A smartly dressed man in a shirt and trousers, wearing a bow tie and leather braces comes onto the streets. People notice the cut of the man's cloth and realise he must be about to say something important. They gather around to listen to what he has to say.

"Greetings all, I'm Clive. You probably haven't heard of me, unless you've visited my basement office in the OSE Building in Staten Island, which you haven't, as I'm always left alone down there with just my beloved numbers for company; digits that is, not that old wanker abacus. I hate him and he never visits. But anyway, that's me, Clive."

The crowd start to mutter among themselves and Clive tries to keep control of them. He claps his hands together.

"So, what brings me from my decimals and out to speak to you fine folk? A proposition actually, which I am confident will intrigue you all."

The crowd do not seem impressed. Clive is worried.

"No, really! Listen!" he shouts "Who wants to be part of something exciting?!"

Someone in the crowd humours him and calls out. 

"You do? GREAT! Me too!" 

The crowd look around to see who called out to no avail.

"Now, as you're probably not aware, I'm not involved in the muscle end of our business. I don't have the body for any of that violence shit, oh no. Instead, I'm more involved in the money side, primarily making and investing it for my supremely more powerful business partners. The most recent way I've come up with of doing this came about purely by chance. We had an associate who happened to breed horses but unfortunately for him he also had a gambling problem. Turns out he lost more than he could afford to repay and now" Clive spreads his arms "the only way he can get out of his debt is by taking the OSE on as his business partners." 

There is a smattering of laughter and some snickers from the onlookers.

"You know how that bit works, right?"

A few nods greet Clive's words and he charges on whilst he has them enraptured.

"But what does any of that have to do with you? Well, we've now got our hands on a yard, a fine stables and some excellent horses. The boys upstairs have passed on responsibility for this to me and I thought the best way for us to start earning what we're owed would be to put on some races."

Conversations start and people seem excited. 

"What do you think, interested in the ponies?"

Hearty cheers answer him.

"I knew you would be! Now, We will be holding a series of races over the coming weeks and months, all of which can be bet on by you guys. I will be publishing information about the horses we have in our yard, the chances of them winning and who the owners of the horses are. 

Ultimately, we will look to sell ownership of the horses, because each race is going to be sponsored and the winner will get a split of the pot for each race their horse enters. For now, we have 10 horses in our yard and I'll be gifting some of them away to various dignitaries in our cities as a gesture of good faith. The others will be open to auction and anyone can buy them. If nobody buys them, the horse will still run, but if it wins, nobody will earn the prize money which will be offered in each race."

Clive lets the news sink in and the excitement build.

"Now, any questions before I announce the horses and the first race?"

(To do this with some legitimacy, I'll be using an actual race to determine who wins. I will use a real race that has already been completed and apply our horses in their stead. I will post this race before any money changes hands in a back alley, so that it can't be changed once people start betting. Once the race has been completed, I'll provide everyone with the link to the race so that they can see they had a completely fair chance of winning.

For example:

If we have 10 horses, Horse 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. 

I will use the World Hurdle from Cheltenham 13/03 as the basis for the race.

More of That = Horse 1
Annie Power = Horse 2
At Fishers Cross = Horse 3
Zarkandar = Horse 4
Big Buck's = Horse 5
Rule The World = Horse 6
Medinas = Horse 7
Reve De Sivola = Horse 8
Salubrious = Horse 9
Celestial Halo = Horse 10

We offer odds on Horse 1-10, which will correspond to the horses as above. You, the punter, will not know which race this actually relates to, but you do know that the winner is already determined and I can't change it. So if you feel like having five hundred large on Horse 1, then where Horse 1 (in this example More Of That) actually finished in the race is already known. Even if I know I'm going to get stuffed for $10,000,000 I can't do anything about it.

This will be a completely fair event, as you would expect from the OSE.)

The Clive Hurdle

Our first contest will be a premier, Grade 1 affair.

The race itself will take place on our very own OSE track, Abacus Downs. It will be a 3 mile event, held over hurdles. The distance will mean that the winning horse will need to have good stamina in addition to good jumping skills. Ground is expected to be good and should make for some great racing.

For this race, the prize pool is a cool $2,500,000.

• The winner will get $1,500,000.
• The runner up will get $500,000.
• The third place will get $220,000.
• The other runners will split $280,000 between them.

But who are the horses?

We have 10 fine animals for selection, which for this race will be given away on a first come first serve basis. Two have already gone, but that leaves 8 still available.

All you have to do is drop the name of the horse you want to have in this conversation or send me a mail with it and I'll update the listing. Once the horses are gone, they are yours for the race. At the end of the race you'll be offered first chance on buying them or alternatively they'll go up for auction.

So, if you want to have the chance to win $1,500,000 just pick a horse from the available selections:

Name:

Send Me A Screenshot

Owner:

BADWOLF

Description:

This classy fella has been a staple in the yard for many years according to our trainer. He is in high demand whenever anything happens and rarely a day goes by where someone doesn't want to see Screenshot. He is that popular and a great looking horse to boot. 

