The Oldest Betting Practice: Horse Racing
Horses are beautiful and noble animals. In fact, they have inspired some of the most beautiful works of art, and made a great deal of human progress possible. There is no surprise that these magnificent inhabitants of our planet would have an important role in the history of what is currently the second most popular sport in the betting universe. Therefore, it was only natural that all of the major bookmakers would follow suite to their European counterparts and have entire sections dedicated to the sport.
We have to mention that the first recorded and documented bet in history concerns one of the most famous horses: Bucephalus. The animal was considered as untamable. Alexander the Great called for a bet with his father Philip of Macedon. If he could ride him, then his father would have to pay the exorbitant amount of 13 talents, to buy the equine. We all know how the story ended, and who won the wager.
Origins
Horse racing, as we know the form, can be traced all the way back to some of the greatest civilizations of the ancient world: Egypt, Greece, Rome, China. Mounted equestrian and chariot competitions have as an official date of appearance the Olympic Games of 648 B.C. When the Roman Emperors promised «bread and entertainment» to their subjects, a large portion of the second part of it, had to do with 4-horse chariot racing. The variation that became ever so popular through the «Ben Hur» movies.
The side betting that is depicted in the images is an accurate representation of the era. While it was not organized and regulated, those who had the means to place wagers did so and in large amounts.
A lot of money and a lot of prestige
It is a sad truth that raising, feeding and training a horse requires a lot of money. It’s a long-term investment that takes quite a while before it yields any results, if ever. This is why a victory at any of the top tier competitions, brings up quite lucrative awards, while the prestige for the owner, the trainer, the rider and, of course, the equine, is off the roof!
The system described above is always looking for ways to maintain the name that they fight hard to build. One of these methods includes breeding the fastest studs and mares to produce offspring that can keep up. It is quite indicative of the mindset of the sport, that in many cases the fowls produced by such pairings are sold for millions even before they can prove that they are worth the effort!
Modern times
At this time, a tournament of the sport can include more than one forms of competition. Sprint (running from point A to point B either in a straight line or around a track), obstacle jumping (either manmade or natural), endurance (lasting over a long distance), harness (pulling a sulky) and manners and obedience (the relationship between the handler and the animal). It is extremely rare that any one horse can be a champion in all of the above. Which gives more chances for victory to more stables.
All of the above should be a part of the research any bettor needs to do when learning how to become a successful punter. However, especially on horseracing, you deserve only the best and Betfair is a great place to bet on it. If you want to open an original Betfair account via broker, ACC-EX is the answer to your prayers!
