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Epsom crowd
Epsom crowd
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Replies: 278
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Exactly Brandy and it will become a niche sport and will have to adapt accordingly .
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Pari-Mutuel is the immediate answer to rid of the present bookies who are creaming off, and running horseracing UK. Hopefully, the government will tax fobt at 80%.
The number of bookies will also need to be culled - maximum 6. This will save social services and the NHS mega money, more than the contribution from bookies presently (do not be fooled by the published figure by bookies). The invisible costs to social services and the NHS is significantly more than the contributions of bookies at present. Last but not least disband the BHA. The BHA has been incompetent, complicit and hoodwinked by bookies. A radical approach to re-establish and improve horseracing back to its glory days where it was an affordable sport for the majority of racegoers and punters and not corporate only. |
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And what happens to those employees of the bookmakers that are culled and then moving on what happens to those who work in the industrys that sells alcohol and fast food which will cost the nhs much more and what happens to those who enjoy betting with bookies going to the pub and having a hamburger?
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The Derby was once known as the people’s race – but if you wanted to attend on Saturday and have your son or daughter share in the full magic of Derby day, it would have cost you at least £135.
For a child aged between five and 17, the cheapest ticket allowing access to the parade ring was £50 on Derby day. A place in the Queen Elizabeth II Stand? That’ll be £70, for a child. For a family of four, the prices were £270 and £470 respectively. That is disgusting for younger people £50. Let's use our money on something else. £470 for a family of 4. Hopefully next year less people go, and hit these greedy shareholders. |
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Very sad demise. I went to about 12 oaks fridays in the early norties to see the greats liek Oiuja Board and Tagrooda win in style. Crowds felt like 40,000 in those days. It cant compete these days on a saturday (the derby).
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Hopefully next year less people go, and hit these greedy shareholders.
Yes it is a rip-off but Epsom is owned by the Jockey Club which doesn't have shareholders as all profits go back into racing. |
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the race that stops a NATION
or the race that couldnt stop an ANDORRA game  |
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More spectators watched the Oaks back in 2019, than watched the Derby last weekend.
£50 & £70 to take your child of 5+ into the stands. |
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I doubt even a return to Wednesday will save it. The derby ship has sailed and now continues to sink.
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How can the tosh on offer last saturday at Epsom be justified by the prices charged? If you're a local would you recommend it to a friend outside Epsom to attend? And, apart from The Derby itself the rest of the races were no better than an average Saturday on a premier racetrack.
I've not been for over 5 years. A friend lives in Fir Tree Road and his family has stopped going to The Derby because of the expense. He's not alone. Some would like the race to be moved elsewhere as it's only a nuisance now, and does not bring it extra revenue to the town. Most locals would stay away on Derby weekend. |
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the jc recently did a report that says they think it's worth £63 million to epsom and surrounding area economy, they obviously failed to take into account yourself and your friend from fir tree rd when they complied their paper
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What do you expect with sniffer dogs at a race track for a festival!
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You’re blocking the youth of today from entering….
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watched the 4 lads on AK podcast today ,as usual very good and spent alot of time discussing this, but dont think any of them went and TC was in a social club a mile away,but like dozens of others making a living from the game,they want to no why everyone/anyone else isnt going, and their 4 punters,avid racing fans, maybe its the same reason why everyone else arnt going
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Epsom is not Royal Ascot. People would like to be seen at Royal Ascot; the races are far more superior and worth significantly more too; Epsom has only 2 ie The Derby and The Oaks.
Why can the French charge so little yet managed to attract loads of racegoers regularly and also offer bigger prizes? |
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Spouting how they're desperate to replace the current mob of oldies like us but then charge £50 for a child , so any parents contemplating whether to pay £50 to create a potential gambler in the family as the chance of them being a horse lover who'll attend meetings bet free is zero , plus anyone classed in the child bracket with their own money could probably think of a million more rewarding things to spend a bullseye on rather than watch horses run around in circles.
Game is dead and buried and whilst we scorn at pop concerts it's still one of the few things left to possibly prolong the sport from extinction. |
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whats value of a race got to do with spectators, cartmel,perth,chester pack,m in for low grade in terms of £ races
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Does the value of a race not equate to the quality of horses taking part eg Group races vs ordinary handicap? Only the diehards would attend a race meeting with ordinary horses running.
I believe football clubs charge the fans more to watch their team play superior title challenging teams eg Man city/Liverpool/Arsenal/Man Utd (past). |
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cartmel,perth,chester,other than THE DERBY ,the 2 other quaity races were races 1 and 2 and 100,s were seen still walking in after thosevraces had been ran, 95% of so called festival ards havnt a clue about ratings ,quality horses etc,95% of magnet cup crowd thinks magnet cup are the best rated horse not the 1 mile 6 race on same day,etc
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In France and America it is the pari-mutuel that funds the prize money. We gave the Tote to Betfred.