Given the lad's premier quality and renowned ability to jump, we really fancy his chances of doing something special.

Name:

Falure

Owner:

HandsomeRob

Description:

One of the founding members of the yard and was a forerunner in many of the great races over the years. There are question marks over his staying power now as he gets older and sometimes you have to really look for him to find out if he is still there.

But he is and he has a strong pedigree. He's likely to be there or there abouts, especially over short distances.

Name:

HOWTHAT

Owner:

N/A

Description:

A strange mare who changes seemingly from day to day. Calm and composed one minute, wild and ill tempered the next. 

One her day, she can beat anyone. Sadly though, that day comes about all too infrequently.

Name:

Nobody's Refreshing Me

Owner:

N/A

Description:

A talented jumper who's done exceptionally well so far over fences. Doubts remain over whether he can handle the longer distance but will certainly be one to consider over the hurdles.

Name:

BG Wacking's Boring

Owner:

N/A

Description:

A common phrase for a common horse. Hasn't showed anything special since coming over from France and any progress that was expected hasn't been realised. 

The potential is still there, but something is certainly missing.

Name:

More Crews Than Sense

Owner:

N/A

Description:

This tough old grey gelding has been tried and tested, more often than not producing the goods. Questions have been asked as to whether this horse still has what it takes, but up to now, has always had the answers.

Name:

Not Another District Comp

Owner:

N/A

Description:

A well fancied up and comer with speed to burn. The yard carries high hopes for him and the only thing holding him back is a lack of experience. 

Name:

Sexy In Slanties

Owner:

N/A

Description:

Graceful and poised around the hurdles, although whether he can stay remains to be seen. Has shown promising signs when blinkered and more is expected in the future.

Name:

Pointless LHM

Owner:

N/A

Description:

Often overlooked, but a proven stayer with speed to boot. One to watch and should be considered. 

Name:

Top Of The 60 Second List

Owner:

N/A

Description:

Strong, powerful and probably the best looking horse in the stable. Prefers the going to be softer, but has held its own in significant company before.

Take your choice from HOWTHAT, Nobody's Refreshing Me, BG Wacking's Boring, More Crews Than Sense, Not Another District Comp, Sexy In Slanties, Pointless LHM or Top Of The 60 Second List.

Odds will follow shortly.

BG Wacking's Boring has been taken by HarryMorgan.

Sexy in Slanties has been taken by Roberto_Carlos.

Pointless LHM has been taken by Tyion. Fitting.

That leaves HOWTHAT, Nobody's Refreshing Me, More Crews Than Sense, Not Another District Comp & Top Of The 60 Second List still to be selected.

There is no charge to select a horse, you don't even need to subsequently bet on the race to have a chance of winning the prize pool.

Not Another District Comp has been taken by Numbers4Glory.

HOWTHAT has been taken by Sonrisa.

HOWTHAT's Description:

A strange mare who changes seemingly from day to day. Calm and composed one minute, wild and ill tempered the next.

One her day, she can beat anyone. Sadly though, that day comes about all too infrequently.

Had a little chat with the mare, stunning little horse btw. She's ready to kick some horseass! I predict you right now that this horse is going to make rock it... as it was said she can beat anyone...... alll that was needed was little motivation for this fancy equestrian lady. Sorted.

Looking forward to the results Clive!

Ps. if she doesn't win, it doesn't mean she lost.

It just means she wasn't interested in winning to begin with and I fully support her decission.

HOWaboutTHAT.

Top Of The 60 Second List has been taken by Pocket.

Send Me A Screenshot - BADWOLF
Falure - HandsomeRob
HOWTHAT - Sonrisa
Nobody's Refreshing Me - N/A
BG Wack's Boring - HarryMorgan
More Crews Than Sense - N/A
Not Another District Comp - Numbers4Glory
Sexy In Slanties - RobertoCarlos
Pointless LHM - Tyrion

Two horses are still without owners. 

Any takers?

Word had reached HarryMorgan about the OSE horse racing racket. He was drinking in the bar with his associates when his contact from the Saratoga Race Course Jimmeh had called, in a panic.

"They are putting on races man! Imagine the mob involved in the sport of kings"

Harry chuckled to himself & muttered a few reassurances into the phone to calm poor simple Jimmeh's nerves. He replaced the receiver & walked behind the crew bar to find his address book. He walks back towards the phone & dials the number for Clive. After a few moments Harry is connected & the phone dials through to the basement of the OSE building.

"Clive...Its Harry...HarryMorgan. Word has reached me about your new venture. My man at Saratoga said you were taking on all kinds of action. The reason I called? I just had a few questions about the upcoming races...Is there a maximum bet? I know a few people from around the way with real gambling trouble you could take them for a score if you will take big action..."

Harry waits...He isn't sure if he is connected or if Clive is busy.

"The other question...Do you take bets in the form of stocks & shares from the Marketplace? I know a few shrewd play the market types who are always looking for high stakes..."

I'll take More Crews Than Sense.

