Three emails this week from readers. There were others of course, but in the main, I try not to buy Lobsters over the Interweb and I am no longer concerned at the chemical engorgement of my nethers.
The first wanted to know how successful I was in my tipping. I hate letters like that. There is always the implication that, like any decent barrister, they already know the answer, and that they will eviscerate you with kind words and a blunt and rusty spoon. It’s a bit like having Serena McKellen visiting you backstage after your amdram appearance of Waiting for Godot and being told how clever it was to remove all the humour.
The facts are, I wrote, that we started on January 1st 2022 with a bank of 1000 pts. We ended that year with a bank of 522.16 pts, a loss of 477.84 pts. As I write, the results up to 18th November 2023 show a balance of 252.67 – a loss to date this year of 269.49 after making some 990 wagers across F1, Golf, Racing and Footy. Now in many ways, I think I can call that an improvement on last year’s results. I could also claim that even at £10 a point, a £2700 per annum hobby that occupies so many hours of enjoyment, is still cheaper than golf, sailing, scuba diving, and even buying you and the kid season tickets to Arsenal, with a pie at half time! More importantly, none of those hobbies provide you with the weekly opportunity to become independently wealthy. (e.g. just you on your independent own with 19-year-old Doxie La Bustiere in a beachside villa in Costa Rica) There was I admit, an undercurrent in my reply, of “put that in your pipe”. Mea maxima culpa.
The second letter told me of Aunt Edwina’s tribulations at Cheltenham’s parking mayhem, following my own tiresome excursion.
If this is your first time having to get to your car park in such fashion, then count yourself lucky. I have told that useless twerp ******.
To finally get to the Trainers car park, you have to queue behind and wait for every other car to get to their park before finally reaching it. On Friday, coming from a different way, all that was shown were different coloured geometric signs, with no way of knowing what they stood for. I even asked one of the “officials” re the Trainers Car Park, with the SURPRISE answer of I am afraid I do not know. On arriving at what turned out to be the Trainers entrance. I complained, only to be told that I should know what colour shape I was. How could I know? I said. You should have been told, he said. Who knew I was coming I said…….. Oh dear, wept ****** on being told….
Sit at home and watch the TV, I think, in future. Not worth the hassle
All I can tell you, dear reader, is that in line with the rest of this increasingly benighted country, every organisation is adopting a one-size-fits-all policy for every activity, which is meant to “improve” customer service, but which is, in reality, about cutting costs whilst simultaneously abdicating responsibility by outsourcing.
The third letter asked me what services and methods, I use to reach my selections. Ignoring the unfunny noises off, and shouts of “a pin” and “dried seaweed”, I can tell you, as I told my correspondent, that they are myriad. I have put the links below.
First and foremost I use Raceform Interactive – the oldest and best computer-based software. Its race reading is second to none, and it rarely misses crucial moments in a race where a small and insignificant baulk, dramatically changes race outcomes. I additionally use GeeGeez Gold racecards and I have a lifetime sub which I took on as an early adopter. Sometimes those gambles pay off and I have had it for a good while now and it has proved a very useful tool. The service is entirely cloud-based, and will work from a phone – although I prefer to use it on a full-screen. Most of the systems and trend tools are developed on Horseracebase and I’ll give you a couple of examples developed there in a moment. Then on my mobile, I use The Racing App, which I have used for several years, but which has recently undergone a major overhaul and been adopted by Fitzdares as an added-value offering for their punters. Cornelius Lycett is there, as is Nick Luck, and it offers some useful confirmatory insights.
Horserace Base sends me a daily email outlining the horses that meet the 90-odd systems I have saved there and today’s for example included the following:
In C5 Handicap Hurdles, Geldings carrying a 4-14lb penalty running at odds less than 5-1 and where the Jockey is claiming 3-10lbs and the horse raced in the last 2-15 days, the system presented two possibilities (Dear Ralphy, and Abbeyhill) who were both second. The system A/E is 1.24 with a 46.26% strike rate and a 27.8% ROI.
In C3 and C4 Handicap Chases, between November 1st and March 31st, Venetia Williams runners aged 5-7 and 16/1 or less in the market, who have previously won a C2-C5 race, have had various numbers of experiential runs in handicap chases and NH races, have a 33.67% strike rate, a 33% ROI and an A/E of 1.28. Heva Rose was 2nd at 5/6.
The Email also reminded me of Sandy Thompson male runners in chases and Hurdles at Musselburgh and that they have a 35.38% strike rate, a 133.11 ROI and an A/E of 1.67 when they have raced no more than 7 times that year and have not raced for between 16 and 60 days. His Meetmeinthemorning would have been an e/w shot and was 6th.
Finally, it also suggested I mind Laura Morgan’s runner in the afternoon, as she is R117 W42 P 8 in C3, C$, and C5 handicap chases at ten specific racecourses. With an A/E of 1.74 and an ROI of 126.85, one can manage the odd loss! The Vollan was 3rd at 28/1 and it was the only one of the five I backed.
- RACEFORM INTERACTIVE https://shop1.racingpost.com/collections/raceform-interactive
- GEEGEEZ GOLD: https://www.geegeez.co.uk/invest-in-gold-a/
- HORSERACE BASE: https://www.horseracebase.com/index.php
- THE RACEHORSE APP: https://www.theracingapp.co.uk/
I have used some/none/all of those methods for today’s unlikely outcomes.
1:15 NEWBURY ‘Bet In-Race’ With Coral Fillies’ Juvenile Hdl Cl1 (3yo) 2m½f ITV4 9 run
MAJESTIC JAMEELA 3 pts e/w
1:50 NEWBURY Coral John Francome Novices’ Chs (G2) (Formerly Known As The Berkshire) Cl1 (4yo+) 2m4f ITV4 6 run
It’s pretty simple. The race sees the debut of HERMES ALLEN (and ORDINARY JOE for Hendo) over fences. He won the Challow – which is the best form in the race. If he jumps, he wins. There is a total beast in the field in the form of NICKLE BACK who has been attracting sufficient interest to see him supported strongly at around 4s. He has won by a combined 43 lengths over his last two starts and has plenty of raw potential. This is different – handicap to graded in an effortless bound? Certainly one for the forecast
HERMES ALLEN 5 pts Win – 2 pt RFC with NICKLE BACK
2:25 NEWBURY Coral Racing Club Hcap Chs Cl2 (4yo+ 0-150) 2m4f ITV4 9 run
KANDOO KID 5 pts Win
3:00 NEWBURY Coral Long Distance Hdl (G2) Cl1 (4yo+) 3m ITV4 6 run
DASHEL DRASHER 4 pts Win
3:35 NEWBURY Play Coral ‘Racing-Super-Series’ For Free Hcap Hdl Cl2 (4yo+ 0-145) 3m ITV4 12 run
HYLAND 5 pts Win – ESPOIR DE ROMAY 2 pts e/w