The last time I went racing it was to the free-entry day at Musselburgh (December there?). I went because it was free (and my bus pass meant I could get there for free even if it did take me an hour longer than it would in the car). It was a nice day out for me and even though the racing was crap (I decided just to bet in fivers for the sake of an interest) I came home with £60 more in my pocket than when I left.
Musselburgh is a lovely wee track but there's no way I'd have gone had it not been for free.
The last time before that was a couple of years ago, to the Ayr National meeting. I vowed then never to go back. I like Ayr Racecourse but that day was an awful experience. The large tarmac area under the stands where all the tote windows used to be had been 'developed'. They had added glazed walls and doors to enclose it, put down carpet and added several bars. It was mobbed with 20-to-30-somethings dressed as though for a Big Fat Gypsy Wedding, almost all of them pished out of their skull pretty much before racing had begun and walking from one end of this enclosure was like walking on a sticky sponge, so much drink had been spilled on it. The air was foul, not just with the language of the lads and ladettes.
The bookies are robbing basterts as well. Rather than hike round the massed ranks looking for an extra half-point here or there, it was much easier just to go into the betting shop and take a board price as they were generally a half-point to a point longer than on any of the boards. And there were the usual win-only scumbags on races of 16+ runners. And "min £5" signs.
I've no idea whether there was 'entertainment' on offer after the racing.
And it was bloody expensive to get in.
And all of this is because of one reason:
Bookies run racing for the benefit of bookies.
That's what's wrong with racing in this country.
So long as that remains the case racing will never prosper.
I know people who enjoy watching racing on TV but will never go racing or have a bet because they see the bookmaking industry as corrupt, which it is, as is the whole of racing. Even at the big festival meetings you get non-triers. Because you can only make money at racing from betting and to do that you need an edge of sorts, either by deliberately manipulating the performances of your own horses or manipulating the market.
And the ordinary punter has no way of doing that.
