Category: Racecourses

Not to be confused with horses of the same name that may have participated in other horse racing jurisdictions since, Habibti was British Horse of the Year and Timeform Horse of the Year in 1983. Indeed, in awarding an annual rating of 136, Timeform described her as ‘the best sprinter of her sex we have rated.’

Foaled in Ireland in March, 1980, the daughter of Habitat was bought, as a yearling, by

Mohammed Mutawa and put into training with John Dunlop at Castle Stables in Arundel, West Sussex, approaching it with all of the gusto of someone on their way to high roller casinos. Habitat was unbeaten in three starts as a juvenile, including the Lowther Stakes at York and the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh, both of which were, at the time, Group Two contests over six furlongs.

As a three-year-old, Habibti was initially campaigned over longer distances. She finished third in the Group Three Fred Darling Stakes, over seven furlongs, at Newbury before stepping up to a mile, without distinction, in the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket and the Irish equivalent at the Curragh. However, switched back to sprinting in the July Cup, over six furlongs, at Newmarket, Habibti proved a revelation and her rivalry with another ‘flying filly’, the four-year-old Soba, trained by David Chapman, became one of the highlights of the season.

Having comfortably beaten Soba in the July Cup, Habibti did so again in the William Hill Sprint Championship, now the Nunthorpe Stakes, over five furlongs, at York. Back at six furlongs, she turned the Vernons Sprint Cup at Haydock into a procession, winning by seven lengths, and rounded off a stellar three-year-old campaign by beating Soba, for the fourth time, in the Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp, over five furlongs, smashing the course record in the process. Easy peasy, as they say. Now time to win big on goldenrivieracasino if my luck is still in.

Horse racing is big business in Hong Kong and despite tough times in recent years (as consequence of outside interference of their governance, and well as the coronavirus), the sport of racing is bouncing back to its former glory. While some enjoy a bet new online casinos, in Hong Kong you’re more likely to see big money changing hands at a race track. We’ve previously covered the world famous Happy Valley racecourse, and so it’s high time that we also gave a mention to Sha Ting racecourse, also in Hong Kong.

Located in the (you’ve guessed it!) Sha Ting district and managed by the jockey club, the Shr Ting racecourse is a very recent addition (1978) in comparison to Happy Valley, which was built way back in 1845. It holds an impressive 474 races per season including many considered prestigious such as the Hong Kong Cup, the Hong Hong Mile, the Hong Kong Vase and Queen Elizabeth II Cup (all group 1 races).

On popular racedays, tens of thousands pack out the track, with the maximum capacity being 85,000 (30,000 higher than Happy Valley racecourse). Stables, an Equine Hospital and Gallop also feature, as well as a furf and all weather track. While it may not have quite the iconic look and reputation that Happy Valley does, Sha Tin certainly doesn’t fall far short and visually puts many a course around the world to shame. We love our racing here in the UK, but in terms of a backdrop, we come up second best and I’d be more inclined  to play uk online casino games. A bustling and vibrant Hong Kong city setting is just perfect for a spectator sport like racing.

Zippy Chippy was an American racehorse who gained notoriety in the late Nineties and early Noughties by running in exactly one hundred races without success, a record the polar opposite of what you’d hope for at, say, the best high roller casinos. Foaled on April 20, 1991, in New York State, Zippy Chippy was a grandson of 1964 Kentucky Derby winner Northern Dancer but, despite his illustrious pedigree, was blessed with, at best, modest ability.

Sold by his original owner, Charles Frysinger, at a loss of $6,500, after eighteen winless starts, Zippy Chippy was quickly ‘handed off’ by new owner, Michael Barbarita, after two more losses at Finger Lakes in Canandaigua, New York, which took his career record to 0-20. At that stage, he was acquired by Puerto Rican trainer Felix Monserrate in exchange, not for cash, but for a seven-year-old Ford pick-up truck.

Described by Monserrate as ‘stubborn, playful and lazy’, Zippy Chippy continued to ply his trade, largely unsuccessfully, at Finger Lakes until 1998, when he blotted his copybook by failing to leave the starting gate with the rest of the field on three consecutive occasions. He was subsequently banned for life from Finger Lakes, attracting harsh criticism of both horse and owner. Nevertheless, with a career record of 0-85, Zippy Chippy rose to national prominence and featured, along with Monserrate, in a cover story in ‘USA Today’.

Zippy Chippy made his hundredth, and final, start at the Three County Fairgrounds in Northampton, Massachusetts on September 10, 2004. Despite being sent off second favourite, at 7/2, he ran a typically lifeless race and trailed in last. Zippy Chippy was retired from racing in December that year, having finished second eight times and third twelve times, for a total of $30,834 in prize money, but without once entering the winners’ enclosure. Some in life have winning runs, at casinosnz online casino, and the like, but poor Zippy Chippy just didn’t have any luck from beginning to end of his racing career.