£200K in 1 Year Betfair Trading

Well that's May done and dusted ... nearly

Well things haven't exactly gone to plan in 2012. Profit levels were mediocre at best during May, although they seem to have increased slightly towards the end of the month. I've decided to crack-on during June with the thought of increasing my bank nicely so that I can fuck off to the coast during July (dependant upon the weather). I think I'll do a daily update in June with a focus on profits and beer!

When's it going to stop fucking raining???

Well I didn't add £10K to my bank in April but one thing I did do was get back on the beer and spunk plenty in my local bar and kebab house! And what about the poxy rain? Just when we thought that Summer had arrived we experienced the wettest April since the start of the world and we lost zillions of meetings.

It's now May and it's still pissing down, but more meetings have survived and my profit seems to be picking-up, largely due to the number of races that we're getting per day/week. I've also moved more over to the dark side, so that now most of my initial, and sometimes only, bets are backs. Additionally I've also managed to stay out of the boozer and kebab house so the only money leak that I have at the moment is my missus helping herself to my hard earned!

As soon as we get some nice sunny weather (maybe early June according to the idiots at the Met Office) I'll be off to Ramsgate to re-charge the batteries, get focussed, get sunburnt, get laid and get pissed (not necessarily in that order).

Well How's it Going?

I have been updating this Blog but all of my updates for March have been under 'February - 44 Day Journal'.

I think that we're just turning the corner in terms of the number of playable races per month, especially as the flat season has just started and I feel that the track mongrels have less of an advantage. We might even see the Turf TV pics back up to speed (although I wouldn't hold my breath) and the much promised speed-up of the SIS pics, although once again I won't believe it until I see it.

In terms of profits I'm well behind schedule, but I'm still pretty optimistic that I'll reach my target. April should give me a good idea of where I'm heading and a what speed. If I can put an extra £10K in my bank this month and not spunk it in the pub then I'll be well set for the Summer.

44 Day Journal

Finally the frost and snow have fucked off ... hurrah!!

The first few weeks of 2012 have been a bit of a struggle, mostly due to the lack of racing. Now if I didn't have a target for 2012 then this wouldn't really bother me as I'd just plod along and make a living, but it's a pain in the arse when you're trying to win £200K. I have, however, used these few weeks to gradually increase my stakes and feel comfortable enough to click away without worrying about possible losses. Additionally my new focus has meant that I've learnt (or am still learning) new ways of improving my existing in-running skills. So although the cash hasn't been rolling in by the bucket load I now feel ready to start smashing in and upping the profits.

For the next 44 days (that takes us to the end of March) I'm going to compile a list of my main bets, along with missed opportunities and lucky scrapes in this post. As long as we don't get any more ice or snow then I should be looking to make £12K+ between now and March 31st.

For reference my current staking is lay bets of £235 per click and back bets of £135 per click.

So let's have it!!

17/02/2012

Zarkander - layed this when it looked beat (despite the Timeform 'r') but fortunately only got matched for small money as it took a while for RUK to switch from the side-on angle, where I couldn't see it clearly, to the head-on where it looked stone cold beat and was dropping away (looking at the video a few days later it did look to be struggling when the pace lifted around the home turn). So a small loss, but in my opinion a good bet at the time. If I had been matched for bigger then no doubt I could have easily greened-up.
Brilliant - looked to be in trouble very early but had the Timeform squiggle so I avoided laying it, which proved to be a good choice as it run on late from nowhere to grab 3rd. The Timeform subscription saved me a few quid there!
Daymar Bay - tried to lay this when it looked one paced approaching 2 out (once again on looking at the video it didn't find much from 2 out but one of the horses in front of it fell in a hole), but once again fortunately didn't get matched as it plugged on for 3rd.
All The Aces - layed this 3 out but once again only got matched for small money. Was beat in 4th until he leader fell at the last.
Gullinbursti - another layed horse, once again only partly matched, that looked beat turning for home (watched the video and it looked as though his mistake down the back straight was taking it's toll coming around the home bend) only to rally for 2nd.
San Telm - looks like a day of partly matched bets! Layed this pretty early after a couple of sketchy jumps, but once again only got matched for small money, finished a distant 5th.
Shutthefrontdoor - well it's obvious that I'm in real shite form today. Had the opportunity to lay this a few furlongs out but hesitated as AP McCoy was the pilot. Got off well lucky as McCoy rode one of his typical finishes and actually won the race! My judgement today has been poor ...
Cristaliyev - finished 3rd (watched the vido again a few times and for a split second it looked held in 4th about half a furlong out, but not a bet I would have again in a hurry!) and not even the track players wanted to take my lay of £705 at 2.1!! ... are they blind? In hindsight I think I was a bit hasty with this bet and it was probably because I was thinking that I needed to react super fast to any opportunities having just come from watching much slower races over the sticks to a sprint finish at Lingfield.
Tiablo - eventually a winner! Didn't get fully matched but managed to lay this at 1.29 and it finished 6th!!
Dundalk & Wolverhampton - the racing this evening has been dire ....

Or as the hardest man in Canning Town might say 'right proper nawty racing geezer!'.

Opportunities have been thin on the ground. However, there's some nice racing tomorrow, and plenty of it, so maybe I can nick a few quid, even though Saturday's tend to promise a lot and actually deliver little in terms of profit (for myself anyway).

