The horses

a layer of chips · Post by **a layer of chips** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 10:58

I went to my first race meet last year at York and it was brilliant. I was meant to be going to Cheltenham this year, but work wouldn't give me the time off.

I can't watch it on telly, but the atmopshere at the racing is ace.

Anyway, I just pulled out the 500-1 horse Contraband in the work Grand National sweepstake. I'm not holding my breath.

Huw · Post by **Huw** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 11:35

Would anybody care about Horse Racing if they couldn't bet money on it?

jayen_aitch · Post by **jayen_aitch** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 11:44

I've got the chance to put a free £1 on the national... I don't usually bother with such things... but hey, it's free.

Anyone got a hot tip*?

(*about horses who will win the race, though if you have any other interesting things to share, feel free)

tompony · Post by **tompony** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 12:08

I've got the favourite in the work sweepstake (and I won it last year too!) but it seems like the favourite hardly ever ACTUALLY wins... still, it was a good pick.

I might put a bet on Simon, I love Simon.

humblebee · Post by **humblebee** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 12:10

jayen_aitch wrote:I've got the chance to put a free £1 on the national... I don't usually bother with such things... but hey, it's free.

Anyone got a hot tip*?

(*about horses who will win the race, though if you have any other interesting things to share, feel free)

Rochdale to beat Grimsby 2-0 tomorrow with Simon Ramsden to score first, 170/1 with Ladbrokes.

darvé · Post by **darvé** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 12:14

a layer of chips wrote:
Anyway, I just pulled out the 500-1 horse Contraband in the work Grand National sweepstake. I'm not holding my breath.

Balls, me too, although mines down at 300-1. Either way, we're screwed aren't we?

A mate of mine, who follows it religiously, was telling me last night that you can get 3-1 on all the horses clearing the first fence which sounds like it might be worth a punt.

It is a top day out though, we went to Sandown a couple of years ago and i think we're going again 26April for my mates 30th.

tompony wrote: I might put a bet on Simon, I love Simon.

Is Simon racing tomorrow? we had a nice win on Simon at Sandown.

a layer of chips · Post by **a layer of chips** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 12:17

davo wrote:
a layer of chips wrote:
Anyway, I just pulled out the 500-1 horse Contraband in the work Grand National sweepstake. I'm not holding my breath.

Aye, it wouldn't be so bad if we could win 500 quid, like, but it hardly seems worth hoping against hope just to win £30, or something.

tompony · Post by **tompony** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 12:18

Yep, Simon's there. I had a bet on him last year but he fell down. I don't think he's the best pick but I just really like the fact that he's called Simon. No cheap puns for him.

Mr Pointments, meanwhile...

darvé · Post by **darvé** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 12:26

a layer of chips wrote: Aye, it wouldn't be so bad if we could win 500 quid, like, but it hardly seems worth hoping against hope just to win £30, or something.

Yeah, i had pay £2 for the privilege, and i got laughed at for pulling out a shit horse, if he wins i get £45 apparantly. Woo-fucking-hoo

tompony · Post by **tompony** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 16:32

Simon fell over again. What a loser.

graysonscolumn · Post by **graysonscolumn** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 15:29

Huw wrote: Would anybody care about Horse Racing if they couldn't bet money on it?

The fastest-growing horseracing territory on the planet is the United Arab Emirates, where betting is completely and utterly forbidden, so I guess that might answer that one.

I've followed the sport for over 25 years and have been fortunate enough to work in it for the last three, and even though the remit of many of my freelance engagements in it comprise finding winners for other people to profit from, I still approach racing as an enthusiast first, second and third, and a gambler rather further down the field.

I'm off to Sandown Park in two hours' time. Yippee!

Jeremy
(graysonscolumn)

graysonscolumn · Post by **graysonscolumn** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 15:38

tompony wrote: Simon fell over again. What a loser.

Simon's a splendid little horse, with the emphasis on "little" - he's not much over 15 hands high and on the face of it shouldn't have the physical scope for jumping fences.

It wasn't his weeniness that's got him on the floor at Aintree twice, though, as Valentines - the fence that got him on both occasions - isn't as big or foreboding as some of the other fences he'd cleared before that.

Rather, he is a little clumsier on a decent racing surface than a soft one, as he doesn't always sort himself out and get on a proper stride in time. It was absolutely beautiful ground at Aintree in April this year, but like a lot of horses that ply their trade during the winter, he needs it like a swamp underfoot.

I'm not sure if he'll have a third crack at the race, as he could be targeted more profitably in other races elsewhere such as the Welsh Grand National at Chepstow just after Christmas (the Monmouthshire venue usually being very soggy underfoot at that time of year).

Jeremy
(graysonscolumn)

let it ride · Post by **let it ride** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 16:19

Aw, I thought this'd be about actual horse-riding.

Although I don't really have any particular knowledge about horse-riding, I'm a wee bit scared of them and have found the experience (saddle and all) way too slippery and slide-y to really enjoy it.

I don't hate the idea of a proper day out though, like it is done here with the races. In Sweden, it's popular but not many people go to actually watch it, the events aren't that huge.

Maybe it's because this is the frightening logo, "Harry boy"

a layer of chips · Post by **a layer of chips** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 16:50

I'm off to York Races Ebor week thingy again in August. Free booze all day. Can't wait!

graysonscolumn · Post by **graysonscolumn** » Fri Aug 01, 2008 10:20

what light wrote: I don't hate the idea of a proper day out though, like it is done here with the races. In Sweden, it's popular but not many people go to actually watch it, the events aren't that huge.

Maybe it's because this is the frightening logo, "Harry boy"

Yeek, Harry Boy's pretty darn scary!

Regrettably, my knowledge of Swedish racing currently just starts and finishes with the meetings at Ovrevoll and Taby that the occasional British trainer raids - certainly the likes of Phillip Hobbs and Michael Scudamore have tried to win the Swedish Grand National in recent years.

gc

graysonscolumn · Post by **graysonscolumn** » Fri Aug 01, 2008 10:24

a layer of chips wrote: I'm off to York Races Ebor week thingy again in August. Free booze all day. Can't wait!

Despite living in Scarborough for five years from 1998, and having driven past the Knavesmire literally thousands of times, York in one course I've never visited! Part of that is due to me preferring the jumps (last night's Sandown card was a rare Flat one for me); and part of that is on account of it being a bit of a haven for drunkenness, if not yet quite in the same league as the likes of Chester, Haydock and Newmarket.

What Flat meetings I did go to in Yorkshire back in the day tended to be at Ripon and Thirsk, and I'd recommend a day at either to you. The former in particular isn't called "The Garden Racecourse" for nothing - it's a pretty nice place to spend a day, I reckon.

Jeremy
(graysonscolumn)

a layer of chips · Post by **a layer of chips** » Fri Apr 03, 2009 11:45

a layer of chips wrote: Anyway, I just pulled out the 500-1 horse Contraband in the work Grand National sweepstake. I'm not holding my breath.

And this year I've got the 100-1 one. Fuck my luck.

tompony · Post by **tompony** » Fri Apr 03, 2009 12:19

My work has two sweepstakes this year, for some reason. I've got a good pick from one of them (Rambling Minster) and an outsider from the other (Idle Talk). Mostly though I just miss Simon.

a layer of chips · Post by **a layer of chips** » Fri Apr 03, 2009 12:21

He's in Coronation Street now.

I've got Musica Bella.

tubby · Post by **tubby** » Fri Apr 03, 2009 12:30

Offshore Account for me in the office sweepstakes, which I think is about 33-1, so I might be ok each way.

Now I want to go down the bookies and put a bet on.

anorak

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