The Derby – of course, horse racing as a gambling pastime and sport existed for centuries before St Leger. It quickly turned from popular entertainment into a pastime for the British aristocracy, who spent a lot of money and effort on breeding a special breed of fast-footed horses, the English racehorse. In England itself, horse racing successfully competes even with football. Races at British racecourses are held every day and draw huge crowds. At some races only admission tickets are sold up to 200 thousand and the total betting is often more than $ 150 million. The winnings at horse races are not insignificant either, as they are directly related to the total betting volume. Major events such as Ascot are traditionally attended by the Queen of England, whose carriage makes a lap of honour around the racetrack before the start of the race.