Win = +£211.56

18/02/2012

As a reminder ....

Lexis Boy - layed this at under 2.0 when it made a sketchy jump 2 out but then managed to plug on for 3rd ... DOH!.
zzzzzzzz .. a typical Saturday so far ...
The Minack - layed this early when it made a mistake. Sat with it for a few more fences then decided to take a small red as it started jumping OK. Took the small red and then it fell! DOH again!!
Painter Man - it's always encouraging when you lay one for a place and it wins ... NOT! Oh dear ...
Featherbed Lane - didn't let my previous loses affect me and layed this one early when it didn't look too comfortable. Looked ominous turning for home but his early jumping mistakes and lack of stamina saw him finish out of the places in 3rd.
Fuck this ... I'm going for a beer!
Loss = -£24.69

19/02/2012

enjoyed a pint of Guinness last night. Now that we're out of the cold snap I must start drinking heavily again in preparation of a Summer of alcoholic abuse
a mixed bag of racing today. I might try and be a backer at Ffos Las as it seems impossible to lay anything there and I'll be a layer at Market Rasen and Navan. Well see how it goes.
One More Cookie - made a complete balls-up of the first race. One More Cookie was going back into 5th on the run-in and for some reason I backed it ... DOH!! What a twat!
Milarrow - layed this when it came under pressure some way from home. Only got a partial match but clawed back some cash from my earlier loss. It actually plugged on late to finish a distant 4th. Why can't these horses that look beaten just drop out the back of the telly?
Concentration and focus today has already been poor. Got caught watching the Chisora v Haye brawl and missed the start of a race at Market Rasen. That's poor ... these are the sort of amateur things that I'm looking to eradicate.
Think I'm going to tie a heavy weight around my neck and jump into the dock. What a lousy, miserable, tosspot of a day. Some days you just wonder how anyone can possibly make a living at this game.
Loss = -£95.88

20/02/2012

Monday already ... so started with a late lay of Crowning Jewel who looked held in 4th in the straight only to plug on for 3rd. Haven't I done this before at some point?
Just Timmy Marcus - backed this thing approaching the straight when it was right on the snaff. Layed it back at 1.1 when it looked guaranteed for a place, only for it legs to fall off and finish 5th. So got it right yet still managed to lose £7.02.
Vamizi - looked legless after jumping the last in 4th ... though not as legless as the 2 snails it passed on the run-in. I'm having a nightmare!
Loss = -£37.75

21/02/2012

it would be nice to win a few quid today (update: it's 16:11 and I'm doing my bollox!).
Grand Article - yet another schoolboy mistake. Layed this for a place thinking it was first 3 when it fact it was first 4! I really have lost the plot and it's starting to become really anoying. I'm really fucked off.
Dare Me - I must be fucking cursed. Beaten a way out but snatched 3rd on the line.
Destroyer Deployed - I am fucking cursed! Nearly fell early and jumped really poorly thereafter and looked bang in trouble 4 out. The usual story ... plugged on to be 3rd..
We're all doomed!
Moscow Presents - just when I thought things couldn't get worse ...they did!! Yet another lapse of concentration as I mistook this horse for one that was dropping out of the telly coming into the home straight. However, all was not lost. Moscow came under pressure and dropped back to 4th and looked beat. Could have greened at this point for £270+, but chose to be greedy and take the lot. The rest is history, guess what?, yep Moscow rallies on the long run-in and snatches 3rd. You couldn't make it up!!!
The Italian Yob - well I thought I'd try my hand at backing and duly backed this yak which finished 8th. Just watched the video and I must be fucking blind!
Loss = -£1035.08 (at least I won't be paying any Premium Charge next week!)

22/02/2012

going to try and lose as much money as possible today (reverse psychology)
I've done about £700 in mistakes over the last few days. Now in the cold light of day I think that I can put this down to at least 2 reasons. The first is probably the added pressure of trying to win £200K, and the second is a combination of tiredness/boredom and fatigue. The early starts and endless hours of watching the video re-runs has made me both tired and bored. So when the real racing actually starts I'm already knackered and losing concentration. I should have spotted the signs yesterday when I actually switched channels to watch Hollyoaks. I don't even like Hollyoaks! (although yesterday's one wasn't too bad). So, I've decided to cut out the early mornings in the office and come in maybe 1 hour before the racing starts. This will also give me time to practice my guitar and maybe get my garden sorted out for the Summer. I'm also going to give the form study a wide berth for the time being as it doesn't seem to have helped me this year. I know that I can get caught by laying things that normally get a second wind, but in the long run I think that this evens itself out. I've found that I've been watching races expecting something to happen that doesn't (and missing chances elsewhere). Traditionally I would just use my eyes and judgement, so from today I'm going back to this way of playing.

I still think that I have had some cracking bets over the last few days that have just gone against me (these things happen).

