Getting Dressed Up

When you’re getting dressed to go out and watch your favourite team you might have a lucky scarf or hat – you might even be one of those people that still tries to wear a replica shirt to a match. There’s no such dilemma for a day at the races. Think a christening in winter and you’ll nail the Cheltenham look, add some tweed if you really want to blend in. Dress codes have now been completely relaxed at most tracks, but that had mostly always been the case for jumps racing, the poorer cousin to the ‘Sport of Kings’ of the flat. Scarves in the colours (silks) of some of the big-name horses are flogged as you enter the track, but thankfully you won’t find any half-and-half ones.

The Journey

A hearty breakfast and some intense form study is a much better use of your time than a visit to the nearest pub. On matchday mates might want to lament or celebrate the fortunes of your team, discussing injury news and last week’s shock defeat or amazing win. Racing is every man for himself. Keep those winners and great tips you’ve found under wraps. At some point in the journey it’s guaranteed someone will put forward a text message from their uncle Trevor who “always wins, every bet”. Unless you know their uncle Trevor lives in the nicest part of town and drives a top of the range car, it’s best to swerve these tips.

Getting In

With a supposedly better-behaved crowd and class of person at the races (not always true, of course), searches will be a slightly softer touch than at the turnstiles of your team’s stadium. Prices for tickets for the major racing festivals are now on a par with at least a lower-level Premier League ground, likewise you’ll find plenty of touts on your way in. You’ll realise there’s much more terracing than seating at a racetrack, so look out for a decent plot overlooking the finish line or the final fence. Don’t forget to set up a decent meeting place for friends too. You don’t want to be wandering on your own when your phone signal dies. Talking of friends, you’re all in it together until the off-time of the next race where, unlike the football, you’ll probably be cheering on a different outcome from those in your group. Remember to be a gracious winner or loser.

The Build-Up

The pre-parade and parade rings at a racecourse are effectively the dressing rooms. This puts you at the centre of the action as the saddle is added to a horse in their stable. Nearby, the jockey receives last-minute instructions from the trainer. Imagine being allowed in the dressing room as your favourite player pulls on his shirt and gets that last minute pep talk? Keep your ears open for any clues you can pick up over the noise of the crowd. Professional punters use this time to assess the fitness of a horse, just like on a human athlete they’re looking for firm muscle and conditioning.

The Warm Up

Horses then file on to the track one by one taking a canter (no more than a jog) down to the start. While footballers get put through their paces in drills and rondos, finishing up with shooting practice, a jockey will walk their horse near to a fence almost as if to say: “…this is what we’re doing today, if I aim you at this bush I want you to jump it”.

The Competitors

Here’s one of the major differences you’ll encounter between both sports. First of all, whether the jockeys, trainers, owners or the horses are male or female, they all compete on the same racecard. Often against each other in the same races. The equality in racing extends to amateur jockeys, who usually have at least one race to themselves within the card. Imagine a non-league match breaking out halfway through your visit to a Premier League game. Secondly, especially in jumps racing, the competitors are taking huge risks, therefore sportsmanship trumps rivalry. Expect the first person to congratulate that winning rider to be the jockey of your horse, who unluckily came second. While the owners in both sports have a fair share of multi-millionaires and billionaires, you can still find underdog stories at the races. A local farmer who has one horse can be a Gold Cup winner, far easier than your local businessman small club owner can win the Premier League.

The Betting

Even though betting on racing was the more established fare from your bookies, the types of bet have remained broadly the same for well over a century. Win or each-way (one bet to win, one bet to place) are the staple. Football betting has evolved and now has the single game accumulator (better known as the bet-builder).

The Aftermath

Race meetings in the UK always have at least six races for you to find a winner from. So hopefully you’ll be celebrating at least one success when you relocate to the pub or for a nice meal afterwards. Tracks are usually located a bit further out of town than stadiums so be prepared for a courtesy bus journey back to the station. You might not have sung any terrace anthems as your cheer on the equine superstars, but it’s almost guaranteed that someone will start up a version of Sweet Caroline on that double-decker back into town.