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Let's have Pari-Mutuel then to arrest the present demise of horseracing in the UK. The bookies are killing horseracing by not taking bets from recreational punters resulting in an ever-decreasing Levy contribution; horseracing needs punters to help pay the prize money of winning horses.
Take the bookies out of the equation, and adopt Pari-Mutuel instead to fund horseracing in the UK. QED! |
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The Grade of racing on offer makes little to no difference on the amount of people turning up for Derby day.
If they had 7 claimers on at Royal Ascot it would still be sold out. The big difference in modern times is people can go out on Saturday with family or friends, flick your phone on at 3.30, watch the Derby and then carry on with your day. |
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All slotted nicely into perspective brandy
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The bookies are killing horseracing by not taking bets from recreational punters resulting in an ever-decreasing Levy contribution
You appear to have a disturbing resentment against UK bookmakers, not only based on the post above, but many others, possibly due to past losses perhaps. Far be it from me to act as a mediator, but you may be surprised to know that although turn-over is down and expected to decrease again, the bookmaker levy paid in March 2025 was £108 million, the highest figure since reform in 2017 and the 4th increase in a row. Levy payments 2023/24 £105m - 2022/23 £100m - 2021/22 £97m - 2020/21 £83m The levy is based on bookmaker gross profit, not turn-over. |
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you're thinking here is that a man with the attention span of a goldfish will do what with that information?
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elise
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as soon as he starts with "i think" you know he hasn't
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If only it was that easy impossible. The snag is that Pari-mutuel take a much bigger cut than UK bookmakers and far more that exchanges so extra prize money would all come from punters who would not be happy. It is crazy imo to put so much money into the Derby and a handful of other races. Aiden is now top of the GB trainer list on prize money due to winning 3 races in 2 days. £900,000 for the Derby is equivalent to winning 100 decent handicaps!
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A pari mutuel would chase even more people away from horse racing and also take a lot of fun / interest out of it .
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Back on the subject of the Epsom crowd would anyone like to have guess at the costs of the coaches and open top buses it varies depending on where they park
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1-3k depending on what day.
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Australia probably have the best of both worlds, bookmakers on the track (along with p-m) but only tote off course with availability in pubs/clubs. Their tab(tote) offices off course tend to be bit spiritless but no more than our bookmakers have become.
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The present format with the bookies controlling everything is the cause of where UK horseracing is ie a spiral decline. It's not working. As such, something drastic needs to be introduced quick.
I understand why some here do not share my views on bookies. The views are about the present ones ie prior fobt. The present ones are sh1te, and need to be expelled for their sharp practices, greed and refusal to take bets even from recreational punters. The Levy has increased but unable to sustain or provide for the ever-increasing number of races mostly for the benefit of bookies; scarce fund spent on expanding loss makers will never achieve a profit in the long term. Imagine supermarkets increasingly promoting loss-makers to entice potential customers. This will only work up to a point, any further this practice will be business-negative. So many races/meetings are unnecessary, and a cull is inevitable but necessary. I understand the consequences however, other industries experience the same predicament; the betting industry is less relevant to most in comparison. |
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Penzance
I believe the cheapest is 2750 then up to 9000 quite incredible I’d never give it a thought before but someone who worked at Epsom was telling me Monday night,if accurate then it’s no wonder the buses are not lined up from the 3 furlongs pole anymore. |
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I do agree impossible the of course on line bookmakers do have to big a say ex Ladbroke and hills chairman seem to have a big input over the years.
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Australia probably have the best of both worlds, bookmakers on the track (along with p-m) but only tote off course with availability in pubs/clubs. Their tab(tote) offices off course tend to be bit spiritless but no more than our bookmakers have become.
welcome to the future of Automated betting shops. No staff. Eye recognition technology linked to your betting patterns, doctor's records,bank accounts/earnings.  |
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Be careful what you wish for springs to mind
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Can we not just adopt the Australia horseracing betting format? Their other products are socially debilitating, cancerous and probably hugely problematic in the future.
What about Hong Kong? Not only their betting is socially conscious their governance is 2nd to none. The BHA is much inferior in comparison. |
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Something ive certainly noticed in recent years is the ticket price difference between buying online in advance and paying at the gate - if its £24 for the Premier enclosure online, it’ll be £35 paying on the day. Complete take-on thats put me off going at the last minute a couple of times.
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And rightly so fairweather
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