Top gambling losses

gambling losses image of a man with his head in hands

No one likes to take a gambling loss. Most gamblers will take the attitude of “Win some, lose some”. For obvious reasons people don’t like to broadcast losses. Occasionally the amounts involved can be so big that they make the wrong type of racing history. This article examines a few top losses and the story behind them. There are, without a doubt, bigger losses, but we will never get to hear about them. As ever, when the fun stops, stop. For entertainment purposes, let’s count them down: Terrance Watanabe –…

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What is point to point racing

Kimblewick Races Point-to-point in action. Image credit Hattie Austin

Point-to-point racing is a form of amateur horse racing that takes place on a cross-country course. The course usually consists of a farm land track. An example of point-to-point racing is the popular Kimblewick point-to-point. A course is usually between two and four miles in distance. Races include a number of obstacles (fences, streams and other obstacles) to provide a competitive racing challenge. The official season start and end dates are provided by the BHA. The seasons usually start in November and run through to June. Point-to-point racing defined Point-to-point…

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What is Steeple Chase racing?

a Steeple Chase in action Image by Graham Kemp from Pixabay

Steeple Chase and point-to-point racing are quite similar in nature. They also differ in several important ways including the fact that Steeple Chase racing is classed as professional racing. Point-to-point racing is amateur in nature. Sometimes Steeple Chase can be conflated with other racing types such as jump racing but in its purest form in UK racing Steeple Chase is a category of its own, overseen by the British Horse Racing Authority (BHA). Differentiating the race There is a human Steeple Chase which is classed as an Olympic discipline. Here…

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What is Arabian Racing?

What is Arabian racing? Image of horses racing on a sand track. Image by Mary Pahlke from Pixabay

Arabian racing refers to a type of horse racing that specifically involves purebred Arabian horses. Arabian horses are a breed known for their beauty, endurance, and speed. They originated in the Arabian Peninsula and have been prized by various cultures for centuries. Arabian racing is a popular equestrian sport that takes place in different parts of the world, including the Middle East, Europe, and North America. The races typically involve flat racing, where horses compete on a straight or oval track to determine the fastest runner. However, there are also…

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The Tote. Betting different

Tote Racing logo in red

The early years of the Tote Tote racing or simply “The Tote” as it’s known to its followers may seem like a bit of an old racing oddity and history to some. The reality is that the Tote has been a key player in the enduring success of UK horse racing. The Tote was originally conceived and designed to revitalise UK horse racing after it fell out of favour in the early part of the 20th century. Enacted by parliament under the Racehorse Betting Act as enacted in 1953 the…

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Kimblewick point-to-point

Kimblewick Races Point-to-point in action. Image credit Hattie Austin

Kimblewick point-to-point takes place this weekend around the small village of Kimblewick in Buckinghamshire. For those unaware, point-to-point racing is a form of amateur steeplechase racing, in which horses race over a course of obstacles such as hedges, ditches and fences. It is not just one race but several races over the space of several hours and also distances. In total seventy seven horses across the six races of the day. This second Kimblewick race meeting starts at 2pm this Sunday 7th May and promises to be an interesting affair…

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Top three horse racing scandals

horse racing scandals image of horses racing for illustration only

Horse racing scandals can create vast sums of money, fame, and fortune for the corrupt. The downside is potential prison time and social paraigh status. The integrity of horse racing is an essential component for everyone involved. However, not everyone got the memo. Here we look at the most high-profile horse racing scandals but these are just a fraction of the ones we know about. Lester Piggot Doping (and Tax) Scandal Everyone in horse racing knows of the famous Lester Piggot who had a love/hate relationship with the British taxman.…

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Off beat betting. Weird but fun bets

off beat betting Images of Camel Racing in Tunisia with a crowd behind them.

Horse racing is awesome but sometimes off beat betting gives completely new gives renewed excitement and an experience to remember. These are not the type of bets a reader could place in the local betting shop or domestic on-line betting site but it is possible to bet on the following, remembering it’s all about the fun… “I won. My camel came in at 10-1” would be an interesting conversation starter even with non-gamblers on a Monday morning. Camel Racing One of the most well known alternatives to horse racing is…

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