It does not matter if you are attending the Royal Racemeeting at Ascot in England, the Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse in the United Arab Emirates, the Breeders Cup in the USA or the Cape Town Met at Kenilworth Racecourse in Cape Town, you can only be enchanted by those majestic thoroughbreds racing competitively in all of those world-renowned races and iconic venues.
Why do People Love Horse Racing?
The seasoned punter loves the sport in which races are handicapped, bets are placed and you watch in an adrenalin rush as your pick reaches the finishing post ahead of the rest of the field under a well-timed ride from its jockey. The infrequent punters love the fashion, the fun of having a punt on the name of a horse that they like, or that jockey is wearing their favourite colour as their silks.
The Love for Horse Racing – Varying Reasons
Different people love horse racing for different reasons, but who cannot enjoy the horses racing towards the finishing post, these majestic animals in full flight, the whips of the jockeys cracking in unison as they try to ensure that their horse passes that finishing post in first place.
Horse Racing is Digital
Horse racing, like many other sports, has gone digital, and you can now watch races online from wherever you are, making it a more accessible sport than it was before. As short a period as five to ten years ago, the only way to watch a race was by traveling to the racecourse.
Today, you can have a virtual totalisator (TAB) operating on your Laptop/Smart Television. All you will require is a fibre connection with a reasonable speed, registering for an account with the TAB and/or Bookmaker, and you can not only bet on a race but also watch the race in real-time.
Social Media has made the life of a punter, who prefers the comfort of his lounge or man cave to traveling to the racecourse, so much easier to navigate. For the seasoned punter/horse racing analyst, form study has also been made so much easier, with many form study publications now available online.
It’s a Party for the Socialites
Occasions like Royal Ascot, the Breeders Cup, and the Cape Met are occasions as much for the Horseracing Analyst as it is for the Socialite. Although racing is the main reason for the day, many social events run alongside the event.
The Best dressed couple event, jumping castles for the kids, the after-party for the adults are but a few examples of the events which entice the socialites that are attracted to the racecourse for the big days on the horse racing calendar.
It was one of the First Sports to return after COVID-19
Horse racing, like many other sports throughout the globe, was briefly suspended owing to the coronavirus outbreak. However, because of the unique character of the sport, it was one of the first to return once protocols had been put in place for the return of live sport.
It was already outdoors, so air circulation was never a problem. Add to it the fact that each jockey is an individual on their horse and they all start in individual starting stalls, and therefore social isolation was already in place.
This meant that it was one of the sports in which we were able to swiftly return to normalcy, albeit with no punters on course. This was not a problem, because with all the digital platforms in place, horse racing was streamed daily across the globe, and betting was done via the TAB of the various countries or on the platform of the individual punters’ bookmaker.
The possibility of winning large amounts over a relatively short period
While many websites will provide horse racing odds, selecting the right horse to win the right race can be surprisingly difficult. Horse racing is a sport in which the underdog has a better chance than in other sports. It is not uncommon to see a horse with odds of 10/1 or even 25/1 win a race.
The joy felt by the rider, trainer, owner, and everybody who supported the horse to win is unlike anything a person who does not place a bet can envisage. Of course, if you manage to also find that winner by whichever method the punter utilises, that feeling of euphoria will just multiply. You place your bet, the race is run, and 60 seconds to two minutes later you could be substantially richer than you were two minutes ago.
The Entertainment value is Unparalleled
Unpredictability contributes to entertainment value as well. Watching an outsider (a horse not considered by bookmakers to have a strong winning chance) beat the rest of the field can be thrilling, especially when that win is accompanied by the horse coming from the back of the field under a well-timed ride from its jockey to win the race.
It’s an exhilarating sort of entertainment that’s enjoyable to watch. Horses are incredible athletes who can reach incredible speeds, making the races incredibly exciting to watch. Betting is one of the many reasons people look forward to horse racing events, from the pomp of Royal Ascot in England to the prestige of the Breeders Cup in the USA, horse racing has a rich tradition across the globe.
Horse Racing 24/7/365
As the world has shrunk due to social media and its plethora of digital platforms, horse racing has become a multi-billion currency business employing hundreds of thousands of people daily. Races are being run and bet on, across the globe on a daily basis, and you, as the punter, can bet and watch as many of these races as you would like to.
Punters can bet on Australian horse racing in the early hours of the morning in the UK, then switch their attention to South African Racing then the UK offering starts and can end the evening across the pond in the USA. However, as exhilarating as the prospect of around-the-clock horse racing sounds, remember that sleep is just as important body as form study is for the brain.