
Not as much as the public or losing punters think.
Anything else?Not sure if you’ll want an aussie’s opinion but here goes…
Age
early 40’s
Gender
Male
Location (area/type)
Melbourne Australia/urban
Occupation / Class
business owner / middle
Political views
cynical about politics
Relationship status
married
How often do you go racing?
3-4 times a year, during spring carnival
Favourite racecourse(s)?
Caulfield
How would you improve the racegoing experience?
improve the facilities further, modernise the toilets especially
What initially got you into racing and how old were you?
Very young, my father is a punter
Which other sports do you watch?
Harness racing, UFC
Flat or Jumps?
flat
Favourite horse(s) of all time?
The fighting tiger Northerly
Racing hero(s)?
none
Do you gamble? (if so to what extent, if not why not)
yes every week in the pub love a bet, I look at it as my entertainment budget each week
What are your views on promotion of the sport?
could do more during non-carnival time
What are your views on animal welfare?
racehorses get treated like royalty! and if they ban jumps all it’ll do is send more horses to the knackery.
How would you improve the sport in general?
free entry on course to all meetings outside the big carnival days
Finally, is racing bent?
no, but it’s not 100% straight either
Anything else?
Betfair is a cancer to the industry
Age
18
Wow. Your indepth knowledge of racing on both sides of the Atlantic is fantastic for someone so young. Much better than most of us older ones.
Don’t be ridiculous Ken, ours is much better. We’ve just forgotten it all.
Mike
Age
: 19
Gender
: Male
Location
East Sussex
Occupation
: Business apprentice
Relationship status
: single/player lol
How often do you go racing?
once every 4 months
Favourite racecourse(s)
?Goodwood, Plumpton
What initially got you into racing and how old were you?
Dad and one of my mates, i was 16
Which other sports do you watch?
Football, boxing, badminton
Flat or Jumps?
Both, flat slightly more
Favourite horse(s) of all time?
Zarkava, Kauto Star, So you think, Sea the stars
Racing hero:
Patrick Vietch
Do you gamble? (if so to what extent, if not why not)
Yes but only when I have looked properly at the card or race.
What are your views on promotion of the sport?
Good, people that dont know about racing shouldnt talk about it
What are your views on animal welfare?
Could be improved
How would you improve the sport in general?
Better coverage
Finally, is racing bent?
lol is grass green? most bent sport in the world
Miss Woodford whats your number
lolAge
: 22
Gender
: Male
Location (area/type)
: Reading/Oxford/Henley
Occupation / Class
: Graduated Student, apparent Full-time bum/ Glorified middle class boy ; who still can’t do his own washing/make tea/cook/iron etc.
Political views
: Do not care, all political parties represent the same management politics.
Relationship status
: Single. *Insert joke about how my penis is too large*
How often do you go racing?
: Once in the last 10 years, which was to see Frankel at Newbury last month.
Favourite racecourse(s)?
: Cheltenham
How would you improve the racegoing experience?
: Banning Obese loud women?
What initially got you into racing?
: My bald, small genetically annoying father.
Which other sports to you watch?
: Ice Hockey, Football
Flat or Jumps?
: Jumps
Favourite horse(s) of all time?
: Kauto Star, My Way De Solzen, Authorized and Frankel
Racing hero(s)?
: Have none.
Do you gamble? (if so to what extent, if not why not)
: Yes, but not on horse racing, given it’s far harder to turn a profit given the variables in relation to other sports/games
What are your views on promotion of the sport? : Not great, struggles to penetrate the youth market. However racing needs to remember it will likely always cater towards a specific market.What are your views on animal welfare?
: Animal Welfare and their views are generally retarded. People seem to humanize animals far too much, and have a lack of understanding of why many animals are bred and what their purposes are. Racehorses in particular ; people who criticize racing and it’s welfare seem to not understand that is an inherently flawd argument, given such horses would not exist if the sport did not exist.
How would you improve the sport in general?
: Eliminate some of the absurd welfare pressure. In regards to the Flat, i fear the concentration of talent is spread to thin. Ballydoyle is not good for the sport, given their success in relation to all others.
Finally, is racing bent?
: I am not qualified to offer any insightful opinion, although i imagine their is a sizeable amount of corruption. Such corruption is harder to eliminate then people are readily allowed to admit.