I'll take Nobody's Refreshing Me. 

Clive was extremely pleased with developments. He had taken a call from HarryMorgan earlier, but he thought it best to wait until everyone was present, so that he could explain exactly how this would work. 

He returned to the streets where the now excited punters had gathered.

Excellent! All the horses are now owned and we can move to the next phase of the race.

Before we go on, our field looks like this:

Each of these lucky owners will have the opportunity of winning the prize pool put forward for The Clive Hurdle. Be sure to check in after the race for the opportunity to own one of these magnificent animals for the next race. 

Now, what would the horses be without the chance for a flutter, eh? That's right...nothing!

Clive let the laughter die down before he reached into his briefcase and took out a bundle of printed flyers. 

Here we go chaps, everything you need to know about the next race! Get your's now!

The Clive Hurdle 

A fine array of talent will gather to contest this inaugural event at Abacus Downs.

It is largely believed to be a battle between Send Me A Screenshot, a gorgeous looking horse with plenty of quality and Falure, who has been there and done it many times before. Of the rest, Nobody's Refreshing Me is an extremely talented jumper and the price suggests he could mount a challenge, whilst Top Of The 60 Second List hasn't looked himself and will be lucky to make it all the way round. 

Send Me A Screenshot - 5/2 (Favourite)

Well fancied for this and should be a major contender.

Falure - 4/1 

Should be in the mix from the start and still there towards the finish.

Nobody's Refreshing Me - 5/1

A strong jumper who's form over fences suggests a strong hurdling career could follow.

More Crews Than Sense - 6/1

Lots of experience but age is starting to count against him now. Once upon a time might have won this, not likely anymore.

Another District Comp - 7/1

Lots of speed which could be a factor towards the end of the race, but hasn't proven himself over the distance.

HOWTHAT - 7/1

Who really knows? Could storm the field, could fall at the first.

BG Wacking's Boring - 8/1

Had potential as a youngster and that is reflected in the price. Nothing to suggest he can win this.

Sexy In Slanties - 8/1

Questions over his stamina result in the long price. Never proven himself over the distance.

Pointless LHM - 8/1

Speed and stamina, but not run in this class before. Could possibly step it up, but would be a surprise.

Top Of The 60 Second List - 25/1

All over the place, one to avoid.

We are fortunate enough to be backed by the Old School Elite and as such, our coffers are pretty deep. With that said, we're going to have to place a limit on the maximum amount you can place on our book. We do not have the facility to lay any of our risk, so we're pretty exposed if someone should throw $10,000,000 on the winner.

We will allow bets in the form of money and credits.

We will allow both win and each way betting.

Each way betting pays the top 3 horses in this race and will be given at 1/4 of the stated odds. 

The maximum monetary bet will be $1,500,000 for on the nose.

The maximum credit bet will be 5 credits for on the nose. 

The maximum each way bet will be $3,000,000.

The maximum each way credit bet will be 10 credits.

This may increase/decrease depending on interest levels in which case you will be notified, but once your bet is accepted, you will be paid out as stated regardless. 

Once you place a bet, you will receive a confirmation slip stating that your bet has been taken. No confirmation slip, no bet. Any trouble in this regard will be referred to the muscle end of the organization, so double check you've had your bet confirmed.

Bets can be made by contacting me directly or calling out here in this here discussion. 

Good luck to anyone who fancies a dabble and I hope this proves to be popular. 

Any questions or ground that I haven't covered, let me know.

5 credits on HOWTHAT.

I match Sonrisa's bet, five credits on HOWTHAT!

I've arranged with my accountant to transfer the funds to you immediately.

Clive returns with a very fancy chalkboard. It has seen long use from Clive's lonely afternoons doing sums in his windowless basement office.

"Both of your bets have been accepted! 

You can expect to receive 40 credits each if HOWTHAT actually manages to make it round and win the race!"

Clive does some calculations in his head and begins to write down the selections for the race on the board behind him.

"Over $5,000,000 is in play for the Clive Hurdles so far, but we can still take plenty more action. Fancy someone to finish in the top 3? Go each way. Think your horse is going to win the race? Get on the nose like Jeddy and Sonrisa."

Tyrion takes a good look at the odds on all the horses.

"Hey Clive, I'll take Another District Comp each way for 10 credits."

Clive hides his disdain as the dwarf approaches his board. He adopts a fake smile as he takes the man's wager.

Thank you Tyrion.

Your bet of 10 credits e/w on Not Another District Comp has been accepted.

Clive runs the numbers in his head.

Your expected payout if Not Another District Comp wins will be 53.75 credits on the following basis:

5 Credits to win @ 7/1 = 40 credits

5 Credits to place @ 1.75/1 = 13.75 credits

You expected payout if Not Another District Comp finishes 2nd or 3rd will be 13.75 credits on the following basis:

5 Credits to win @ 7/1 = Lose

5 Credits to place @ 1.75/1 = 13.75 credits.

Clive smiles at the Dwarf.

Good luck, little man.

Any other bets?