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TOO MUCH HORSERACING ?

TOO MUCH HORSERACING ?

Why do the authorities of sporting bodies and gaming organizations think that we,the punters and supporters,want more and more of our sports?.

A good example is the U.K. horse racing industry.When i first started playing the horses(that was quite some time back!),the normal offerings was 2,maybe 3 meetings a day,and 4 or 5 on saturday.Night meetings were held,but they were few and far between.

Now,the explosion in meetings has reached ludicrous proportions.Five or six meetings a day is not unusual,plus the introduction of evening meetings,not just summertime,but also floodlight meetings even in the winter.

This huge increase in meetings makes it very difficult,if not impossible,for the serious form student.There are just too many meetings,too many horses,too many different formats.

Any one who can make it pay backing horses on U.K. racing gets my full admiration.

They also maybe get my sympathy,because if they have the dedication and skill to win on a regular basis under these circumstances,they would surely clean up big time if they devoted their efforts to sports betting.

There is a serious decline in horseracing turnover,and customer interest in horse racing generally.

It however does not seem to occur to the racing authorities that maybe the increase in fixtures is perhaps the main reason.

The quality of racing on offer to punters is dire.Prize money is thinly spread more and more.

Corruption,almost unheard of in U.K.racing until recently,is now almost commonplace.

Animal welfare,again British racing had an exemplary record until recently,is being ignored,and horses are raced again and again to fulfill those extra fixtures.

By treating each horse race as just another spin of the roulette wheel,it actually devalues the good racing when that takes place.

Derby day,or Grand National day in England is now submerged in extra meetings that detract from these jewels.

These extra meetings disallow any build up or any sense of occasion for even these big races.There is just no time to enjoy - just spin that wheel again - lets have another race.

Never mind that the betting shops are empty,and no one is interested in the poor quality racing on offer.

Television audiences are dropping so alarmingly that gaming companies are now actually paying television companies to show the racing.

Turnover on horse racing is also in rapid decline,and bookmakers are increasingly depending on sports betting and exotic fruit machines.

The tracks showing these poor racing fixtures offer free admission to its meetings,and they are still like ghost towns.

Despite these developments even more fixtures are planned for the future.

Personally it took me quite a few years to appreciate that things were different(the fixture increase has been steadily increased over a number of years),and the effort was not worth the rewards.

Many punters rely on tips,or inside information,but i always prefereed to study form and make my own decisions.

However this approach now means it is just too hard to win,too much work involved,and at the end of the day the profits are pretty meagre.

Luckily,just as the racing industry deteriorated the internet poker boom arrived and also more importantly,the zero tax rating on sports betting.

I actually find it baffling that punters still try to fathom out horse form under the terms they have to operate under.

Paradoxically racecourse attendances for the quality meetings are booming !.

This is no surprise to me,and a day out at a beautiful English racecourse takes some beating,and i go quite often,no longer as a means to make money,but just a great day out.

Racecourses to some extent have also realised that racing itself is no longer enough to get the turnstiles clicking,and other attractions are almost always provided for racegoers,be it after meeting pop concerts,fairgrounds,ladies days,entertainers,and competitions etc.

It is interesting that the 48 hour declarations demanded from British horse trainers has been relaxed.The idea behind universal 48 hour declarations was to sell British racing overseas.

Trouble is,nobody wants it !.As i understand it,only the top meetings are now subject to 48 hour declarations,and these top quality races are no doubt well received worldwide.

Greyhound racing also seems to be suffering from the same malaise.

Meetings always had 8 races when i attended regularly.This was ideal really,arrive half hour before the first race,and leave just after the last,which was about 3 hours entertainment - just right.

Now i see meetings with up to 16 races !.Has this increased the turnover or attendances ? - not from what i hear from gamblers who still attend greyhound meetings in the U.K.

Once you get to the stage that you feel you can't cope with all the extra information the tendency is to stop taking an interest.

Time after time i meet former colleagues who either worked in the gambling industry,or were keen punters,and almost none of them now bet on U.K. horse racing.

These are punters like myself who like to win,and were prepared to study hard,and put the time in,knowing that although it wasn't easy,they could make their gambling pay.

As i said it was never easy,but you felt you had a chance.The situation with U.K. racing is that it is impossible to really get on top of the form due to the sheer amount of racing.

If you are one of the rare breed who can make horse racing pay,then good luck to you and well done.

However i again say that your impressive gambling talents would be rewarded much much more if that time and effort was directed at sports betting,or maybe poker and blackjack.

By Pendil at British Betting and Gaming Sites.©,Best 10 Gaming sites and Easy play Games.This article can be reproduced by anyone,so long as article is reproduced full and intact with all links unchanged.End of article.