Unfortunately the way racing presents itself is exciting at least on the surface .
The horses are magnificent athletes , muscles like steel under their glossy coats . They prance about with bright glossy eyes and throwing foamy spit
The race track is surrounded by glamorous people drinking champagne . Lots of Work Outings too no doubt to network.
Indeed our late Queen was a huge fan and watched her own horses race .
The jockeys are tiny (most of them) and come across as serious or charming . Look at Frankie Dettorie , Willie Carson, even Lester Piggott . As famous for their personality and on screen antics as on the saddle .
Those few minutes and they're off .
Overcrowded , animals who are built to run fast but not to haul themselves over an obstacle . At least with show jumping or cross country the rider will know what is on the other side . A race horse doesn't know f he'll land on grass or a fallen horse . How frightening it must be to land awkwardly and know there are dozens of horses coming over that jump after you .
The knowledge that "if I'd pushed him/her a bit more , if I'd hit him/her a bit harder they might've made that last surge and got across the line first" . So the pressure is on all the racers and the jockeys (I know they all say they love the horses but c'mon, they want to win that race )
The only losers are those horses .
And those sad wankers who will blow their money at the bookies . If they have money to burn , crack on. You don't get a poor bookie there are more than six bookies in my town) . But could also be their childrens food money . Or rent .
And when it is over and we will count the Death Toll or Injury Toll ( which might mean euthanasia or it might mean retire from racing . ) everyone will try to tell themselves "well they died doing what they loved . What they were bred for "
And there are very very few Happy Ever After homes for them. A lot of riders couldn't maintain a TB racehorse .
Many of them will go abroad and we all know what that means 
It should be banned . There's no reason for animals to race .
And that includes greyhounds and pigeons