Patience, concentration and aggressiveness .... charge!!!!
Mottley Crewe - I beginning to think that my missus is slipping something in my tea each morning. Only 5 runners in the first at Lingfield so you'd think that it would be pretty easy to tell who is who. Not where I'm concerned though! Layed what I thought was Mottley Crewe turning into the straight as he swung wide and got matched but didn't notice as I thought I'd missed the opportunity. Imagine my surprise at the end of the race when I look across and see that I had been matched. Yep I was looking at the wrong horse again. Mottley finished 3rd so for once I got lucky a won a few quid.
Ardlui - played a bit more patiently on this one. Layed him when he looked to be struggling 3 out but decided to green-up. Good choice as once again another one of my lays plugs on to be 3rd.
Palmyra - layed this and got a bit matched. Finished 3rd of 5
Rio Royale - layed this when it was going nowhere in the home straight. Only partly matched. Finished last of 7.
Profit = +£362.72

23/02/2012

going to try and do my bollox today (trying that reverse psychology thing again!)
errrmmmm ... it's 18:24 and nothing's happened. Just a few Kempton races left and the evening dogs.
Majestic Zafeen - finally got a bet matched. Had a few quid on Majestic late on to nick a few quid. Finished 2nd.
Profit = +£151.03

24/02/2012

well the way things are going at the moment I'm not too sure about a house in Ramsgate. I might have to downsize my expectations to something more befitting of my current financial status.

With a lick of paint and a bit of decking it'll look a million dollars! Then all I'd need is an 8M motorized satellite dish and a decoder and I'd be printing cash!

Lanarkshire - layed this as he went back into 3rd around the home bend. Finished 4th of five runners.
17:10 already. Just been picking up a few quid here and there. Dundalk and Wolverhampton this evening along with the dogs.
20:49 and it's been a long, slow and tedious evening with very little in the way of profit.
Profit = +£752.88

25/02/2012

not expecting much today. As mentioned before, Saturday's promise so much but usually deliver relatively little in terms of profit. We're also up against the track mongrels at Lingfield, Chepstow and Newcastle, so if there are going to be any winnings then I can only see them coming from Kempton or maybe Fairyhouse. I'll be playing very cautiously today.
I'd rather be sitting in a nice boozer overlooking the sea (maybe 'The Bohemian' in Deal) and get slowly pissed instead of sitting here trying to scrape a few quid together playing four SIS tracks on a Saturday.
Loss = -£15.21

26/02/2012

another selection of shite racing all on SIS today. Roll on the Summer where we have a race every 5 minutes. At least when we lose we can go across the road, sit in the sun, get sunburn and drown our sorrows in numerous pints of Amstel.
had a few nibbles, but nothing major. The only consolation is that the Arse v Spurs game is quite entertaining and I can see it cracking off soon with maybe a few red cards about to be brandished?
Profit = +£102.30

27/02/2012

so here we are on a gloomy Monday in February trying to make money at Plumpton and Wolverhampton. We must be fucking mad, we've got no chance!
Mon Ami Jolie - layed this first time out horse when it missed the break over 6F. Got hampered in the straight and still won cosily!
Songsmith - couldn't jump and layed it for small. Finished 7th of 9.
Vanilla Rum - layed this as he took the wide route through the car park. Only partly matched, but it all counts. Finished 7th of 9 runners.
3 meetings tomorrow and 4 on Wednesday. I need to start making a big push over the next few days so I might see some interesting P&L (ideally a lot more P than L) come the end of the week!
Profit = +£64.72

28/02/2012

Chankillo - layed this when it looked beat in 4th ... finished 3rd!
.. and then didn't do fuck all for the rest of the day! So not much of a push going on at the moment.
Bhakti - looked beat in the bumper coming into the straight. Rallied, galloped and actually won the race!
Loss = -£132.59

29/02/2012

Regal Park - had this down as a possible dodgy jumper. Layed it early then layed it again 3 out. Finished 6th of 13.
I'm trying real hard here and I keep finding myself with my nose pressed up against the screen trying to spot things going backwards at short odds. However, I think I've got a touch of the old 'horse blindness'. This is the inability to spot either a back or a lay despite there being a race every 10 minutes.
There have been a few races today where even Mystic Meg couldn't have called the winner and/or placed horses. Sometimes this game is completely impossible to analyze and you know that you're going to do your bollox no matter what happens.
Profit = +£231.20

01/03/2012

Ottoman Empire - a rare visit to Meydan. Nicked a few quid laying this when it started going backwards in the straight.
it seems as though the Turf TV pictures have been slowed down and are now on par with RUK. If indeed this is the case then we're all well and truly shafted. Liquidity at Kempton this evening is the worst it's ever been. Trying to play when you're behind the track mongrels and the liquidity is super low is like 'hanging your cock out in the wind' ... apparently.
Profit = +£59.55

02/03/2012

there's no doubt it's getting a lot harder to win cash on here. I'm sure that the liquidity in some races must be at an all-time low and the percentages that you're betting into are also severe. I must admit that these are worrying times (especially with the apparent slow down of the Turf TV pics). I have a feeling that March is going to be shit or bust.
looks like the only way out of this bollox is to go all-in and purchase a raft of lottery tickets this weekend.
if my local boozer served Hoegaarden then I'd be out tonight getting absolutely wankered. However, I have heard from a reliable source (the missus) that Amstel will soon be making an appearance in my preferred drinking establishment, so all is not lost!
well that was a day where nothing much happened.
Profit = +£28.42

03/03/2012

Saturday again eh? Dare I try that reverse psychology again today? He who dares Rodney, he who dares!

