The Sport of Kings?

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Today sees the start of Royal Ascot, perhaps the Blue Riband event of the horse racing calendar.  The Queen will be in attendance as a spectator, but also as an owner and she will of course be hoping that her horses win.

 But….is horse racing really that grand?  Do you need blue blood to appreciate this sport?  Or is it simply a more aesthetic way for fools to be parted from their money?  Given the recent scandals that have hit the headlines recently(http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/horse_racing/6721525.stm) does horse racing really deserve the gravitas it claims through its links to arictocracy and monarchy?  (Some of course may say that the two are perfectly suited and that the notions of monarchy and aristocracy are equally corrupt in these “democratic” times we live in…..but that is another argument for another day!) Is monarchial and aristocratic endorsement enough to gloss over the seedier side of illegal payments, race fixing and, in some cases, gambling addiction?

 Please feel free to comment on this below….and for a bit of fun, try this little quiz from the BBC to see how “Toff” you are.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/horse_racing/2951808.stm