File Under: What Could Go Wrong

One from the archives. Well this certainly looked to be firmy in 'deadcert' territory didn't it? It goes to show how unpredictable sports (with horse racing being no exception!) can sometimes be.

Just a Prop!

Don't worry, it's not a real 'dead' cert.

Epsom Downs Racecourse

As a racecourse that has a lasting reputation, the Epsom Downs Racecourse holds around 130,000 visitors for races. Known to be the home of the famous Epsom Derby, this is a racecourse that always attracts incredible interest as one of the truly flagship races on the calendar comes up.

Alongside this, this unique course offers a fantastic collection of races, from the Coronation Cup to the other Epsom event, the Oaks. This gives Epsom Downs Racecourse a fantastic itinerary of historical and engaging racecourses to enjoy. It’s got three major Group 1 race courses, and draws some very impressive crowds every year to every race.

The most significant people who stop by, of course, are the Royal Family. The Queen is known to stop off at the Epsom Downs Racecourse every year for the Epsom Derby, taking in one of the flagship races in the country.

The racecourse itself has existed in some form since 1661, with the famous Eclipse horse running some of its wins on this hallowed truth, remaining unbeaten. Eclipse, though, is just one of the many amazing horses to have taken to the courses here over time. it was even at Epsom Downs Racecourse that Emily Davison, the suffragette, threw herself onto the track, sadly dying after the event four days later.

 

Following on the unique tradition with the Royal Family, Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, alongside many other members, made their first public outing since the marriage of William and Catherine.

Top Ten Funny (and Real) Horse Names

Arrrrr - A great name to call your horse if you want the commentator to sound like he's screaming for his life!

Horsey McHorseFace - The one and only. No, not Chesney Hawkes. Horsey McHorseFace was named in homage to 'Boaty McBoatface, the controversial winner of a competition to name a ship in the UK. Horsey McHorseFace has actually won a race, so you must take him seriously!


Ha Ha Ha - Hehehe

Flat Fleet Feet - The 'she sell seashells' of the horse racing world

Hoof Hearted - It wasn't me!

Passing Wind - We all do it

Pianist - Careful how you say it!

Hoarse - Clever or corny. Either way hoarse is a real horse

Mywifenoseverything - Oh really?

Thewifedoesntknow - Phew!

Hide and Seek Runner Up

 

"I'm sure nobody can see me"

How to Spot Value

According to Oxford Living dictionaries, one definition of value is “the worth of something compared to the price paid or asked for it”, which is more than adequate for the purposes of this article. In horse racing circles, what we’re really talking about, though, is value for money, in reference to a selection that is well worth the stake money invested on it.

However, in recent years – thanks in no large part to Pricewise, the flagship tipping column of the Racing Post – the word “value” has developed a strangely impalpable, will-o’-the-wisp connotation. Regardless of the hoo-ha and hogwash, though, there is no fundamental secret to spotting value in horse racing. As American actor Will Rogers once said, “A difference of opinion is what makes horse racing and missionaries”, so it follows that value, too, is a matter of opinion.

Bookmakers and the betting public make a subjective assessment of the winning chance of each horse in a race, which is reflected in the odds offered and how those odds fluctuate between the opening show and the “off” of the race in question. The task facing the value-seeking punter, then, is to make his or her won subjective assessment of the winning chance of each horse and compare the results with the odds available. If the odds available are longer than expected – that is, in the opinion of the punter, the horse is more likely to win than the odds suggest – the horse represents a value-for-money betting opportunity.

Obviously, it almost goes without saying you must be accurate and realistic in your assessment of a race in the first place, but spotting value doesn’t, necessarily, mean identifying likely winners at fancy prices. Pricewise may not be interested in tipping a favourite at even money but, if that favourite should be, say, 4/6 in your opinion, it still offers outstanding value for money. In short, value-for-money betting opportunities occur across the whole spectrum of prices and the more accurate you become in assessing horses’ relative chances of winning the more you’ll find.

When Pantomime Horse Races Go Bad!

I wonder if any bookmakers priced this one up :-D.