I've shifted all of my buttons down to £105 a click with the intention of clicking like a mad man. Look out, as I might be leaving my goolies and todger out in the wind? Let's go for it ...
Absinthe - layed this on the long run-in at Kelso when it looked like getting caught for a place. Just nailed close home so a winning start.
Gruss is playing-up (there's always something standing in the way of making a profit!). One day it's all going to work properly and I'm gonna win a cotchel.
Shootin The Breeze - backed this as it jumped the last in 4th place. It stayed in 4th and that was good enough for a nice win.
Profit = +£461.39

04/03/2012

just had my weekly guitar lesson and my fingers are shredded. I'm going to pump the mouse so hard today that my fingers will by bleeding by the last race.
...or maybe not.

Profit = +£43.69

05/03/2012

Waterloo Dock - a rare pre-race back in a 4 runner field at Lingfield. Led as expected but the price didn't come down low enough for a decent trade and I did my money.
Presented - backed it 3 out and greened-up. Finished 2nd.
It's hard enough without 'The Lizard' snaffling all the prices at Lingfield ... because if he doesn't get them then I still have to contend with 'The Praying Mantis' aka 'The Printer'.

The Mantis (aka 'The Printer') camouflages himself and sits perfectly still. He then waits for his prey (usually the unsuspecting place market layers) to enter some nice juicy prices. When a price looks ripe for the taking the mantis lashes out at remarkable speed, in fractions of the time it takes people to blink. Before you know it he's got a monkey in his pocket and a bottle of shampoo on ice.

My Name is Sam - layed this as it was getting caught for 2nd. Finished 3rd. Nicked a few quid, but not a lot.
Triptico - about time I layed another winner in the place market!

Profit = +£19.65

06/03/2012

OK. The fucking about stops today! A shit day of racing but I'm going to start pressing a lot more whenever the opportunity arises. I expect to see plenty more back bets as from today.
Well, the shite day of racing produced little or no real opportunities, and when one did pop-up I only got matched for small money. I did try real hard, but you do get these days where you're going to struggle to get matched when you do see something
Profit = +£38.75

07/03/2012

Marlos Moment - someone got the wrong colours (not me for a change) and I nicked a few quid.
another afternoon of bets on partly matched. Very frustrating when I'm looking to back or lay for 3 figures and only getting matched for pennies. Let's see what Kempton brings this evening.
... fuck all!
Profit = +£649.07

08/03/2012

I think that I'm only going to stick up my bets where I win or lose more than £100. If I highlight my partial bets it gets pretty pointless and is boring.
Looks like another day of partials. The Turf TV pics are still well behind live (similar to SIS) which definitely doesn't help matters.
Profit = +£138.14

09/03/2012

I already have the feeling that today could be one of those days when I lay a selection who's legs have fallen off down the back straight only for it to suddenly and miraculously sprout a pair of Pegasus like wings and fly home from 100 lengths behind. Maybe I should be backing the things that look like they're one their knees with a mile to go. I bet there's going to be some big priced IR winners in the win market today.
on a completely unrelated subject. 'The Singing Detective' .... what's that all about eh? I stumbled upon this last night and watched the last 50 minutes or so. I was convinced that my regular supplier had provided me with a super potent strain of ganga! Joanne Whalley though eh?
well the Turf TV pics are still only a nanosecond in front of RUK. It seemed that whenever I saw a price and hit it today I was missing and not getting matched. Ever so slightly worrying ... this could mark the end of in-running as we know it?
... or the pics on both SIS and Turf TV will speed up and then we'll smash the track players to smithereens?
Profit = +£86.33

10/03/2012

I really should spend every Saturday in the pub getting pissed rather than beating my head against a brick wall.
15 degrees today and quite nice out there. Roll on the Summer when we can all get sunburn and get smashed on the Stella. Oh happy days!
Torn Asunder - after all of the lovely racing at Sandown and Ayr I finally managed to strike it lucky in the last race bumper at Gowran Park. Had a click to lay it and then it duly fell out the back of the telly. That felt like a long time coming.
Profit = +£121.41

11/03/2012

I promised the missus that if I won a monkey today then I'd take her for a beer this evening. Generous eh? ... I'm that sort of guy ...
this game is a fucking wind-up. Right now it's like trying to do a Rubiks Cube whilst blindfolded and having your hands tied behind your back. If Turf TV and/or SIS don't pull their fingers out and bring the pics up to speed then in-running will be fucked by the end of this year .... mark my words. You heard it here first.
to sum up how I feel right now ... bollox fuck wank shit poxx fuck toss. There you go ... just had to get that off my chest. I'm going out to get well and truly bladdered tonight.
Loss = -£68.81

12/03/2012

another complete waste of time today. It's like trying to tunnel your way out of jail using a tooth pick. Almost impossible to play effectively when you're so far behind the live action at gaffs like Plumpton, Stratford and Taunton.
Islandmagee - another Mr Magoo moment. Wrong colours and did £104.62. Fucking fantastic! Now I've got the right fucking arsehole.

