UK Sports Betting Tips Podcast

James Dooley: Hi, today I'm joined with Mark Dooley, the founder of British Racecourses. And today's question is why did you actually set up and create British Racecourses.org?

Mark Dooley: Um, it kind of all came out of COVID era and lockdown. So, as most good ideas are, it was kind of an accident in many ways. So I've always been interested in horse racing and followed it since I was um a kid with my three brothers and during lockdown I was furoughed and in order to kind of keep myself amused and to do something I created a website which was which was British race courses which was to kind of review um British race courses and also Irish race courses um and just share my experiences and my passion for the So that's kind of where it all boiled down from.

James Dooley: Superb. So have you always been into horse racing since a young age?

Mark Dooley: Yeah. I mean kind of accidental to be honest. So we used to get given kind of well we first of all started watching the Grand National like I think most people get into racing that way. Um, and then it boiled down from a kind of yearly bet on the national to our dad letting us kind of put on a lucky 15 or whatever we wanted every Saturday. Um, so we were probably me and my two brothers, I'm talking about probably nine or 10 when we started doing that and then it just kind of grew from grew from there.

James Dooley: So you said they're a lucky 15 bet. Is that still your go-to horse racing bet now?

Mark Dooley: Um, I wouldn't say I'm a great punter to be honest. I tend to put on those big accumulator bets like a Goliath or a Super Hind just because if I'm having a day and when I'm watching the race and I like to have a little bit of interest in um every race. So, I'm probably kind of a book is dreaming that I don't really take too much money often, but I it's it's more about just having a bit of um enjoyment on the in every race. So,

James Dooley: yeah. So, with regards to them British race courses, obviously there's a lot of guides to all the different race courses. Is that kind of your strength? Is it writing all those guides for the race courses? Because there is a horse racing tips section. Now, obviously, as a shrewd punter, um we've got David Dooley, both of our brothers, um who is very, very good at providing daily horse racing tips. So, is your main role then within the setup of British Race Courses to do with like the guides and stuff like that?

Mark Dooley: Yeah, I think so. I mean, like I said, when we when we kind of set it up, it was just an organic thing. So, initially, the site was just about reviewing the racecourses, and that's how you get there, where they are, the addresses, you know, planning your day out, what to wear, all different kinds of things like that. Um, the kind of fundamentals of how you get to the raceourse, what you do, what you can expect, that kind of thing. Um, we also do kind of reviews of the big festivals, um, blogs on kind of what to wear or everything. It kind of, um, breaks down racing and demystifies it. So, it kind of opens it to everyone. Um, yeah, David um, my brother, he's a fantastic tipster, so I kind of leave um, leave that to him. But we now do incorporate that into the site. So, initially the site was just about um the core racing and the race courses, but now it has expanded where we we do um tip we do daily tips, we do lucky 15 tips, we do naps of the days. So, that's all kind of come into it, which was a natural kind of progression to what I was already doing cuz the two are are kind of connected um obviously, but they're not necessarily you don't have to do both. You can go racing and and not bet, you know.

James Dooley: So, with a few quickfire questions then to do with horse racing. Um, obviously you've created British Racecourses.org and you're saying that you do all the guides for all the different race courses. What is your best race course personally? What's your top three race courses within the UK?

Mark Dooley: Um, in terms of British race courses specifically, a Hdrop will always be um will have always have a place in our heart cuz that's where we used to go when we first got into it. So we'd often go straight from school, mom would pick us up and we'd go down and we'd watch the racing from just outside the grand stands. So we'd do that and that was probably what really ignited the passion for racing. Um courses that I love now. Other ones are um I love Ascot. I think it's just a fantastic facility. Um Windsor Raw Windsor is just an incredible incredible track. But I kind of like them all. They all offer something different and that's what makes British racing I think so special when you compare it to other territories where sometimes the tracks are always the same. They're all flat and circular where in the UK you know you your Fontwells your Lumptons, your Brightons, your Baths, your Chelnhams, they're all just so so different and that's what makes I think British racing the best in the world. And specifically with other raceh horses that I love, um we've got a few raceh horses that are trained in Ireland. So I have a big soft spot for the Irish tracks, particularly places like Goreway, uh Leopard Sounds and the Kura.

James Dooley: And then with regards to horse racing festivals, you mentioned you do a few of the guides of the horse racing festivals on British Racecourses website. What would you say is your best or the best couple of festivals that you love to personally go and attend?

Mark Dooley: Um, my favorite is Royal Ascot and and that's the weird one cuz growing up Royal Ascot was one that I never thought I was always I always liked it but Royal Ascot wasn't the one until you actually go there that you just realize just how impressive it is. I mean it's just like a a social occasion in itself. I mean Royal Ascot is is particularly my favorite. The Gway Festival in Ireland is a different is a kind of mixture of an Irish version of uh Chelnham and Royal Ascot. It's like a perfect blend. Um, obviously the Chelton Festival is just unbelievable as well. But I think, like I said, most race courses, they offer their own little mini festivals. They do all kinds of like, you know, Easter racing or Christmas racing over Boxing Day. So, I think they all offer something, but definitely Royal Ascot is the one where it's a dream, a dream to have a runner there, just a dream to go there. And everyone from all different backgrounds are there. It's not just, it's for everyone. I think it's racing for everyone to be honest.

James Dooley: So you've mentioned there about raceh horse ownership. Um who is it that trains your personal horses that you own yourself?

Mark Dooley: Um our horses are all trained by Adolf McInness in Ireland which was kind of accidental how we got into it. So um James, my youngest brother, he basically met a bloke in a pub who had um in just outside Manchester who had horses trained by Adro. And as a family with that interest growing up, we'd always wanted to kind of get involved in it. And it literally stemmed from, you know, a conversation at pub with a a mutual friend saying, "I've got horses trained by this guy in Ireland and he's good." And it kind of went from there. And that was six years ago now. And it's just worked. It's just worked out really, really well.

James Dooley: Yeah. Yeah. So, anyone who's interested in wanting to know more about horse racing, wants to know more about the guides of how to get there, the parking facilities, what makes the track different with regards to the undulations or the draw by us, make certain you head over to britishracourses.org. Mark Dooley is the founder. As you can see here, he's a horse racing enthusiast and a horse racing fan. He's a racehorse owner as well. So, make certainly head on over to britishracourses.org.