ABSTRACT
Enthusiasts are racegoers with a genuine interest in and understanding of the sport, as well as an appreciation of its sociable atmosphere. The Fan is a basic, 'standard' Enthusiast: a regular racegoer with a genuine, but not obsessive, interest in the sport. The Fan usually carries binoculars and perhaps a racing newspaper as well as the ubiquitous racecard; and, unlike the Social racegoer, the Fan actually knows what all the little numbers and symbols mean. Addicts are compulsive racegoers, passionate devotees who suffer withdrawal symptoms if they have to miss an important meeting. 'Suits' is a generic term often used by other members of the Racing Tribe to describe various types of 'corporate' racegoers. Socials are racegoers with little real interest in or understanding of horse racing who attend race meetings for mainly social reasons. Socials defy demographic categorization. Contrary to popular perception, Social racegoers are not predominantly upper-class or wealthy.
