I'm a Celebrity...Get Me to The Races!

Elizabeth Hurley - cropped (Photo credit: Carol Browne)

Aintree, Cheltenham and the Grand National are all popular haunts with some of the UKs glitterati. Everyone from footballers and their wives and TV personalities, to reality TV ‘stars’, put on their finery to enjoy a flutter at the races. When horseracing season is in full swing, we all love to see who was there, who wore what, and most importantly – who they were betting on.

But for some of these celebrities, sitting on the sidelines is no longer enough. In order to get closer to the action, more and more famous faces have taken the plunge into racehorse ownership. No longer limited to pub syndicates or Arab Sheiks, the world of racehorse ownership is littered with famous faces.

Increasingly popular with the sporting world, everyone from golfer Lee Westwood to Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney have recently experienced racing success. And we all know that The Queen is passionate about horseracing, but you might be surprised at some of the other famous faces you might bump into at the Grand National:

Dame Judi Dench

National treasure and quintessentially British film star Judi Dench may not be the stereotypical racehorse owner. But thanks to the training expertise of Mark Tompkins, her horse Smokey Oakey has experienced relative success at some of the most prestigious races in Britain. The James Bond actress is a regular feature at Newmarket, and has a number of horses in the care of Tompkins.

Elizabeth Hurley

Another famous actress, Elizabeth Hurley, has turned her passion for horse racing into ownership. Hurley is part of the Highclere Racing Syndicate and is one of several owners with interest in Census. She is regularly seen at some of the biggest racing events in the UK, cheering on her winning horse.

Ant and Dec

Geordie duo Ant and Dec are better known for their TV presenting and dabble in the music business. Few people associate them with the world of horse racing. Newcastle’s finest tasted victory twice in 2012 with their horse, Primaeval.

Jeremy Kyle

The chat show host, who has recently found fame in the US, is more used to dealing with people than horses. In fact, Kyle owns several horses in partnership with his wife. The couple have experienced great success with their horse in jump racing in 2010 and 2011.

Freddie Starr

In 1994, eighties wild child Freddie Starr became famous for something other than the alleged eating of small rodents. His horse, Miinnehorna, won the Grand National, despite a poor showing at the Cheltenham Gold Cup earlier in the month.

Other famous faces you might expect to see cheering on their horses include; Sir Alex Ferguson, Michael Owen, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Jodie Kidd, and Denise Lewis. The sport has always been a Great British institution, but is growing in popularity with both the A-list and Joe Public. So next time you place a bet on the National, you might just be backing one of these celebrity-owned horses.

If you're looking for an expert trainer to help you rub shoulders with the elite, contact Jonjo O'Neill for more information.

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A Great Olympian Let Down

Image by duncan via Flickr

Who else is feeling completely underwhelmed by what is supposed to be the biggest event in recent British history? No, I'm not talking about the royal wedding, though I'll admit that the excitement surrounding Pippa Middleton's unremarkable behind suggests that the British public felt a similarly damp spark.

No people, I'm talking about the Olympics. I'm so bored by the inane faux-excitement that I'm even thinking of taking a cycling holiday next July just so I can actually do some exercise rather than watch other people do it. 'Traitor!' I hear you shout. 'Kill joy!' you exclaim. Maybe I'm a bit of both, but there's just too much to hate about the whole thing.

1. The UK aren't going to win

Think of how we did in the World Cup in 2010: we think we're pretty damn good until we're confronted with the genius sportsmen and women from just about every other country in the world and then realise we're rubbish. The worst thing is that we can't say that it's because they have more money to spend on training and facilities. No one's got any money! Hurrah!

No, we just have to admit that while we're good at important things like wearing hats, genteel walking holidays in the Lake District and electing poor heads of state, in the sports department we're just like the nerd who gets picked last for the basketball team. Tim Henman, bless his tennis whites for trying, was a regular disappointment. This is not to diminish his achievements: he's better at tennis than 99.9% of the world's population – a sexy statistic if you're Tim – but the public and the media all too easily forget their own mediocrity and joyfully massacre this poor bloke's career. If he's not grand slamming willy-nilly at Wimbledon, he's basically as impressive as Wayne Rooney's hair transplant.

