Controversial Horse Wins Again
A little known horse, with a trainer who never bets, is once again the center of controversy. There Is No Doubt, trained by Helen Bridges, is suspected of having been caught up in a betting sting when it was backed from 70-1 down to 5-2 favorite in its debut race at Exeter this month at Towcester. Bookmakers were alerted to the possible sting when an abnormal amount of action was put on the horse (ridden by Bridges' daughter, Lucy Bridges, an amateur), although Simon Clare of Coral described the gamble as a "a good old-fashioned touch." The Jockey Club has launched an investigation into the matter.
Youbet.com Hires Powell
Youbet.com has announced the hiring of Lonny T. Powell as the company's vice president-public affairs and general manager of the central region. Powell, currently the president and CEO of the Association of Racing Commissioners International, will join Youbet on Feb. 1, 2005.
Betting Scheme Targets Kiwis
The New Zealand Commerce Commission warned consumers to be leery of offers that seem too good to be true--because they probably are. The commission also has concerns about a horse-betting scheme run by Australia-based Antinas Pty Limited. The company has allegedly been phoning investors in New Zealand and offering them large returns in connection with a horse-betting program. "The scheme appears to be akin to a horse betting scheme the commission assisted its Australian counterpart, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, in taking court action against in 2002. That scheme falsely claimed to be able to predict horse-race place-getters with high accuracy," the commission said in a prepared statement.
Concerns over Account Wagering in Oregon
Despite the huge popularity of pool wagers like the Pick Six at the Breeders' Cup, Oregon racing officials are concerned that racing professionals could be violating state law. The issue came to light in October when thousands of Pick Six wagers traveled in a split second from a computer at a small racetrack in Ohio to a computer in Northeast Portland. Seconds later, the bets were rerouted to the host track in Grand Prairie, Texas, where they were funneled into the Breeders' Cup $4.6 million Pick Six pool. The arrangement raises questions about whether it's allowed under Oregon's rules. Racing advocates are calling on the governor and state attorney general to form an independent task force to study how Oregon's account-wagering regulations are interpreted and enforced.
At issue is Oregon Administrative Rule 462 --the state's account wagering laws. The regulations define an account holder as a "natural person," and a natural person is defined as "any person at least 18 years of age, but does not include any corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust or estate." Neither the governor nor the Attorney General had an immediate comment on the situation.
Churchill Downs, Magna Export Racing Product
Churchill Downs Inc. and Magna Entertainment Corp. announced an international simulcast distribution agreement that will deliver the two operators' racing product to the European market. Racing content from 18 of the companies' North American operations will be combined and presented for export through MEC's Austrian subsidiary, MEC Sport und Entertainment GmbH, to outlets in Great Britain, Ireland, Austria and Germany. The partnership will bring coverage at top United States racetracks to the European market. Participating tracks include Churchill Downs, Fair Grounds Race Course, Gulfstream Park, Hollywood Park, Lone Star Park, the Maryland Jockey Club and Santa Anita Park.
IFHA Study Reveals Global Racing Statistics
According to statistics released by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities, the majority of racing around the world takes place in just 10 countries, and Canada follows the United States and Australia as a world leader. The global statistics were gathered from over 50 countries and analyzed by the IFHA. The study reports that 46.3 percent of racing in the world is standardbred racing, while 51.4 percent is thoroughbred and the remaining 2.3 percent is jump racing. The statistics also show that Japan has the most betting, with $25 billion, followed by the United States and United Kingdom with almost $14 million each.
Record Racing Turnover in Australia
Figures released by the Australian Racing Board showed that punters wagered $11.1 billion on thoroughbreds last year, the highest level in the nation's gambling history. Wagering turnover grew by 5.5 percent, with a 30.6 percent increase in telephone and Internet betting showing that punters are no longer committed to punting exclusively at the track or TAB outlets. Eighty-five percent of betting took place away from the racecourse. On-course wagering dropped 6 percent, while three quarters of all betting was done with the TABs as opposed to bookmakers. New South Wales led the way for the gambling dollar on horse racing, accounting for more than a third (34.7 percent) of all money wagered on thoroughbreds.