Hi MB, This is InSook. What's with your N T? Did queen finally come down to TX to give you that title? Anyhow here's one you might like to read from your lady's country. These gamblers might find even earthworms to bet on if those rats die. Well, horses, rats, stocks, what's the difference?
later,
InSook Prasad
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Disease Outbreak Pushes Horses Out, Hamsters In
By LISA GUBERNICK
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
What's a bookmaker to do?
The outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease is crimping horse racing in Britain.
Luckily, the folks at Blue Square Ltd., Britain's largest interactive betting
parlor, have come up with an unlikely alternative just in time: hot-rodding
hamsters. Since the start of the week, the Netcaster has been holding daily
races of a half dozen diminutive rodents for live viewing via computer.
In a contest lasting less than a minute, the critters shoot down a 30-foot
track in small plastic dragsters propelled via fast legwork in a hamster
wheel at their center. "We saw the possibilities after seeing the dragsters in
a pet-shop window," says Ed Pownall, spokesman for Blue Square.
Total daily bets placed on the hamsters are still small -- about 800 pounds
($1,170) -- per race, about one-fifth the average horse race.
Blue Square has taken a loss on the contest so far. "Someone put 100 quid
down on the winning hamster on the first day ... and that hit us the hard,"
says Mr. Pownall, adding that just the thought of someone plunking down
that much for a hamster "is frightening at best."
Especially considering many of the hamsters only get halfway, then start
going backward.(This one sounds like some ANALysts from WS, Hee hee, hee...)
Blue Square has held other novelty races in the past, and hamsters won't
be the last. A snake race is under consideration. Says Mr. Pownall: "Our
motto is: Never look back." |
