Top tip - follow the trends

I received an email the other day from someone asking why there were no tips on the blog? I told them the idea wasn’t to tip horses but to produce my ratings along with any thoughts during the Flat season. I may mention horses to follow when reviewing races from the book, and give the occasional ante-post horse at a big price, but as I mentioned in an earlier blog – does the world need another tipster? I think not.
Plus, if I was to tip horses for the races in my book then I may well have just done that in the first place for a fee each month, minus the book. But where would the fun be?

The book was put together initially to answer my own questions about what clues to look for in picking the winner of a big race, and secondly, should I follow it thereafter? Part of the fun in having a bet and studying racing is trying to crack the puzzles and the rewards it brings when successful, not just financially, but mentally, feel it inside.

To spot a horse well in advance of a particular race and back it confidently ante-post for instance isn’t easy, but when the plan works it becomes worthwhile. The advantage of having the book is to be able to plan in advance, especially in the ante-post markets when the trends tables and analysis aren’t easily available elsewhere.

Most of my biggest gains have come by ‘prepping’ a horse for a big race and I’m sure there will be those of you that punted successfully ante-post at this year’s Cheltenham Festival. I say ‘gains’ because it isn’t always about money. Succeeding via a winning bet can take you to another level, give you an experience that can’t be found elsewhere.

Back in 1994, I used the trends written down in my small exercise book that I kept updated to find the Wokingham winner at Royal Ascot. Richard Hannon winning it before was the main clue, so a week before the race I put the trainer’s Venture Capitalist in a £10 win double with Flight Lieutenant at York. The first horse won at York at 8-1 (took early morning prices back then), so I had £90 going on to a 33-1 shot.
On the Friday of Royal Ascot, I’d ripped my calf muscle playing football the week before so was in hospital with my Mum getting it looked at and took my Walkman to listen to the race on BBC Radio. Ten minutes before the race I suddenly decided not to listen to the commentary and watch it on video (not Skyplus!) when I got home. I don’t know why I didn’t listen to the commentary as I had planned to, I still don’t. Something told me not to.
I watched the video back at home and it won in a three-way photo. One of the horses it beat, No Extras, only lost as it followed the ambulance trail that had been left on the grass making the horse swerve offline.
As I was on crutches at the time, my Uncle drove me to the nearest William Hill where I picked up a cheque for over three grand. My Uncle had never seen anything like it before, especially not from a 21-year-old - I was meant to be interested in football. He had a grin on his face. When I got home my Mum had the same grin.

The money paid for a week’s crash course in driving (never worked out why they call it that!), and bought my first car a fortnight later.
All because of the racing trends from that small exercise book which are now in the book you’re reading.

I hope someone else gets to enjoy a similar journey I experienced that Summer.
I’ve been on it ever since.