Hitting the Turf

Horse racing has been described as providing a ‘unique electrifying ambiance which prevails on race days’. Horse racing is for everyone, from the owners to the jockeys to the gamblers and the social scene. It offers an exciting day out that provides thrills everywhere you look from the horses to the gambling to the best dressed. The prospect of wining the important race and the big money is what encourages all class of people to the race track. It is a sport where beginners luck can prevail over expert opinion and a sport where we are betting on an animal to win a race that has no reason to want to finish the race, first or last.

The Sport of Kings and Everyone Else

The social scene that the race track provides is one unlike any other. There is colour and noise to boot and don’t be fooled by the ladies in the chanel sunglasses, as they  probably know enough about betting to put rookies on the right track to picking a horse. ‘Dressed to impress’ ladies parade around the warm up ring and the club house with their respective partners, showing off new handbags and coats and betting on horses that friends own. And the ladies are not put off from attending these events regardless of the weather; in fact the Go Racing website provides a fashion tips section which advises the ladies to have a statement umbrella in case the weather does turn wet!

Why race? That is the question that can be asked, the answer is simple it’s a different experience that provides entertainment for those involved.

The atmosphere that one feels at the race track is that of excitement and trainer Paul Smith explains how this starts at home and is carried from the yard where the horses are in work, ‘I arrive at the yard and I can feel a buzz about the place, people are working, horses are chewing on their hay, its constant noise and the week before the race so many other things have to be prepared so that we are ready to race on the day’. Once the horses are properly prepared they are ready to go out there and race for the winning post in the lead. Attending races is a whirlwind of excitement that carries the punters from the opening gate to the bookies stands or their own winner’s circles when their horses whip the rest of the field. Indeed after attending a charity race meet that a friend’s father was competing in I began to see racing in a different light. It was exciting watching the horse he was riding galloping around the race track and hearing a name that one can relate to being out in front for awhile during the race. Needless to say the horse came in last but the experience of being at the races was different from anything else I had ever been to. We placed our bets up in the Arkle room and watched some of the races on the big screen while we had our drinks then for the charity race we were down at the track cheering him on. The day was just for enjoyment and it definitely fulfilled this idea as everyone came home on a high, we had felt more connected to the racing due to being involved in it.

Without the Horse There is No Race

Horses that produce unforgettable feats make racing the sport that it is. When the animals win against the odds the feeling is unforgettable. At the Cheltenham gold cup in 1986 a little mare called Dawn Run appeared from no where to win this prestigious race. The post celebrations to this win have been described as those that will never be forgotten. To this day the mare still holds the title of greatest national hunt mare of all time. At the Cheltenham gold cup in 1989 Desert Orchid or Dessie as he commonly known, produced another of these feats. Desert Orchid ran one of his most famous races by trailing behind the leader yahoo for most of the race only to win at the toughest part of the race when he was tiring and had to get up the hill. His jockey described him as ‘brave’, the horse gave it his all in the last few minutes of the race.

Arkle has been described as a freak of nature winning 27 of his 35 starts and been handicapped of up to two stone heavier than what his rivals were carrying. The end to these creatures that provide memories and excitement on the day is that of oblivion they almost cease to exist except in the memories of those that followed them indeed even for Arkle, having fractured a pedal bone he never returned to racing and was destroyed at the age of 13. Moscowflyer another favourite for along time grew old and after finishing fifth in a field of six finishers retired quietly to his stable. It is of no surprise that these animals have short lived careers that usually end in injuries due to the nature of the sport and yet they still run with no notion of what is to become of them. In horse racing anything can happen right up till the second that the horses’ nostril crosses the finish line. Horses that lose also produce memories for those that are involved with them. They can be the favourite and fall at the first fence or a no hoper that a rookie is hoping will run the race of his life only to fall flat on his face during the meet. Anybody who is involved in this sport remembers the thrills they have experienced from it, the memory of the first bet or the first win to the people they met at the race track that may have influenced their lives.

From placing your first bet to watching the horses parade around the ring, the atmosphere is energetic. Placing your second bet is just as thrilling because of the chance that your horse might win! At the end of the day win or lose the energy that the race track creates is what the punters leave with. And the horses, well they retire to their stables for extra feed and hay for an ordinary days work.