'Once exchanges came into the game they totally ruined everything'

Lewis Porteous spends a day in the betting ring at Epsom

The game has gone according to betting ring doyen Barry DennisCredit: Edward Whitaker

Epsom. Home of the Derby since 1780 and the stage for some of racing’s greatest narratives, tales of bookmaker woes are certainly nothing new here.

Yet it is not the names of winning Derby favourites like Shergar and Nijinsky, or more recently Authorized and Golden Horn, that make them wince today, more the state of their online ledgers that lay bare the reality of trying to make a fulsome living from a malnourished on-course market.

The first Saturday in June may not be as busy or as profitable for bookmakers as when the Derby was staged on Wednesday but compared to the last Tuesday in August, the day after a Bank Holiday and the town’s popular open morning, it’s the difference between downtown Beijing and Outer Mongolia.

Read the full story

Read award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing, with exclusive news, interviews, columns, investigations, stable tours and subscriber-only emails.

Subscribe to unlock

Racing Post digital newspaper (worth over £100 per month)
Award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing
Expert tips from the likes of Tom Segal and Paul Kealy
Replays and results analysis from all UK and Irish racecourses
Form study tools including the Pro Card and Horse Tracker
Extensive archive of statistics covering horses, trainers, jockeys, owners, pedigree and sales data

Already a subscriber?Log in

Published on 18 September 2018inHorse racing tips

Last updated 16:51, 18 September 2018

Copy