Loss = -£60.76

13/03/2012

Cheltenham eh? Not that easy to play when you're suffering from the effects of Monday night binge washed down with a large Doner Kebab. Felt like shite and played like shite.
Profit = +£24.32

14/03/2012

Right, feeling better today so going to smash it and get some Ramsgate money. If it goes well then I might even venture across the road with some of the boys tonight and get smashed again.
Kings Bayonet - layed this when it came under pressure before 2 out. Same old story, just held on for third place.
ItsThursdayAlready - wrong colours again! Got lucky this time as it got beat.
Just had a nice pint of Amstel in preparation for the next 5 races at Kempton. Get ready to smash!!
I think that I need to move over to the dark side and become more of a backer. It seems impossible to get a decent lay on most of the SIS tracks whereas I think that it is slightly easier to get a back bet (not too sure whether this is true, but I think it's something I'm going to have to try). I'll have a think about it and see what I decide.
Loss = -£88.01

15/03/2012

this thought popped into my mind today ... 'bet with no fear'. I'm getting a bit fucked off being the 'sit on the fence' man. Having said that I'm sure that this is the hardest period of in-running I have ever known in the last 4 years and I'm not about to start gambling and smashing-in when the odds are not in my favour. I'm counting on the return of good old flat racing to liven-up the in-running markets.
lovely day out there today so just had a quick pint of Amstel (again). That might just help to lubricate the clicking finger.
Loss = -£31.44

16/03/2012

13:23 and already gagging for a beer.
where have all the horses gone? I've never known so many small fields over the recent few weeks. Are there less horses about or are they all stood standing in a field somewhere?
17:26 and still gagging for a beer. I can either stay here and do my bollox and sanity at Wolverhampton and Dundalk or I could go out and get smashed, grab a granny and finish the night off with a large doner.
Daliyan - had to wait until the last race at Dundalk to get a bet of any significance. Layed this and it trundled in a well beaten 4th.
Profit = +£289.61

17/03/2012

quite a few meetings today (50 races) so I'll play the steady approach and just try to nick a few quid here and there. A carpet (£300) should be quite an achievable target.
just small pickings throughout the day.
Profit = +£173.73

18/03/2012

another day of shite racing on a shite channel (SIS) with shite liquidity and shite results. The SIS pics are being sent via Neptune and seem to get further and further behind live, making it impossible to play against the track mongrels. Add the fact that SIS are falling over themselves to show as much racing from France and all of the other fucking useless countries in the EU (where the fuck is Krefeld and who the fuck bets on that shite?). If you want to bet at Krefeld then fuck off to Germany and have a bet if that's where it is. We've got no fucking chance. And then just when you've used all of your willpower to avoid putting your fist thru the telly that twat comes on shouting about how there's only seconds to place your bet for the Teatime 49ers. Think I'm going to be needing and bandage and a new telly soon ...

as you can probably tell I'm not having a particularly good day. However, I'm gonna go out and get smashed tonight, drink at least 10 pints of Carling, probably have a fight in my local and then get a large doner on the way from from the local nick.

Profit = +£24.17

19/03/2012

what a lovely day it is out there. Didn't have too many last night, didn't fight or get nicked but did have a large doner! Jumped on the bike and did a few miles this morning followed by a quick workout in the gym, so I'm feeling fresh and ready for the mediocre racing today. We only have 21 races to make some cash so it will be a cautious and steady approach in an attempt to get another winning day. And then maybe back in the boozer tonight?
I've already decided not to play tomorrow as we only have 20 races, and if it's anything like today I'll definitely put my boot through the telly.
Loss = -£38.41

21/03/2012

had a great day off yesterday. Dug up weeds in the garden, shifted a few hundred paving blocks and lifted my old paving. Then hit the boozer for numerous pints of Carling followed by the now customary kebab. Did manage to spend 30 or so minutes on the heavy bag this morning but despite that I'm really turning into a fat bastard and also my back is killing me!
Profit = +£166.13

22/03/2012

not a lot happening today so far ... nothing of interest to report.
Profit = +£83.19

23/03/2012

just felt compelled to go for an early pint of Amstel and found myself outside the pub at just after 12. Must admit it's bloody hard to just have 1 pint and then leave. Might have a few more later maybe.
Northern Acres - finally got something matched. Layed this when someone wanted to back it early at 1.87. Didn't seem to be hurdling well and fell out of the telly turning for home.
Profit = +£173.43

24/03/2012

I feel primed for action after another early pint of Amstel. CHARGE!!....
I think that I need to drink more Amstel. Just hasn't happened today and I'm finding it super hard to even get involved. Luckily I'm out on the piss tonight.
Loss = -£29.52

25/03/2012

it was my Dad's 70th birthday yesterday and his great long time partner arranged a surprise meal at 'The Pont De La Tour'. We all had a great night and if anything he's looking younger and fitter than ever. Happy Birthday Dad.
only 14 races tomorrow. Bollox to that! Out on the piss tonight and crack on with the garden on Monday.
Profit = +£86.65

27/03/2012

been cracking on with the garden and I'm knackered. I've also been hitting the Carling quite hard and any money that I am making is being quickly spunked in my local boozer! Let's hope I win a few quid today cos I'm going straight there after the 17:30 at Southwell!
Profit = £0.00

29/03/2012

man flu eh? Felt fucked on Tuesday night, then felt like a bag of shite on Wednesday and spent all day in bed. Hopefully it's just a 24hr bug. I'd probably feel better if I could win a few quid today.
well chipped away and had quite a comfortable day. Had 19 bets and only 2 small losses. An ideal day really.
Profit = +£296.75

30/03/2012

still sitting here with half a gallon of snot up each nostril and the last thing on my mind at the moment is lager of any variety. A pity really as it's a beautiful day out there. As for today ... well it would be nice to string 3 winning days together.
Had 14 bets today an only 1 small loss. That's the way it should be every day!
Profit = +£231.97

31/03/2012

how about stringing 4 winning days together?
well another poo Saturday. Tried hard but won little.
Profit = +£35.75

Posture & Talking to Yourself During Trading

Maybe a strange question, but I think there's a lot to be learnt from how individuals sit at their desk. My own preferred style is to sit hunched forward with my nose literally pressed against the screen, ready to pounce like a finely tuned greyhound (strangely the cartoon below does bear a striking resemblance to myself ... handsome lad eh?).

