Sports stories without the shouting
I recently read an article about changes to the Junior National Hunt Hurdles programme being brought in by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA). This blog is not about the merits or otherwise of this approach, but rather about an idea that occurred to me after reading a quote from Tom Byrne, the BHA Head of …
Continue reading “A new pathway for developing British racehorses”
This week it was reported that Thesis, the horse who won the 2022 Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot, had been sold to race in Hong Kong. The horse’s trainer Harry Charlton admitted that the ‘spending power is hard to contend with’ when a bid comes in from Hong Kong. Looking through the data it is …
Continue reading “Racing in Hong Kong could be worth three times the value to an owner”
When a country finishes on top of the Winter Olympic medal table you immediately think it must be the best nation for winter sports. But a more detailed look at the medal table from Beijing 2022 shows a story of specialisation, with big gains to be made by specialising in sports that offer lots of …
Late in December the NHL decided to withdraw from sending players to the 2022 Winter Olympics. It was a decision that disappointed those wanting to promote the sport in Asia, as well as many fans hoping to see the best compete for their National teams at the Olympics. But what will be the likely impact …
Continue reading “The winners and losers of the NHL’s decision to withdraw from the Olympics”
At the end of each year I like to look back at what I’ve written over the last twelve months and see what I’ve learnt. So, my own personal review of the year shows that: Football Covid has helped to shift attention from the Premier League’s continued dependence on gambling, where nearly half of all …
There are two types of champions in this world, those who make it look easy to reach the top and those who struggle against themselves, circumstance, or talent. It is the latter who are typically lauded as the ‘people’s champion’ as most people can see a part of themselves in that struggle. The racehorse Champ …
Continue reading “With a name like Champ you know it is going to be an interesting career”
It is over 6,000 miles from Tokyo to Paris, but that has never stopped the autumnal Japanese pilgrimage to Longchamp, home of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. One of the most important races in Europe has caught the imagination of the Japanese racing public and owners, driven both by potential financial gain and the …
Continue reading “Will Japanese interest in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe finally be rewarded?”
The annual Goff’s horses in training sale takes place in Doncaster on St Leger week and once again there will be an interesting side show as Gigginstown Stud continue the dispersal of some stars of the turf. But looking at previous sales results it would make you wonder what all the fuss is about. It …
Continue reading “The Gigginstown dispersal sale is no place to look for return on investment”
When it comes to gambling advertising in the English Premier league there is a lot of noise but not a lot of action. Looking at shirt sponsors for the 2021/22 season shows an increase the number of teams being sponsored by gambling firms (from eight to nine), and gambling sponsorship now accounts for 45% of …
If Harry Kane gets his move away from Tottenham this summer, few Spurs fans will getting excited about Plan B – using the £100+ transfer fee to build a better squad. That’s because most will remember what happened when Gareth Bale left in 2012. Bale went to Real Madrid for £82m and Spurs used the …
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