2. Commuter Nightmare

I used to get a thrill out of being able to give (fake) directions to flabby German tourists. Now, I can't even be bothered to think up a lie because it takes up valuable commute time – I just push past them angrily to make sure that little old lady isn't the one getting the last seat on the tube.

During the Olympic summer, you can guarantee that every tired and unenthusiastic Londoner will be asked for directions every single day, ensuring that 10 minutes’ walk to the tube becomes 11 minutes, and that extra minute is enough to miss that all important connection at the end of a trying day. Thus, I predict an increase in commuter breakdowns of at least 5%, enough to push the NHS over the edge and into an even more disorganised state. Not good for treating tourists who have injured themselves after being inspired by the wrestling event.

3.British incompetence being advertised to the world

It's ok for us to make fun of ourselves, indeed, it's a vital part of the British psyche to whinge about how rubbish the UK is: the food, our film industry, schools and most of all, our attitudes. It is all a complete joke. However, the Olympic fiasco-in-the-making will give other countries a chance to point and laugh mercilessly at our awful attempts to create a world class event with world class culture hosted by world class people. Boris Johnson's hair will be beside itself with excitement, and will start shouting out obscenities during the opening ceremony. Suddenly, Silvio Berlusconi's Bunga Bunga parties will look like an attractive alternative event for the Italians coming to see the show.

Bemused tourists will arrive in Stratford, hoping for a bit of thespian action alongside the Olympics – what they'll get is a neighbourhood Londoners pass through as quickly as possible. And finally, chic and experimental sculptors from Canada will look at the ArcelorMittal Orbit and quite rightly wonder why we've created something that looks like a python getting it on with a trumpet.

Suri enjoys travelling, photography and writing, but definetly not the idea of the olympics!

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Poker Tournaments You Should Know

Image via Wikipedia

If you have been monitoring the gambling world for the past few years, you will know that Texas Hold'em Poker has become one of the most popular card games on the planet. Using knowledge, skill, bluffing tactics and a tiny dash of luck, players have raked in the chips and walked away with astonishing prize money. All one needs to get involved is the willingness to learn and some time to practice.

Of course, with the rise in popularity, the online world has also benefited. You now have an array of options when it comes to online poker options, allowing you to test your skills against players from around the globe. Of course, the transition between online guru and pro poker player is possible, just ask Chris Moneymaker. Once you have mastered the art online, we want to show you just which tournaments you should be trying to get your name on the list for:

• World Series of Poker:

This annual tournament in Las Vegas attracted the biggest names in the sport and has become the most prestigious event around. This is where online player Chris Moneymaker made history, while many other poker pro's have also received the crown (as well as the prize money) since the contests inception in 1970.

• Aussie Millions:

Held at the Crown Casino in Melbourne, the prize money has steadily increased since the series started in 1998 and the last two winners have pocketed a tidy $2 million for their efforts. The main event is the top paying tournament in the Southern Hemisphere.

• Irish Poker Open:

Started in 1980, this is the longest running No Limit Texas hold'em tournament in Europe, and is only second on a global scale behind the World Series of Poker. In the 2010 event, James Mitchell (20) earned the title along with a bank-busting €600 000 profit.

• Asian Poker Tour:

Bringing poker to the Asia-Pacific region, this event holds tournaments in cities such as Manila and Macau. It was the first tournament to emerge in the region and has remained the biggest. Prize money has ranged between $150 000 and $600 000.

• Partouche Poker Tour:

Run by the Partouche group, which owns and operates a number of casinos in France, started up in 2008, offering the winner a chance to walk away with €1 million. The last winner, Vanessa Selbst of the USA, earned a million Euros for her effort.

Jason Acar is a football enthusiast who likes spending his spare time enjoying his poker bonuses, and besides gambling, he likes to spend time with family and friends.

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