However, when I watch literally hundreds and hundreds of re-runs via the Racing Post website I find that I have to sit back somewhat to get a better idea of the pace of the race and how horses are travelling. This type of hunched over hyped-up body language probably doesn't lend itself to a calm, relaxed and yet decisive mode of trading. I have tried the laid back approach but it feels quite strange and I always revert to the 'on top of the screen' approach. Now, in sports such as golf, in order to improve your swing you often have to start from scratch and adopt a new improved swing that at first may feel really weird. However, if you persevere with the new swing then your game should gradually improve. So, along these lines I am going to try a laid back approach from tomorrow and see how things go. And if my trading improves I might even move on to the even more relaxed approach ...

That'll make a five runner 2 mile amatuer riders handicap on the AW at Southwell seem a lot more interesting!

One other thing that I have recently found useful is actually talking to myself during the race! This may seem a bit strange but I think that it helps me analyze the race more effectively. It also helps me to stay relaxed and focused if I give myself my own commentary of the race, but in a somehat unusual style. I try and tell myself the facts of the race as it unfolds but also throw in a few bizarre comments along the way to keep things light hearted, and therefore less stressful.

Here's a few quotes from today's commentaries:

'Nothing's happened yet'

'The favourites are jumping OK'

'Could have done my bollox on that one!'

'How about showing us who's in third??'

'Thank's again SIS wankers for showing us the 13:58 from Sheffield when the 14:00 at Thurles has just started'

And from across the room 'it's already doing my head in today' and 'oh dear o Lord what a fucking day!' and something to do with 'paint drying'.

'Whoahhh ....what the fuck happened there??'

'Do I actually know what I'm doing here?'

It looks as though it's going to be one of those days! One of the guys in the office just took a picture of me shortly after the 16:05 at Wolverhampton (yes you guessed it .... the tank top was a Xmas present from my Mum).

Friday already! ... and still doing my conkers! I'm trying real hard to make this work but I'm swimming against the current at the moment and every now and then a big fuck-off wave comes and smashes me into the rocks.

Cheers - Dave.

I Fucking Hate the Winter!!

What a load of bollox eh? Fucking snow and ice causing havoc with the racing and poxxing my chance of getting anything near £7K in February. Well I'll just have to grin and bear it I suppose and smash the fanny out of it when the weather finally relents.

On the plus side, I have gradually upped my stakes so when we do get some racing I'll be having it large.

Thurles, Wolves and Meydan tomorrow ... I'm so excited I think I'm going to piss myself.

Anyway to sum up how I feel today ..... bollox bollox poxxy bollox shit ... fucking bollox!

Cheers - Dave.

January Analysis

Well, that's January done and dusted! ... well nearly.

One of the reasons for this blog is so that I can keep a track on my progress through 2012. So, how have I done this month, what have I achieved and where do I need more work?

I have to face the fact that on some days I will lose. Now my worst day this month was actually on my birthday! I lost £305.29 and felt a bit down in the dumps. I backed Tinshu to place at 2.06 (finished 4th and then came 2nd two weeks later in a higher grade race), layed Water Garden (probably not one of my best bets having seen the replay, finished 4th to scrape a place) and layed Al Freej on the AW without knowing anything about the horse. Now I has a fantastic evening and the loss became so insignificant that it was soon forgot.

From February onwards I really need to be putting at least £600 on the line every day. This doesn't mean that I should steam in and back or lay everything in sight, it just means that I need to realise that a £600 loss on any day is not going to effect my yearly profit. I need to realise that if I don't play in this sort of league then £200K will be out of reach. I need to be clicking with this in mind, and going in double strong where appropriate. I now have the added advantage in that my AW notes are coming together nicely and my subscription to Timeform is giving me an easy and quick way to identify which horses to be with and those to be against.

My preparation each day has vastly improved over what I was doing towards the end of last year. I have been getting into the office well before 09:00 on most days and I've used this time to study form using the Racing Post video replays. I've also been spending 20 minutes or so each morning in the steam room or sauna where I can relax and prepare myself mentally for the day ahead. This works really well and now I'll be visualising really moving my game up to another level. I'm excited just thinking about it!

I must admit that I'm still not perfectly relaxed when trading, although my concentration levels have improved. So once again I need to work on this and break away from my old cautious style of playing. Once I have achieved this then I'll really start to see the profits that I know I can achieve.

I am gradually changing my style from being almost exclusively a layer to being a backer as well. This is progressing at a slow pace, but once again I'll be looking to really get stuck-in to more backing in the coming weeks.

I've decided, for the time being, that I will put the football trading on the back burner. I feel that my time will be best spent studying form and working on ways to improve my confidence and aggressiveness. I'm also still in the process of compiling a list of the strengths and weaknesses of some of the traders that I know ... and there's one or 2 interesting facts that I discovered and will publish shortly.

