A group of friends from Newport/Bangladesh have a day out with us at the point to point. Older brother Sanu and Sammi have been before to Chepstow races and enjoy the day out; but this was the first time out for the younger brothers Ranu and Jemal and their mate Navid racing. Ranu used to have a horse when he was younger in Bangladesh and many have suggested he should have been a jockey. The family run the Shoboraj restaurant in Newport which is the local Racing and Point to Point watering/eating establishment for trainers owners jockeys and racing fans. When one hears the media talking of racism in the countryside take it with a pinch of salt !! They will say anything to create moral panic! Racing is a true multi ethnic community anyway from the Maktoums as owners to the gaps in skilled stable staff being filled by Czechs, Poles and many from the Indian subcontinent, Mauritius etc. and owners from all over the world. The boys decided that though they can’t gamble for religious reasons what they felt it was good to respect tradition so what they could do is pool a pound each and choose a horse from the paddock they liked the look of and get a friend place the bet for them. If they won they would donate it to charity - and they did! One thing popular at the point to point is to bet a horse without the favourite. They did this three times and won each time at 7/2; 5/2 and 3/1 !! It isn't the gambling that Racing is necessarily about. It is the intellectual challenge of ...