Well Stellata, horse racing/steeplechasing isn't at all intended to be cruel (note the Irish inadvertently coming out in me!). It is a sport as is football or rugby. The horses are bred for it from thoroughbred lines, they're cosseted, exercised, trained and very well looked after indeed. When horses lose their rider, as happened to several in today's National, they usually continue galloping on around the course in parallel with the ridden horses. If the race was so hateful/alien to them then they'd surely otherwise turn back and duck out. Of course accidents do happen (fortunately nothing serious this year) but so they do in any physical sport. And without racing the horses wouldn't even exist, rather than enjoy the very good life that they do for the vast majority of the time.
As to betting, chacun a son gout. Harley and I have a small fund which we use to put a few pounds on whatever we fancy in something like the National or the Derby or Wimbledon. It adds a certain piquancy to watching the event, though it'll never make us rich and we'd never dream of putting any substantial money on anything.
Tony.
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