It was always all about the horses, not gambling. I'd still be as involved in horse racing if there was no gambling (but then, there would be no horse racing, would there)
But I agree, it's a fascinating, challenging, heavily mathematical puzzle, solvable by knowing the horse, applying critical reasoning and analysis. Very un-random is a good description.
I think people that only have an interest in the sport for the gambling, and having no interest in the fascination of the horse as a living athletic creature, are missing out on something terribly satisfying.
And I don't think handicapping alone off a DRF, with no knowledge of the horse as an animal, suffices for best possible success for most. For fun, try going to the paddock, and spending a day handicapping horses off how they look and act and walk, with no knowledge of odds or PPs.
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"Have the clean racing people run any ads explaining that giving a horse a Starbucks and a chocolate poppyseed muffin for breakfast would likely result in a ten year suspension for the trainer?" - Dr. Andrew Roberts
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