Horse race gambling gets a boost

In the current tight economic climate it is sometimes difficult to identify good news for the gambling industry, but it would appear that the British horse racing industry has found a winning formula. The British Champions Series, sponsored by Qipco, is in its first year and is already being lauded as one of the reasons for a huge surge in television audiences and race course attendances at this year’s top grade flat races. Clearly such a dramatic increase in the audience will almost certainly result in a similar increase in gambling on horse racing, and provide a much needed boost to the gambling industry in the UK and probably Ireland as well, given that Irish horse racing fans tend to follow the big races when gambling on horse racing. The object of the Champions Series is to find the best sprinters, milers, middle distance and staying horses of the flat season, and will culminate in a new Champions Day fixture at Ascot in the middle of October which with prize money of £ 3 million will be Britain’s richest racing day ever. It is generally thought that despite the rise in online casino gambling, horse race gambling remains the favourite gambling activity in Ireland, and a new top grade meeting like the Champions Day should create massive interest and may well match the record attendances at this year’s Royal Ascot festival. The richest race at the new meeting will be the £ 1.3 million prize money for the Qipco Champion Stakes over 10 furlongs, but the new horse racing sensation Frankel will be odds on to win the £ 600,000 prize for the winner of the Champions Day Mile and remain unbeaten. Horse racing needs the gambling industry to survive, so let’s hope this new marketing idea will have the desired effect over the long term.