Greyhound racing was one of the biggest sports in Great Britain in the past. However, this changed drastically at the turn of the century as the people’s focus wandered away from this prestigious sport and into other things.
Greyhound
That is about to change, though, as a big-time punter saw the potential for a greyhound comeback in England.
The Northamptonshire racecourse is a haven for greyhound racing. It was created for the Empress of Australia in 1882 as a place of leisure when she wasn’t hunting. Since then, it has grown into becoming one of the finest courses not only in England but throughout the British Isles as well. What's best about it is that it doesn't charge racegoers.
Alexander Hesketh is the man who wanted to turn this dream into reality. Hesketh is one of England’s wealthiest aristocrats, with a wish to start the renaissance of greyhound racing, and he is working on achieving this dream. Doing what’s right, having fun, and serving the community are his mottos in life.
The millionaire knew where greyhound racing is going, and so he wanted to reverse time’s effects and create a haven for the sport to re-grow. Take for example the Greyhound Derby that has a budget of more than £100,000. It’s at risk of closing down due to the absence of a regulatory-passed race tracks.
Hesketh’s wants to ensure that he leaves a mark in this world. Sure, He has already done so in many ways, with a prolific political career and huge success in business.
However, instead of all the glitz and glamor he can dive into, Alexander chose to go into greyhound racing..
Bringing back greyhound racing was always his dream, but this time, it’s more than just that. According to a statement, Hesketh said that hosting greyhound racing opens numerous business possibilities, not only for himself but for the community as well.
The business tycoon added that he knows he'll be bombarded with criticisms, but he still won't mind. Based on experience, specifically with what happened with his racer James Hunt, he noticed that experts or those wannabee ones would always knit pick and complain about everything including his achievements and plans. Because of this, he expects and doesn’t mind the criticism.
Despite all the obstacles and objections, Hesketh is very confident that it is necessary to bring back greyhound racing to England. In his own words, he describes the situation as a necessity because if he does nothing, the sport will cease to exist within a couple of years.
His decision also makes perfect sense when we know that sports gambling is a growing industry in Great Britain. Towcester can even be compared to a football club in the Premier League because it has a dedicated TV channel as well as sponsorship license to a number of betting shops.
Now is the perfect time to make such a move, knowing that live streaming on the net can give anyone from around the globe, unhindered access to the greyhound races. Especially with dedicated websites such as this one that offer users a wide array of betting sites to choose from.
The many technical advancements present in this society is what drives Hesketh the most as not doing anything would be a huge waste of opportunity and potential.
But then again, there are these many animal welfare concerns that threaten the very existence of greyhound racing. According to these groups, the sport causes the animals harm throughout their career and afterwards.
This has a huge effect on greyhound racing. Take for example what happened in the U.S. where five out of the 40 states managed to continue greyhound racing operations.
This sure is a huge issue. But then again, Hesketh got this covered. In a statement, the Englishman said that he, along with the team, had done a complete welfare overhaul of the track. He specifically stated that dog welfare was the most important thing they would consider when building it.
They also confirmed that they are closely working with Greyhound Trust, which will make it easier for them to rehome retired dogs. He continued and said that they are going to build the greyhounds’ kennels in the area.
With these, he assures everyone that Towcester is going to bring back greyhound racing to its golden age without sacrificing the dogs’ wellbeing. Once the race track is completed, there would be no doubt that the sports, along with the betting game that goes around it, will be back on track.
Tagged in England