And don't forget ... 'see it ... click it'.

Cheers - Dave.

Ramsgate

This is where I'll be moving to in 2013. It's a fantastic little harbour, especially when the weather is like it was on this morning. Had a bit of a hangover at the time but a stroll along the jetty followed by a full English did the trick and we were soon back on the Stella!

Best viewed on the YouTube link above where you can view it in 720p HD.

I think that it's a great little town and it's also pretty close to Deal where you can get this ...

Cheers - Dave.

Daily Journal

When it comes to trading and betting I find that I am still very risk adverse. I think that I've always been this way in all aspects of life. Nobody likes the feeling of getting something wrong, but some people handle this better than others. The easiest way of avoiding being wrong in this game is not to trade at all. You'll never be wrong but you'll make fuck all!

One of my biggest objectives is to trade in a less risk adverse manner and to do this consistently, even when losses occur. I think that I'm pretty good at dealing with losses already, and I don't beat myself up when I get a loss, unless I've made aright ball-up of things. However I'm still working on the 'see it ... click it' approach. Once I get that nailed then I'll be much more effective. To win big at this game you have to be prepared to take a few hits along the way. A bit like boxing I suppose. Think of great fighters like Muhammad Ali, Manny Pacquiao and Frank Bruno ... they were all great, but they all took a few shots along the way. They never gave up or cried when they got hit did they?

So I thought that I'd stick up daily journal covering my days between now and the end of January. I'll be recording how I get on both money wise and emotionally, and if I take a kick in the bollox along the way then I'll let you know about it. It will be interesting to see how many times my risk adverse mentality kicks-in and how I deal with it, and if it does I'll be able to see at the end of January how much this costs me. We'll see how it goes, and as long as I can get a good week then I'll be looking to increase my stakes and aggressiveness at the end of the month, maybe even before.

PS I'm also going to lose some weight this week! So here we go:

Monday 23rd January 2012 - 96.4kg

had a good session in the gym and now I'm going to have a cuppa, study some AW form and trade the early greyhounds.
we only have 2 meetings today, Wetherby and Wolverhampton, so it'll be a case of taking whatever comes along. So I'm not going to shout and scream if I can only nick £50, although I might stay late and trade the evening greyhounds as well.
nicked a few quid early doors on the horses and greyhounds but just lost £200 laying 'Mission Complete' in the 14:15 at Wetherby. Didn't seem like a bad bet at the time and could have taken a green but felt comfortable with the position. That jockey Mr A Berry gets me every time!
just had a quick look at tomorrows cards and 'Opus Maximus' and 'Veroon' (owes me money from it's last run!) could be interesting runners in the 16:30 at Kempton as 'Tewin Wood' should take them along at a tasty pace. I'll be taking a closer look at this race this evening in between the greyhound racing. I think I'll be looking to be a backer at Leicester as the track players will be there in their millions and I've found it pretty much impossible to lay anything there recently.
well it's 21:50 and I'm finished for the day. Ended up £174.53 down. There were a few half chances today but nothing that really caught my eye. It goes like that some days. Let's see what Tuesday brings!

Tuesday 24th January 2012 - 94.3kg

having a little trade of the early greyhounds and made a schoolboy error of trying to back my way out of a bad trade. Of course the mutt lost and I did more cash than just taking the red. What a tosser! Think I'll just go and flush my head down the loo (and if you've seen the state of the bogs around here that's not a nice experience ... not that I've ever tried it before of course).
see it ... click it!
just backed 'Warden Bond' for a place in the 14:30 at Kempton. A strong galloping sort, but for some reason the jokey thought he was on a Suzuki and never got it prominent at all, hoping instead that it would suddenly sprout an extra leg in the final 2F.
backed 'Mottley Crew' over 5F at Southwell when it jumped and was prominent. Stays 6F at Southwell so was well pleased at backing one early and actually winning some cash. It's funny that it can sometimes seem like weeks since you've had a winner (unfortunately for my Dad it's more like months) ... come on Dad, pick up the phone and get stuck in!!
anyone for 'Plum Pudding'? Sometimes you get days where you're just a lucky fucker. The 15:40 at Leicester, 'Toby Belch' starts slowly and doesn't seem to be too keen in a 3 mile chase in the soft. The price drifts and then I spot good old Toby coming back on the snaff, so I take advantage and back him at 3.0 for a place. I'm feeling well pleased as now he's looking well happy and jumping like Pegasus. Strangely, though, his price isn't shortening, in fact no one wants to back him. On closer inspection I now realise that I have in fact backed 'Plum Pudding' who is slowly disappearing out the back on the TV. Bearing in mind we have 50in widescreen plasmas that's a fucking long way behind! So I sit there for the next mile of the race watching him struggle around, almost tailed off. I don't even bother watching the last few furlongs as the pain is like a hot knife to the testicles. Then, as I cast my eyes to the screen here he comes! Good old 'Plum Pudding', sprinting as fast as 'Choisir', leaps the last like a gazelle and romps into third place! What price for the Grand National??
ended up £223.21 up and completely cream crackered!

