RaceBets is one of the few betting companies to offer live markets for horse racing in Turkey. You’ll find excellent prices on all fixtures, so check today’s meetings list for all of the latest odds.
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The Jockey Club of Turkey has been around since just after the Second World War and this is the only organisation that has the legal right to hold races on Turkish soil. The country is perhaps better known for the breeding of thoroughbreds, rather than the racing itself, but there is plenty of exciting action taking place in this country and a good infrastructure.
The first properly organised races actually took place far longer ago – at Izmir in the middle part of the nineteenth century. These races would take place on an annual basis, over the Easter period. Back then, the Ottoman Jockey Club was the overseer and was later replaced by the Guild of Cavalryman Horse Riding Club and Society of Improving Horse Breed. This institution held sway right up until the formation of the Jockey Club of Turkey.
Izmir, Ankara and Istanbul
By 1954, the new body had organised over forty races, with a daily programme in three cities – Izmir, Ankara and Istanbul. Nowadays, there are eight active racing venues in Turkey, following the addition of Diyarbakir, Elazig, Sanliurfa, Bursa and Adana.
The Jockey Club of Turkey
As well as being responsible for organising the racing, the Jockey Club of Turkey also carries out further duties. It is heavily involved in making sure that the Turkish horse breeding industry is well-maintained. Both Arabic and English horses are bred in Turkey and the Jockey Club of Turkey imports stallions with first-class breeding lines into the country and makes sure they have comfortable and safe passage to the various insemination stations and stud farms.
It also takes a great deal of interest in the health and welfare of horses – making sure that horse clinics are fully provided with the staff and equipment that they need. Not only that, the body also is responsible for making sure that racehorse training is kept to a very high standard and is constantly looking to bring in human-resources to enhance the level of training that Turkish facilities can offer. Other personnel that the club will take an active role in recruiting are administrative officers, hostlers, jockeys and apprentices.
International Races
There are eight international races held in Turkey, either at Ankara or at Veliefendi. The International Race Festival takes place in September and over £1 million is on offer, in combined purses. It is estimated that over one hundred and fifty thousand Turks work in the horse racing industry, either directly or indirectly. Over four hundred jockeys are currently active, along with more than five thousand owners and fifteen-hundred trainers. The Jockey Club of Turkey employs no less than two thousand individuals, itself.
Betting On Turkish Races, With RaceBets
Horse racing in Turkey is now big business and it has been no surprise for us at RaceBets to see more and more of you taking an interest in Turkish racing and having a bet or two! Good luck with all of your wagers.
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