''Racing Post'' is a British daily
horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...
,
greyhound racing
Greyhound racing is an organized, competitive sport in which greyhounds are raced around an oval track. The sport originates from Hare coursing, coursing. Track racing uses an artificial lure (usually a form of windsock) that travels ahead of th ...
, and
sports betting
Sports betting is the activity of predicting sports results and placing a wager on the outcome.
Sports bettors place their wagers either legally, through a sportsbook or bookmaker (colloquially known as "bookies"), or illegally through priva ...
publisher
Publishing is the activities of making information, literature, music, software, and other content, physical or digital, available to the public for sale or free of charge. Traditionally, the term publishing refers to the creation and distribu ...
published in print and digital formats. It is printed in
tabloid format from Monday to Sunday. , it has an average daily circulation of 60,629 copies.
History
Launched on 15 April 1986, the ''Racing Post'' is a daily national print and digital publisher specializing in the
British horse racing industry, horse racing,
greyhound racing
Greyhound racing is an organized, competitive sport in which greyhounds are raced around an oval track. The sport originates from Hare coursing, coursing. Track racing uses an artificial lure (usually a form of windsock) that travels ahead of th ...
, and
sports betting
Sports betting is the activity of predicting sports results and placing a wager on the outcome.
Sports bettors place their wagers either legally, through a sportsbook or bookmaker (colloquially known as "bookies"), or illegally through priva ...
. The paper was founded by
UAE
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a federal elective monarchy made up of seven emirates, with Abu Dhabi serving as i ...
(United Arab Emirates) Prime Minister and
Sheikh of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (; born 15 July 1949) is an Emirati politician and royal who is the current ruler of Dubai, and serves as the vice president and prime minister of the UAE. Mohammed succeeded his brother Maktoum bin Rashid ...
, a racehorse owner, and edited by Graham Rock, who was replaced by Michael Harris in 1988. In 1998, Sheikh Mohammed sold the license for the paper to
Trinity Mirror
Reach plc (known as Trinity Mirror between 1999 and 2018) is a British newspaper, magazine and digital publisher. It is one of the UK's biggest newspaper groups, publishing 240 regional papers in addition to the national ''Daily Mirror'', '' ...
, owners of ''
The Sporting Life'' for £1, although Sheikh Mohammed still retains ownership of the paper's name, and Trinity Mirror donated £10 million to four horse racing charities as a condition of the transfer.
In 2007,
Trinity Mirror
Reach plc (known as Trinity Mirror between 1999 and 2018) is a British newspaper, magazine and digital publisher. It is one of the UK's biggest newspaper groups, publishing 240 regional papers in addition to the national ''Daily Mirror'', '' ...
sold the paper for £170m to FL Partners, who appointed former editor Alan Byrne as editor-in-chief and chief executive. The paper launched its website, racingpost.co.uk, in 1997. After the paper's sale to FL Partners, the site was relaunched as racingpost.com in 2008. The business was sold to Exponent Private Equity in September 2016, with Richard Segal appointed chairman.
Alan Byrne edited the paper from 1993 to 2002. He was succeeded by Chris Smith, who was then replaced by Bruce Millington in 2007. Millington was the editor between 2007 and 2018. In December 2018, Tom Kerr was named as the new editor of the ''Racing Post'' and Group Racing Director, replacing Bruce Millington. The former horserace writer of the year previously worked as a senior writer for ''Racing Post'' and had been with the business for nine years.
''Racing Post'' employs approximately 300 permanent staff and expanded in 2018 by acquiring a majority stake in the leading sports betting website and app business, Apsley, as well as the acquisition of Leeds-based ICS Media Group, a content provider and
digital marketing
Digital marketing is the component of marketing that uses the Internet and online-based Information technology, digital technologies such as desktop computers, mobile phones, and other digital media and platforms to promote products and service ...
agency.
In March 2020, the Racing Post announced it would suspend publication of its print edition in response to the halting of British and Irish horseracing because of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). Printing of the publication returned in June 2020.
Content and features
The ''Racing Post'' newspaper blends breaking news in the horse racing and betting industries with tipping content, race previews, and reports, along with columns and features. In addition to daily editorials, the newspaper includes cards and forms for each day's racing as well as entries and results. The greyhound section previews upcoming racing in addition to offering cards, form, and results, and the sports section offers tipping across an extensive range of sports worldwide, as well as specials like politics or TV competitions and reality shows.
The mobile app (IOS and Android) includes cards, forms, results, and expert tips.
RacingPost.com features both free and premium (paid-for) content. Sections include news, cards, results, tipping, bloodstock, sports, race day live, statistics, and shop. Race replays (access to a UK and Irish racing archive) and a digital newspaper are available to subscribers.
Accolades
''Racing Post'' was highly commended for the Grand Prix award at the Newsawards 2016. The judges commented: "This was a tremendous example of adapting the business model in an increasingly online world. The Racing Post's multi-platform offering of print, app and pocket guides was evidence that the Racing Post had grabbed the digital revenue streams by the horns and made a huge success through diversifying. It has used its spin-off products and partnerships to extend its reach".
Alastair Down won the specialist writer category at the
Sports Journalists' Association
The Sports Journalists' Association (SJA) is an association for British sports journalists. It represents the British sports media on the British Olympic Association's press advisory committee and acts as a consultant to organizers of major eve ...
(SJA) Awards in 2016. Edward Whitaker has won the SJA Sports Photographer of the Year on two occasions, in 2008 and 2011. Steve Palmer has won the SJA Sports Betting Writer of the Year on two occasions, in 2008 and 2009.
The late
Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...
, a keen equestrian and breeder of
thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...
racehorses, was said to have read the ''Racing Post'' every morning at breakfast, mostly to track the performance of her
bloodstock.
References
External links
''Racing Post''''Racing Post'' Pictures''Soccerbase''''Racing Post B2B''
{{Authority control
Sports newspapers published in the United Kingdom
Horse racing mass media in the United Kingdom
Newspapers published in London
Newspapers established in 1986