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International Archive

280-1 Shot Wins, Sparking Investigation

A longshot’s win at Nottingham on Monday cost British bookmakers £500,000. The large payout to bettors on the horse, a two-year-old gelding named Exponential who lost his last race by 17 lengths yet showed dramatically improved form in Monday’s race, caught the attention of the Jockey Club, which has opened an investigation. Exponential’s trainer Stuart Williams is unconcerned with all the fuss, saying, “I think it was a question of some punters spotting good value for money.” (The Independent)

Posted in International on August 18, 2004

A Blasphemous Scheme?

Aiming to increase tourism in Israel, the Israeli government announced on July 26 plans to build two racecourses in the north and south of the country. But Yael Zisling Adar, writing in Israel Insider, wonders, “Is horseracing the new Zionist dream?”

Posted in International on August 10, 2004

Jockey Investigated for Non-Triers

British jockey Gary Carter faces allegations that he rode “eight non-triers” last year (Racing Post).

Posted in International, Jockeys on July 15, 2004

Savill’s Legacy

Fearing increased corruption in racing brought on by online gaming sites, the recently retired British Horseracing Board chairman Peter Savill proposed a “banding system” over the weekend, which “would create different divisions of horse racing — with prize money depreciating significantly in the lower divisions.” Said Savill, “The issue is largely about the betting exchanges. I’m fundamentally opposed to the concept of betting exchanges because I think sport is about winning. To have people cheering on a racecourse because a horse is getting beaten is anathema to the whole concept of what sport is about” (Online Casino News). It’s Savill’s attitude to the betting exchanges that will determine his legacy, writes J.A. McGrath in London’s The Telegraph: “In the short term, Peter Savill will be remembered as the chairman who took racing to a level of prosperity it deserved, and he should be thanked for that. But it will be how betting exchanges develop from this point — and how that development affects racing — that will determine whether Savill was truly a man with vision.”

Posted in International on July 12, 2004