Horse Racing in Great Britain
Great Britain has a well-established history with the major sport of horse racing. Commonly referred to as the sport of kings, horse racing in this country has a powerful link to nobility and royalty. Horse racing betting is extremely popular and an integral part of the sport and is a vital part of Great Britain’s gambling industry. Apart from Good Friday and Christmas day, horse racing happens every day in Britain. The British Racing Authority oversees the sport and regional racecourses host some of the premier horse races anywhere on earth.
Modern Day British Horse Racing
Approximately 10,000 horse races occur in Great Britain annually at over 1,000 races with tens of millions in prize money given out. The races attract millions of people and even more follow it on TV no longer in business for a variety of reasons, however, at least 60 licensed racecourses remain and a few of them are hundreds of years old. There are two broad kinds of horse racing, namely, jump racing and flat racing.
As outlined in the name, flat racing occurs on a flat surface. It is grass in most cases, however, some surfaces are synthetic to accommodate racing in all kinds of weather. Jump racing or National Hunt racing as it is officially known takes place over obstacles. Most jump racing happens in winter on softer ground, which is less harmful to the horses.
The Jockey Club, as outlined earlier, oversaw the horse racing sport initially. The British Horseracing Board formed in 1993 and the two bodies were co-responsible for governing horse racing. Horseracing Regulatory Authority, formed by the Jockey Club in 2006 to maintain the management of horse racing as they refocused to the gallops and racecourse they operate and run. The British Horseracing Board and the Horseracing Regulatory Authority combined forces in the next year and the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) was formed. As it stands today, the BHA runs the sport of horse racing.
Betting on Horse Racing
In Great Britain, betting on horseracing is equally as important as the racing itself. Betting companies and bookmakers perform a major function and they are major sponsors of horse racing events as well as awarding huge sums of prize money. A huge percentage of the sport’s spectators like to bet on the race results. For most, it is just recreational entertainment and a simple way to produce more excitement in the races. On the other hand, some people are very serious about betting on races and they spend lots of time researching the horses and examining their form.
There are several options for betting on horseracing in the UK. If you are at the racecourse in person, there will be several on-course bookmakers and the Tote to choose from. The Tote is the sanctioned horseracing pari-mutuel betting group in The United Kingdom, which was previously owned by the state before and in 2011 it was sold to the private interests. For those not actually at the racecourse, betting is still very simple to do. Retail bookmaking outlets are quite commonplace, and they are located in the majority of urban areas. Furthermore, almost all leading bookmakers will take your bet via phone.
Recently, increasing numbers of people are betting online. There are several advantages like the convenience aspect and the majority of betting websites provide incentives to clients that include bonuses and customer loyalty plans.
Leading Racecourses & Races in Great Britain
Many of the most popular racecourses and horse races on earth are located in Great Britain. The home of horse racing in Britain is Newmarket and it is famous in the horseracing world. One of the year’s biggest horse races, The Grand National, takes place in Entree, Liverpool. Audiences from all over the world are also drawn to the horse races at Cheltenham Festival and the Royal Ascot Festival. The United Kingdom Triple Crown is made up of three flat races. In Newmarket there is the 2,000 Guineas Stakes, at Epsom Downs, there is the Epsom Derby and at the Doncaster Racecourse, you have the St. Leger Stakes. The Epsom Oaks and the 1,000 Guineas Stakes are a couple of the other classic races for the year.
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