Age
50
Gender
Male
Location (area/type)
Bristol / Suburbia
Occupation / Class
Research manager for a Global financial services co./Working class stock – these days prob be viewed as Lower Middle class
Political views
Right wing Tory, but in recent years i’ve become much more cynical towards mainstream politicians
Relationship status
Married
How often do you go racing?
On average over the year about 7 to 8 times
Favourite racecourse(s)?
Newbury, Wincanton. Worst – Bath, by a long way!
How would you improve the racegoing experience?
Bring prices of drinks and food down. Certainly at Bath actually give us some decent food! And a major redevelopment – as it’s a sh#thole and totally out of measure with its wonderful city.
What initially got you into racing and how old were you?
Nobody in my family was a racing fan. A bet i guess.
Which other sports do you watch?
Football, rugby union, some boxing and cricket.
Flat or Jumps?
Jumps – but i like the Flat as well
Favourite horse(s) of all time?
Many of them
Racing hero(s)?
Tony McCoy
Do you gamble? (if so to what extent, if not why not)
Yes. Every weekend and sometimes in the week, especially if it’s one of the big meetings.
What are your views on promotion of the sport?
Not sure really
What are your views on animal welfare?
The sport has come a long way in recent years. I think it sometimes does itself a disservice by the way it appears on the defensive.
How would you improve the sport in general?
I’d have greater regulation of bookies on course, but wouldn’t go as far as to say ‘Tote only’ or similar. I think the way some of them rip punters off on course is dreadful e.g. 1/5 or 1/6 odds on a handicap.
Finally, is racing bent?
I’m sure there’s some stuff going on. It’s well known that some ‘stables’ are known as ‘gambling’ stables.
Anything else?
My main bug bear is the state of some courses. In the last 2 months i’ve paid £21 x 2 to get into Newbury in its Premier stand – great value. I paid only £16 x 2 to get into Ascot the other Saturday – again great value. My local course, Bath, charges £22 for its ‘Premier’ entrance – a complete rip-off. The only reason we go there these days is to ‘socialise’ because my relatives live in Bath and they like to go there.
AGE: 20
GENDER: Male
LOCATION/TYPE: Wexford / Rural
OCCUPATION: Student, machinery operator in the summer.
POLITICAL VIEWS: I must admit I feel most of the political parties in Ireland seem all the same just with different names.
RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Single
HOW OFTEN I GO RACING: On average 4 or 5 times a year.
FAVOURITE RACECOURSES: Leopardstown, Punchestown, Gowran Park.
HOW WOULD I IMPROVE THE RACING EXPERIENCE: No smoking in the grandstands. Nothing worse than getting settled amongst the crowd on the stand when some joker lights up beside you.
WHAT INITIALLY GOT YOU INTO RACING: Used to watch it with my father when I was younger, only really got interested however after my first bet War Of Attrition in the Gold Cup.
WHAT OTHER SPORTS DO YOU WATCH: Gaelic Football, soccer, snooker, darts. Without a shadow of a doubt the greatest sport in the world to watch is hurling.
FLAT OR JUMPS: Enjoy both but prefer jumps.
FAV HORSES FLAT: Sea The Stars, New Approach, Yeats.
FAV HORSES JUMPS: Kauto Star, Exotic Dancer, Voler La Vedette, Sir Des Champs.
RACING HEROES: Dr. Vincent O’Brien.
DO YOU GAMBLE: Yes, not so much on the flat as the jumps. Mainly keep my bets to higher grade racing.
PROMOTION OF THE SPORT: In Ireland, dwindling crowd numbers are probably more a result of the ecoomic situation than a lack of interest in the sport. There are too few young people interested, for example of all the young people I know only 2 of my friends have a similar level of interest as myself. This is definitely an area with scope for improvement.
ANIMAL WELFARE: While the welfare of horses is paramount, we must remeber that most horses live a life of luxury. I’d like to see statistics on horse deaths in the wild compared to those that die during their time in training. Other animals are bred specifically for their produce, but horses are being given a life.
IMPROVE THE SPORT: I’d like less low grade racing, poor prizemoney and there’s an incentive to stop horses in order to make it pay.
IS RACING BENT: I would say most high quality is free of corruption, however the lower quality stuff most definitely is not.What are your views on animal welfare?
