Welcome one and all to this new weekly column on horse racing. The industry is facing some challenging times – low prize money, small fields, rising costs for trainers/owners, a lack of cohesive leadership and more.
But it is not all doom and gloom and Penworthy – the name derives from a character in P.G. Wodhouse’s short story The Purity of the Turf – will try to lift the spirits of those passionate about the so-called Sport of Kings.
This will hopefully be achieved not by solving, or even addressing, any of the above important topics but instead providing some winning bets. For this is a tipping column – it will try to ensure that those who enjoy a bet actually make money from their hobby too.
I have been interested in racing since my dear, late father took me, as a very small boy, to see the great Arkle, three times winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup and arguably the greatest steeplechaser that ever lived.
I loved the athleticism of the horses and the glamour of the sport but I quickly became fascinated by the betting too. I am not a professional gambler but, in recent years, my record against the bookmakers has been a good one.
In a newsletter to a group of friends, I have made money – sometimes a lot of money – for 13 out of the last 14 seasons. I average only one or two tips a week, but in the last jumps season alone I tipped Global Citizen at 50-1 to win the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup at the Cheltenham Festival and Hewick at 33-1 to win the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown (all claims verifiable).
I am not interested in backing horses at short prices. Instead, I seek value invariably putting up horses at double-figure prices. Most of my tips are antepost bets – placed well ahead of the race in question in the hope of getting a bigger price.
My number one piece of advice to followers of my tips is to bet within their means. Seek to make a little money from a hobby that delivers a lot of pleasure, not vice versa.
My number two piece of advice is to have as many accounts with the major bookmakers as possible – getting the best price on a horse can make the difference between winning and losing at the end of a season.
The only way to make money betting on horse racing is to be disciplined which explains why I have so few bets. The more you bet, the more likely the bookies are to end up in front.
I bet primarily on a horse’s racecourse form – not tips from a horse’s connections or stable staff. Like all punters, I have losing runs but, so far, the good times have outweighed the bad.
All my bookmakers’ accounts have been heavily ‘restricted’ – bookmaker code for ‘get lost, we don’t want your business’. I have been highly critical of bookmakers who refuse to accommodate winning punters, hence the desire to write this column anonymously.
Anyway, this is a one-off introduction to what lies ahead over the coming weeks, months and, hopefully, years. All future columns will be much more about betting from the start, which brings me to this week’s tip.
Aintree hosts the Boylesport Becher Handicap Chase tomorrow (2.05 p.m.) and I am very keen on the chances of HILL SIXTEEN, who was runner up in this race a year ago, beaten just a nose by Snow Leopardess.
Both horses are up in the ratings tomorrow as a result of those top runs but Sandy Thomson’s nine-year-old gelding is a real favourite of mine.
I backed Hill Sixteen each way at 14-1 from a couple of weeks ago and would have put him up then if this new column had existed. But he is still worth a bet with his Scottish handler in such sparkling form. Back him each way at 11-1, paying six places, with William Hill.
There are plenty of dangers headed by Gesskille and Percussion, who were second and third over these Grand National fences in the Boylesport-sponsored Grand Sefton Handicap Chase a month ago.
Both horses are likely to be better up in distance this time but the former has been found in the market and the latter does not have the services of regular pilot Adam Wedge, who is on duty instead at Chepstow.
Peter Bowen’s horses have a good record over these Grand National fences too and Francky Du Berlais looks overpriced at 33-1, even though he is not particularly well handicapped after a fruitful season last year.
Elsewhere, notably at Sandown Park, there is some superb racing but I will be enjoying, not betting on, the Betfair Tingle Creek Chase. If the favourite Shishkin returns to his best, he wins, but that’s a big ‘if’ after his recent lay-off.
So, on balance, I will stick at just the one bet. There will be some antepost ‘plays’ at bigger odds in next week’s column.
Pending bets:
One point each way Hill Sixteen in the Becher Chase at 11-1, paying six places.
My gambling record for the seven years: I have made a profit in 13 of the past 14 seasons to recommended bets. To a one-point level stake over this period, the profit of has been just over 469 points. All bets are either one point each way or two points win (a ‘point’ is your chosen regular stake).
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