Wednesday 25th January 2012

studying the AW form and about to have a cuppa. Today should be a bit better as we should have some more opportunities with 2 RUK meetings and Lingfield on the AW. Let's see how it goes.
up and down like a yo-yo at the moment, but definitely playing more aggressively. All I need now is a few winners! (or losers if I'm laying 'em).
it's 19:30 and there's one more left at Kempton. I'm knackered and the A13 has come to a grinding halt so I'll have to give it 30 minutes and play a few dog races before I head off home and hit the sack.
ended up £271.60 up and the A13 was as clear as a bell. Got stuck into a few more pages of 'The Daily Trading Coach', a must read for anyone serious about their trading. Night night ...

Thursday 26th January

feeling on top of my game and having a good look at Kemptons card tonight. Might have to tread cautiously though and not get too excited!
it's been a tough day already, and it's only 15:31! Patience is the key. Opportunities will be along soon ... (I'm an optimistic bloke).
my concentration has been so bad today. I've missed the start of at least 3 races by fucking about doing other things, like watching the poker WSOP on ESPN. That's a really unprofessional approach. I'm not going to win money watching the telly.
well pretty much a non-event today. Concentration levels were poor and I never really got into the groove. The markets at Kempton were also shite, so even though we picked a few good bets the markets presented no opportunities in-play as they were so weak. The final tally was a small loss of £15.82. A fair card tomorrow so maybe I'll be able to nick a few quid and boost the monthly total to something a bit more respectable.

Friday 27th January

finally got around to subscribing for the Timeform in-play cards and they've already saved me a bundle. Will be interesting to see how I change my plan of attack over the sticks now that I'm armed with a bit of information as to how these beasts normally run. I'm already experiencing the conflict of what the form is telling me against what my eyes are telling me .... should be an interesting day!
this Timeform service is a real eye opener, especially as I know nothing about jumping form. To coin a phrase from one of our well known money making machines 'I feel like a dog with 2 cocks'.
you've got to be in it to win it. Well I'm not in it and I'm not winning it ... what a pillock!
well that was a long good Friday. Won a few shillings at Dundalk which meant that I ended up winning £103.92 on the day. Not a brilliant total for 12 hours work, but felt strangely super motivated for the task ahead and ready to smash it tomorrow.

Saturday 28th January

not a lot of smashing going on so far ... typical Saturday for me really.
no AW cards tomorrow so that will give me a chance to study Mondays card at Wolverhampton and now I can stay one day ahead of the racing.
had a dabble on the greyhounds this evening. Only playing £50 a click but managed to scrape a few extra shillings into the P&L. Got a nice cuppa on the brew and then a few more pages of 'The Daily Trading Coach' while contemplating my days winnings of £125.39.

Sunday 29th January

well it seems as though Jack Frost is about to get busy in February in an attempt to scupper my plans. I'll have to double-up my AW analysis and start smashing into a few as it looks as though we'll lose a few jump meetings this month.
Ffos Llas (impossible to get any cash there) and Leopardstown (almost impossible) today. So it's a case of sitting tight and waiting for a nice opportunity to come along ... and maybe trading a few dog races in-between.
roll on the Summer. Two meetings today of crap racing and to really rub it in the SIS crew have decided that it's time we watched racing from Dortmund. Next week they're showing Yak racing from the Outer Hebrides. This means that we only get snippets of the greyhound coverage, making it harder to trade. And when they do decide to show the greyhounds it's over the top of the horse racing. These sort of days make me wish that I had a 12 gauge auto loader, a 45 long slide with lazer sighting, a phased plasma rifle in 40 watt range and an Ouzi 9mm, althogh that lot would probably cost me more than the £94.93 that I won today .

Monday 30th January

I once knew a young Portuguese guy who was always saying 'I'm very tired'. I now know how he feels.
all I need is a bigger pair of bollox and I'll be making as much cash as 'The Printer'. I'm going to really have to concentrate on developing a much more aggressive stance as my spineless method of playing is really holding me back, as today's winnings of £81.79 testify.

Tuesday 31st January

not much to report today. Finished off the month up £142.54 today.

Surprise Surprise!!

Saturday was a strange day. I didn't have a good day trading and I felt a bit low at the end of the afternoon. However, when I walked into my local bar that evening and cast my eyes on all of my family and best mates I couldn't believe it! My crafty missus had arranged a surprise 50th birthday party. Well I have to say I had a brilliant night. The cast included my fantastic wife, my equally brilliant mum and dad, Marilyn and Chris, my sons, daughters, grandchildren, best mates that I have known since I was a nipper and various other friends and locals. It was great to see all of the people that I love in the same place at the same time. We all had plenty to drink and were entertained by Karaoke stars such as my son on the screaming vocals, DJ John, Tracy and Rob giving us an interesting version of Valerie, John C an X Factor star in the making and finally Jimmy and Tracy with a superb rendition of 'You're The One That I Want'. Hopefully next time Tracy will wear the tight leather leggings! Dancing entertainment was provided, amongst others, by Tina, Jayne, Rob and Don.

The whole night made me realise that there's much more to life than trying to win lots of money (although that's not a bad thing). It's much more important to have a great family and friends and I can count myself really lucky that I do indeed have all of this. So if any of you crafty fuckers are out there reading this, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I had a fantastic time and you all made me realise what is important in life. And to those of you approaching 50 .... beware, I'm going to get you back!

Much love and kisses - Dave.