It’s that time of year again when the fillies, dull and listless all summer, tend to pop up as unappreciated long shots and reward faithful punters committed to clear thinking with huge returns. Of course, public hypesters (o/c “tipsters”) do not fall into the above category as their thought...

Last week, in-between family duties, I watched as much of the five-day Glorious Goodwood festival from Sussex, England, as possible. On Thursday, a peculiar thing happened. Although the first race went off on time (routine for a country seasoned in live horse racing coverage and the importance of holding...

  Unfortunately, local horse racing continues to bleed customers of all ages. Very few of the millennial generation are sufficiently interested to invest in a tote that extorts 30% of stakes wagered in win and 40% in exotic pools before declaring a dividend; in purchasing horses that cost a...

The following apocryphal story has been making the rounds since I was knee high to a grasshopper (or grass lice whichever you prefer). Lord Nelson was on the bridge of HMS Victory lying just west of the Cape of Trafalgar, when, through his telescope, he caught sight of approaching...

The Jamaica Derby’s 99th running is scheduled for tomorrow but Public Opinion deadlines mean readers must be satisfied with a very early preview. I’ll be looking at the horses I expect to be running as, at time of writing, declarations won’t be final for a few days. The public...

  If horse racing isn’t to die with its aging fans, two vital factors need to be added to its crash cart: namely marketing and availability. Currently, racing is limping along without the assistance of either. The marketing team seems unable to attract a decent number of new sponsors...

  In order to rise above the ordinary, punters must understand that racehorses are people too. It’s just that they can’t talk. But they eat, sleep, think and need, just like us! They have off-days and on-days. Most importantly, intelligent punters understand that horses’ performances can’t be predicted by...

 At least the bare bones of live horseracing have returned to TV via simulcast on PBCJ. This is a good thing. As I wrote last issue, horse racing’s major investors, without whom the sport can’t survive, are punters. Unless racing can attract new bettors willing to wager their hard-earned...

   A horse racing industry is a three-faceted construction made of investors, contributors and regulators. Investors (breeders, owners, punters and promoters) are the foundations. Contributors (trainers, jockeys and grooms) are bricks and mortar and regulators the roofs. Breeders invest in land; infrastructure; and bloodstock. They provide the sport’s competitors....