Racing has many famous faces, one of which is the iconic Jerry White. The Kent born bookmaker started his career at Ramsgate Greyhound Stadium, doing odd jobs and eventually manning the stand and laying bets. Jerry’s real enthusiasm comes from point to pointing and The Cheltenham Festival, being a professional gambler himself he loves being on both sides of the betting markets, representing various companies like Kalooki Racing and providing tips to his fellow punters.
“I got into the business of bookmaking via the greyhounds really when I started out,” he said. “I started going to Ramsgate Greyhound Stadium on a regular basis and I worked for the legendary bookmaker Curly Wilson who was a real colourful character who not only stood up as a bookie but he imported and transported greyhounds from Ireland”
His long and Illustrious career has given him his extremely high level knowledge of the sport and The Festival specifically which not only has aided his tipping but also the service he provides to punters on course, he can usually be found in a corner of an English field known as racecourses.
“I study point-to-point that’s my love and I go out doing my reconnaissance all over the country, going to different points and forming an opinion and then I bring it to the Cheltenham Fox Hunters and try and find the winner.”
Jerry’s “reconnaissance” did him well this time round as he tipped up the 9/2 winner Barton Snow who won it by a neck under Henry Crow. That may have been a highlight for Jerry but he spoke of many more magic memories he has from Cheltenham Festivals in years gone past.
“So my best day at The Festival would be, oh it’s so difficult isn’t it to be put on the spot. Do you know what, I think the first time Galopin des Champs on the Gold Cup, I think the roof nearly came off at the track, I think that really sort of did it for me, I backed it.”
Just over two and a half minutes of gold from the betting ring with Jerry White and Brian Gleeson with the latter trying to pull a fast one! 😅🔊@JWhite73866 | @CheltenhamRaces pic.twitter.com/47XA3vZcTR
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) March 12, 2026
Galopin went on to win another Gold Cup the following year but was sadly withdrawn and retired from this year’s edition. A true great of the sport.
“If you give them one race too many and they go wrong, you’ve got to remember that horse might be your property in monetary terms but physically it belongs to us all. He holds a very special place in all of our hearts. That’s a similar thing with Constitution Hill though as well, maybe if they sent them over hurdles again it might have gone bad.”
These brilliant horses over the years have been great entertainment for punters and fan but often struck fear into bookmakers. There is nothing worse for a bookie than a favourite that wins. This year’s festival was a nightmare start for the on course bookies. The supreme novice hurdle is the opener and only has a 25% strike rate when it comes to favourites winning but all the late money headed to one horse in particular.
“The queue for Old Park Star, it went literally over to the best mate enclosure. We didn’t actually mean to go out and lay it because it was a big liability in the Kalooki office as well. But it just was so popular with the general public. For every ten bets, nine were on that horse and then one was on the others. So it was just monumental. And as I always say, the worst race is the first race. From a bookmaking perspective, it’s the same as a punter. If you win the first race, all you’re doing is firing all your winnings back at the bookies all day long.”
That result left most bookies chasing losses for the rest of the day, The Festival is notoriously not a hugely profitable week for bookmakers on course mainly due to the high costs surrounding the event. The average ROI for a trackside bookie is about 10% and then travel expenses, staff wages, food costs and of course the sky high cost of a pitch all must be paid from that profit.
