michael sturgess

I love going to the races, the sound and the feeling as the horses gallop past is just amazing. My dad became a professional gambler after he started making more money betting on horses at the weekend than going to work Monday to Friday.
When I was around 13 years old he use to let me pick four horses for a Lucky 15 bet. I’d spend £1.65p of my pocket money after checking the form guide in the morning.
At first I used to pick the horses because of their names and the colours of the jockeys silks. After a few weeks I started to learn how to read the form guide properly.
When school was over I’d rush home and we’d watch the last few races on TV and find out how well my horses had run.

My dad gave me two rules to follow. Rule one: only bet what you can afford to lose. Rule two: if you’re at the race track; don’t mix your money. Keep your money for betting, your money for travel, food, drink etc and the money you win (if you’re lucky) apart.

All text and images © Michael Sturgess 2012. All Rights Reserved.

Lingfield Park, Surrey. Circa 2002.