The Gambling Commission ‘consultation’ continues to roll on, racing continues to make a number of uncoordinated statements about the damage the proposals will do to the industry, however, you cannot but help feel a more joined up, considered approach would be more effective.
Having to prove you can afford to lose £100 a month, will naturally kill off a lot of punters who just will not be bothered to go through that faff and whilst it seems a sledgehammer to crack a nut, the bookmakers only have themselves to blame for peddling endless slots/casino games on users of their service, whilst we can all rightly say that betting on horses, is a game of skill, more akin to investing into stocks and shares, we would be short-sighted not to appreciate that their are plenty of people getting their fix on the sport, no doubt alongside football and Russian Table-tennis.
Difficult times are ahead, as ever with those in racing, too little perhaps, too late and too many other interests – further, some of the biggest voices in racing always seek to undermine gambling, how often have you heard “oh I do not bet” or “betting is not really for me” from people involved in the sport, whilst that may be the case, such blinkered comments do little to support the sport which let’s be frank would be screwed without gambling.
Measures do need to be taken, VIP bettors are already being checked for AML and affordability, £100 a month seems a bit draconian but would £1000 a month? It seems the tide has begun to turn, the consultation really feels like a decision already made, puritanical government once again involving themselves in our everyday lives when we would sorely like to be just left alone.
The challenges of problem gambling are obvious, the bookies only have themselves to blame for allowing it to be a bit of free for all for far too long, the stable door might be wide open, the horse has long bolted, it could be too late for the idea of ‘self-regulation’ and as we all know, when the moral-lens of an outsider looks at gambling, especially gambling at a loss, it is understandable someone who does not have that mindset could take the view, why would they want to do this….that is the challenge for racing to articulate and it has sadly failed thus far.
Spitting that to one-side and ironically, we are having a shocker of late, of course these things happen but after the bright promise of early January, form is struggling to stand-up. We have racing today at Catterick, Chepstow, Lingfield and Newcastle today and tomorrow brings the first day of the Dublin Racing Festival.
We are now, in the red, a full P&L review to follow on Sunday evening/Monday morning but we are of course not out at all, a couple of good days like we have had and sensible staking will sort us out.
Catterick
14:00 – Exod’ela for Jamie Snowden is a worthy favourite, albeit up in the weights having competed at Class 1 company last time-out, however carrying the heaviest weight he has ever carried and at a less than attractive price we will ignore him.
Course and Distance winner, Baliarico has been here and done that but the Greatrex yard is out of form of late and he will be one to watch as will many from the yard until things start to turnaround for them.
DADSINTROUBLE stands-out, a horse that likes to be off the pace, performing well, despite not quite getting his head in-front in 2020, we know he stays on the ground and has been carrying this sort of weight in most of his runs last year.
DADSINTROUBLE 8/1 1PT EW
14:30 – a mares handicap chase and a race that seems wide open, a chance is taken on FLOW AWAY, our first bet of 2021 (pulled-up), today down in class and over the larger obstacles to perhaps freshen her up. 12/1 seems a big price, much like the 14s we took on 2 January, let us hope she runs something like her form in early February of 2020 when setting blistering fractions.
FLOW AWAY 12/1 0.5PT EW
14:40 – Father of Jazz, odds on should hose home, he is well drawn in 3 but up in class having only ever performed in Class 5 company, he has never featured at Lingfield an we all know first-timers on that surface can have a wobble. I would not be backing at 4/7.
Society Red has been there and done that, down in the weights, a course and distance winner, very well drawn and 8/1 if the fave stumbles, we have to be in the mix to pick up the pieces.
We have had success in these sorts of small fields before with an outsider and if he can perform as well as he did when winning over course and distance a few weeks back, he should give the fave something to think about – equally the fave is being backed as if he is a rocket ship, sadly some however do blow up.
SOCIETY RED – 8/1 1.5PT WIN (no EW as small field).
Horse Racing Selections 