Belmont Stakes in London?
 

I will be in London on the day of the Belmont Stakes (6/7/08), and am wondering where I can go to watch it live. This may be impossible, as the race is run at approx 3 pm est, so it will be very late in London. Is there anywhere open this late that will show a US horse race? Thanks for any help!

Many British betting shops stay open till about 9 pm, and most show all races likely to be interesting.

Some (like Coral) are already making a book on the Belmont, though whether, at a time of year when there's evening racing in the British Isles, that extends to showing it on one of their screens, I wouldn't know.

Unless you encounter someone on this site who really knows, your best bet (sorry) is likely to be going round the betting shops near where you're staying and asking them a few days before. There are shop locators at the William Hill, Ladbrokes and Coral websites.

If you do watch it at a Broke Lads (ladbrokes) outlet, be prepared for a rather dreary experience. The one in our town is a sad affair, full of glum, sullen types (guess they don't pick winners very often).

The others are no different.

There used to be a legal requirement on them all to be dismal (seriously). That's gone, so they've all in the past couple of years hired the kind of people who design snack bars at Channel ferry ports to add that "we're trying to make it jolly, but we don't really know what that means" ghastliness you used to find only in recently refurbished unemployment offices - known in NewSpeak officialese as Job Centres Plus.

The clientele are, of course, pretty interchangeable.

You will probably be able to see it in a casino. You have to join 24 hours before you can go in.

FYI, post time for the Belmont Stakes will be 6:25 pm EST

24-hour in advance membership rule has been scrapped since 1st October 2005.

Sorry, it appears I got confused with the race time. It is 6:25 pm et, so that will be 11:25 pm UK time. I guess this rules out seeing it at a betting shop? Is the casino the best option? Btw, we will be in South Kensington/Knightsbridge area. Thanks for the responses!

Its too bad so few people have any interest of the triple crown races on the USA Board. I have been to five Belmont Stakes where a horse was going for the triple crown, each time the horse going for the triple crown lost the Belmont Stakes.
This year my wife and I will be away in Georgia which may bring luck to Big Brown.

I guess this rules out seeing it at a betting shop? Is the casino the best option? >>>


I would guess (and am happy to be corrected) that you only have two options.

1) A casino

2) An online service through a computer. I don't know any but I do have friends who gamble on the yankee gee gees this way.

You could also watch the video on bloodhorse.com