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What I will say about the possible subject of your OP is this -


1 Having actually worked in the betting industry, I can attest to the fact that ante-post markets are a lot weaker than many imagine them to be - even for big races - only long-term losing punters can get a big bet on and the vast majority of trade is on the day.


2 As stated on other threads, I am not a people person and neither they nor their wealth and how they spend it interests me. I actually in London once met one of this bloke's similarly well-heeled Irish financier associates, I didn't like him one bit, I'd be fairly confident he didn't much like me either, I declined his invitation to go over to Dublin for further talks and we then swiftly went our separate ways. I have a bit more time for the guy you might be alluding to. After landing a gamble back in the 80s at the Cheltenham Festival, Julian Wilson asked him if he'd hurt the bookies: "They know about it," was his understated reply. Both I and my father watching rather liked that - it was the antithesis of the "look at this, loadsmoney!" culture that pervades racing (and life) all too often. I also like the quote "no one ever advanced their position in life by opening their mouth" which has been attributed to him. I reckon he has made his money in the world of finance, and racing is how he spends some of it. Racing won't be profitable for him and I wouldn't even be surprised to discover he's a net losing punter over time as well.  I actually don't understand the pleasure he derives from it because if I am owned so many horses I struggled to even name them all, and routinely had plural runners in big races, I wouldn't take nearly as much pleasure as if I just owned one horse and it's somehow managed to win. But it is his money and he can do what he likes with it, and none of it makes any difference to me either way.


5 + 3 = ?
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