The sport has a long way to go before it reaches my own personal moral standards although admittedly, the same can be said of most of wider society. I would like to see a massive clampdown on the overproduction of racehorses as well as a wellness test for all prospective owners as far as post-careers are concerned. Also, a zero tolerance policy on all forms of neglect and substance abuse. and extensive research into physical growth and development of racehorses. I think that Grand National should either be ran over bigger fences on softer ground or, sadly, be done away with. Racing should do what it can to distance itself from hunting although point to points are cool. Finally, the whip doesn’t physically harm the horses.
Regarding a wellness test for owners I’d also like to see all racegoers have to pay a compulsory nominal value (say £1 per racecourse visit) that is used directly to fund racehorse welfare.
Re the whip if it doesn’t harm the horse physically what about mentally?
Some very interesting responses so far and of course, thoughts and perspectives are welcomed from all corners of the globe.
I too thought that Miss Woodford was a lot older and the same can be said of THM. So credit where credit is due I guess.
Regarding a wellness test for owners I’d also like to see all racegoers have to pay a compulsory nominal value (say £1 per racecourse visit) that is used directly to fund racehorse welfare.
Re the whip if it doesn’t harm the horse physically what about mentally?
I do like the suggestion although perhaps a sliding scale could be in order say from £1 for family enclosures to £5 for the fancier ones.
The issue of whether or not the whip mentally harms the horse was one left out deliberately as I haven’t formed a definitive opinion on the matter. Although one could presume that when a horse wilts or veers for being struck, that the horse isn’t particularly enjoying the experience.
A good idea for a thread – very interesting.
Miss Woodford, I’d had you pictured as an ageing spinster, passing the time in your rocking chair on the verandah of an antebellum clapboard house in the depths of rural Virginia.
Have you considered journalism as a career? I think you’d do very well in it.
Good luck
JoeAge
55
Gender
Sub-fertile ageing stallion
Location (area/type)
York / A modest hovel 100 yards fromThe Knavesmire
Occupation / Class
Gentleman Of Leisure / Esquire
Political views
Wishy-washy Liberal and Son Of The Soil
Relationship status
Gentleman Caller
How often do you go racing?
Used to be around 100 times a year, now no more than 10
Favourite racecourse(s)
Doncaster, Sandown, Perth and Hexham with honourable mentions for Pontefract and Market Rasen
How would you improve the racegoing experience?
Ban the sale of alcohol and cheaper entry, free ideally
What initially got you into racing?
My first purchase of The Sporting Life – how could anyone possibly resist such a louche, decadent, dissolute and seedily-sophisticated title – and a trip to Newton Abbot in 1971 whilst on a family holiday in Torbay
Which other sports to you watch?
A bit of cricket at Headingley and Scarborough, none on TV
Flat or Jumps?
Flat until circa 1985, both until circa 2005, now exclusively Jumps
Favourite horse(s) of all time?
Wayward Lad and Ardross
Racing hero(s)?
The horses, each and every one
Do you gamble? (if so to what extent, if not why not)
Steeplechases only. At peak (7 years ago) turnover was around 100K per annum, now about 15K. No dark, nefarious reason for this, just don’t enjoy it as much as I used to. And if you don’t enjoy it you can’t concentrate; traits which mean, of course, don’t bet under any circumstances
What are your views on promotion of the sport?
It doesn’t need promoting and in my opinion can’t be promoted. It’s a love those so inclined discover for themselves and will, by its rather esoteric and atavistic nature, only ever appeal to a smallish minority. Horses were part of everyday life 60 years ago, now they’re unfamiliar and strange
What are your views on animal welfare?
Exemplary for horses in training. What happens to many after retirement is a continuing cause for concern, moreso now and in the near future as the racing bubble deflates. What becomes of ‘the disappeared’ seems to be a subject that dares not speak its name
How would you improve the sport in general?
Cut the fixture list by half
Finally, is racing bent?
Dastardly deeds go on but it’s generally remarkably straight considering the terms ‘racing’ and ‘betting’ are virtually interchangeable. And straighter now than it ever has been thanks to the transparency the Exchanges provide; don’t be fooled into believing there were ‘good old days’, there weren’t
Anything else?
The overall standard of jockeyship has improved a lot over the forty years I’ve been following the sport, particularly in NH
lol
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