Sunday, August 01, 2010

Odds 'n' ends...

The stewards' inquiry following Midday's victory in yesterday's Nassau was the first to be televised live on British television; jockey Tom Queally incurred a two day ban for careless riding after his mount and Stacelita came close together about 100 yards from the line.

Goodwood may well have been glorious but issues surrounding the sport's funding continue to rumble on in the background; earlier in the week William Hill announced it is to move its telephone betting operation to Gibraltar in order to benefit from significant tax advantages. Victor Chandler (who, I think, led the move to Gibraltar several years ago) then chipped in with a commitment to pay levy on his offshore operations if the betting exchanges were to be taxed in a similar manner to traditional layers. Chandler may have extended his shirt sponsorship deal with Championship side Nottingham Forest but is on record as saying that racing is the only sport he deals with where 'revenues are declining'. In a similar vein, from the Mintel report on Betting Shops - UK - August 2009: ''In 2008, FOBTs (Fixed Odds Bettng Terminals) became the first product to earn more for Ladbrokes than horse racing in the company’s entire 122-year existence."

A gentle reminder - don't forget to tune in to Channel 4 at 9.00pm this Thursday 5th August when Paul Fisher, Chief Operating Officer of The Jockey Club, takes his turn as The Undercover Boss.

Finally, the best tip(ple) of the week... Champagne Louis Chaurey Brut at Marks & Spencer - reduced from £30 to £15 a bottle. Light, fresh, with pineapple and biscuit overtones - I've just sent Mrs Tips out to get another bottle.

No comments: