WHY I’M A RACING FAN- MIKE QUIGLEY
The retired betting industry veteran, 67, with his memories of the sport
"Irish racing is my real passion – and I’ve visited all 27 tracks"
A SCHOOL FRIEND introduced me to horseracing, after which my father, who had little interest in the sport, indulged me sufficiently to take my bets to the local bookmaker.
“That’s another gallon of petrol for the bookie’s car!” he’d say to me.
It wasn’t until university that I visited a racecourse: Newmarket, 1967, 2,000 Guineas day when Royal Palace won. From a betting perspective it wasn’t successful. I’d been sold a ‘marked’ racecard in the car park at three times its face value. None of the selections won.
After racing it was rather fortunate I’d no money left and couldn’t be coerced by card tricksters into finding the lady. Nevertheless, I was hooked.
Not knowing what to do with my physics degree but still harbouring the racing bug, I joined Ladbrokes as a trainee manager. Later I worked for William Hill, the Tote and Betfair before retiring in 2008. My most memorable racing days have been outside Britain, including four trips to the Breeders’ Cup, plus places like Sha Tin, Pardubice, Longchamp and Chantilly.
My real passion, though, is Irish racing. In 2004 I completed visits to all 27 Irish tracks when I went to Tralee. For nearly 20 years I’ve written about my Irish trips on my website, and most articles have appeared in the London Racing Club magazine.
We live in Ludlow now which has a picturesque track – but you’re just as likely to find me at Leopardstown or the Galway festival.
‘My most memorable racing days have been outside Britain, including four trips to the Breeders’ Cup’
No comments:
Post a Comment