What inspired you to follow Horse Racing?

Up until the age of 26 I had no interest in the sport apart from the yearly bet on the National(I picked out Minnehoma in 1994 because of the name and my Dad put a pound on for me, The cheeky sod kept the pound like!)There was a couple of lads at work into the racing and used to hear them talking about it and it sort of seduced me and in about oct/nov 2010 I started having the odd bet on the C4 racing on a Saturday, The more I watched it the more I understood it and the more I loved it, Cricket was my first love and always will be but without a doubt racing has taken over now and I wouldn't be without the great game.

P.S I don't have any mates or aquaintances who follow the game so being on this forum with you guys is a pleasure.
 
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I've always loved horses as far back as I can remember and went horse riding from an early age. I used to watch the racing every Saturday at my Gran's, she loved all horsey sports. One of my earliest memories is of Ben Nevis winning the National, I had picked him out as the winner and been told that he had no chance! I've hardly ever picked a National winner since! I loved Dessie (was a member of the Desert Orchid fan club) and followed jump racing as well as show jumping from about 8 or 9 years old. My uncle took us to a point to point when I was around 10 I think and then we went regularly to Musselburgh (Edinburgh still at that time) and Perth after that. I never liked the flat at that time and still prefer the jumps but I do appreciate the flat to some extent nowadays and enjoy the classics and the bigger meetings like Ascot and Goodwood.

It's more about the horses than the gambling for me and although I do have a bet I'm not very scientific about picking horses, just usually follow my favourites.
 
I had a friend who always referred to me a 'Mo, who's in the Desert Orchid Fan Club' with a look of indredulity on her face; she found it hard to believe that a horse could have a fan club. I found my 'badge' the other day; think I'll start wearing it again. I have a drawer full of Dessie newspaper cuttings along with my Dessie scrapbook and my newsletters.
 
I still have a big box of old calendars, newsletters, old Racing Post pullouts of favourites and cuttings from Horse and Hound that I used to collect. I remember always looking forward to getting the Dessie calendar every year:) He was a gorgeous horse, I've always liked greys since, especially the lighter ones like Neptune Collonges and Monet's Garden - seeing him enjoying his racing and bounding around Aintree was a great sight.
 
I met Dessie at Wincanton and even managed to touch him without getting bit :D Lester Piggott gave him a spin past the stands as well, IIRC. was a long time ago, can't think now why it would be Lester as he'd be more associated with Red Rum out of the NH legends.

Anyways, it was definitely Dessie!
 
Like most my Dad.

But I had no specific interest as I went racing with him (Epsom, Kempton and Newbury) like I went to Football with no real connection. Then one day in April 1967 I was watching Grandstand and they had the Ascot meeting on and I watched this horse being rythmically driven from about Swinley Bottom looking 3 out as if he was the least likely to win. The horse and jockey prevailed and The Accuser ridden by Joe Mercer and trained by Dick Hern won what I think was called the Gordon Foster Handicap over 12f. It built from there as arriving home from school a week or so later I watched Mercer ride a winner on the box as part of a 4-timer he had that day. I was hooked and became a Hern and especially Mercer nut.
I didn't realise the horrors those two were going to go through in the next 2 years but that bonded me even more. The Brigadier Gerard years made up for them I suppose.
 
Lol, he was just miserable!! I didn't know it was him ( I knew he was there that day cos I had a runner in the same race - we didn't win ) I only popped over the walkway to see if I could borrow their hoof oil - miserable git took a chomp out of my arm when I went to stroke him!
 
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Absolutely no interest whatsoever until I started knocking around with a colleague in the civil service section we both worked in who was a mad keen and very shrewd punter. We had our lunch everyday in the local Corals and I just got immersed in it.

This friend inspired me to take up punting as a sort of cerebral pursuit and an alternative to football. He ended up quiting the civil service when he trousered a big win when Lochsong won the Ayr Gold Cup (30k/3k). Turning pro sent him a bit doolalley though and he ended up in a religious cult the last I heard from him.
 
The best punter I ever knew was a semi pro who was red hot on Irish racing and worldwide soccer.When he went full time it absolutely killed him-met him a few weeks ago and he is well on the road to being an alcoholic.
 
I used to think it would be great to make a living from punting, but I've long since reckoned it would be extremely tedious as a career, and would likely suck the joy out of those sports I like to bet on.
 
Exactly. Having a good winner as a hobby type punter is one of the best feelings in life. I would imagine if it was your living it would be like receiving a wage slip with some extra overtime in it
 
Agreed. One of my best mates is a pro punter and although we exchange some banter about the horses I get the impression he doesn't actually enjoy the sport much any longer.
 
I've actually put my hand into Dessies mouth and I've still got all my fingers [he had another tooth growing which is supposed to be very unusual, so Rodney opened Dessies mouth and told me to have a poke around!]. I think he was a different horse at Ab Kettleby to when he was in training.
 
Good posts on pro punters

Effectively being pro punter is akin to trying to make a living trading stocks in a market that is constantly falling at a steady rate. the "fall" naturally being the take out in the betting market. Or put it this way. At the start of each trading period, less money comes out of the market than was put in. Thats what you have to beat day in day out
 
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Talking of pro-punting, have a read of "HORSE RACING IS NOT ABOUT HORSE RACING: ANATOMY OF A SMALL TIME GAMBLER" by Norton Howells.

Decent enough read and we've all been there - well I have for one.
 
Do we really want to read about his small anatomy? And why would he want to publish it?

Beyond me
 
LUKE said:
The best punter I ever knew was a semi pro who was red hot on Irish racing and worldwide soccer.When he went full time it absolutely killed him-met him a few weeks ago and he is well on the road to being an alcoholic.
Click to expand...

Does he bet in Boyles in Ardkeen?
 
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