Odds, Intelligence, and Prophecies: Racing News in the Penny Press, 1855–1914

Abstract

In 1866, the Daily Telegraph observed that practically, the only 'sport' which in England may fairly be described as national is comprised in the single word chorse racing.'1 As a series of contests and as a source of human interest news which pervaded the columns of the penny press, horse racing became a significant element in Victorian popular culture after 1855. With their publication formula of starting price odds for race horses, training intelligence, and racing prophecies from tipsters, penny newspapers democratized access to racing intelligence and provided the fuel for the mass betting explosion of the second half of the nineteenth century.2 Racing news connected racing, betting, and the press in a synergistic relationship as the press collected, reported, and gave legitimacy to the information betters studied each day in search of a winning bet.3 While scholars have examined the press, racing, and gambling, there has been little exploration of the role and impact of racing news in British culture after mid-century. The expansion of racing news was one example of the change in leisure after 1850 as an increasing number of Britons participated in a broadening spectrum of leisure activities.4 The most rapid expansion occurred after 1870 as the Saturday half-holiday spread through many trades and most workers experienced real wage growth. Urban workers could enjoy participating in and watching sport, as well as scrutinizing contests in the penny press.5 This same period saw racing develop into a national sport based on a regular schedule of new race programs. Races of younger horses over shorter distances offered an uncertainty that ensured exciting racing and an enticing betting market for punters.6 Competitive races provided potential stories for the periodical press and, in turn, the press furnished racing with free publicity. The latest