Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Tuesday 30th September

£500 Challenge Bet” (£1108 5 bets inplay – accounted)


In the Champions league I have to say Arsenal and Man Utd look very short. I'll stick to my ratings though and play the Championship. This division has been tricky for years and my ratings often appear to have little in common with the league table. Three matches are thrown up tonight – which in itself suggests caution. In the end I suggest we split bets.

Derby's renaissance looks overstated against a Birmingham side riding high; Sheff Utd seem to be stuck too high in my ratings but get yet another chance against a relegation doomed Doncaster; and Crystal Palace may have steadied the ship and have the edge on Charlton.

Birmingham £9 win at 6/4+
Sheff Utd £9 win at 6/4+
Crystal Palace £9 win at 11/8+
£3 win treble



Barking Bets” (Banked £1175/Current bank £3302)
Just played the one race yesterday.

Southwell 2:50 possible today and maybe Warwick 3:10.



Snippet of the day”
Happy endings are just stories that haven't finished yet.”

Monday, September 29, 2008

Monday 29th September

£500 Challenge Bet” (£1113– 4 bets inplay – accounted)


No proper bet today. However I'll have a sneaky ante post crack at the weekend's big races.

I'm going to take Cumani for the Cambridgeshire and my two stable horses for the Arc and do 4 doubles. We're already on Ask The Butler (70% certain to run apparently), and although Winstanley has tipped Papal Bull today I think he may be available at silly prices on PMU and either way we can afford to wait until we see whether we have the double running on!

4 x £1.25 doubles
Swop/Ask The Butler
Papal Bull/Getaway



Barking Bets” (Banked £1175/Current bank £3242)

A useful hedge against Campbell in the golf worked our way yesterday.

Today's possible races: Brighton 2:20; Windsor 4:00 and 5:00.




Snippet of the day”
Commentary of the week. Peter Alliss providing his usual insightful player analysis.

Carol Vorderman? Ooh I like her. I saw her on TV just the other day. I became quite aroused.”

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Sunday 28th Sept (encore)

Never bet when you're in a rush. Remind me of that around 3:30 today.

But I've just looked at the Portsmouth prices. I must have missed this when I did my pricings originally, but 13/8 is big. Ok, so they've lost some midfielders and have been shipping goals last twice. I agree with Billy that they will have been sorting that out this week. On a longer term view of their form they'd be some thing like 6/5 for this. So somewhere between the two prices would look sensible.

Spurs have only won twice away this year - and that to two eventually relegated sides. They have picked up 24 points in 23 games in 2008. That is relegation form so it's over-valuing them to continue to price them as though they are a top 6 side.

£27.50 Portsmouth at 13/8
£2.50 0-0

Sunday 28th September

£500 Challenge Bet” (£1028– 6 bets inplay – accounted)


This month has been spent treading water sadly. The golfers look like fading away, and Jodie Kidd did fall into the bottom two only to be saved by the judges (allegedly – and sorry if that spoils it for anyone!).

Two horses today. Sixties Icon (obviously). People are talking up Galactic Star's chances getting the 3lbs and that's fair enough. The difference is Sixties Icon has been winning and hopefully he'll find that little burst of acceleration to do so again. He's in my stable and I'm staying loyal – especially in these situations where he's a group horse against listed horses.

The other one for me today is Tungsten Strike, who is tough, genuine and very likeable – just as long as he gets a soft lead. Which looks very likely today. Granted that, he should prove hard to pass – most of these are dodgepots.

I'm off for a walk and may miss at least one race so I'll trust to early morning guaranteed prices.

Sixties Icon £22.50 win at 11/8 guaranteed
Tungsten Strike £5 win at 6/1 guaranteed
£2.50 win double


Good luck with your football bets – nothing for me today.



Barking Bets” (Banked £1175/Current bank £3112)
Arsenal ruined the week. 600/1 in running Hull, and I have to say I seriously considered topping up my bet at half-time. We still managed to bank £100, having dodged a couple of other bullets midweek, so let's not grumble. No obvious bet today.



Snippet of the day”
I think we lost them. do you think we lost them?”
No”
Neither do I”

Who are those guys”.


RIP

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Saturday 27th September

£500 Challenge Bet” (£982– 7 bets inplay – accounted)

Both big races at Ascot probably belong as barking bets, rather than here. I'll probably end up playing in both funds.

Tamayuz and Henrythenavigator should fight out the QE2. I don't see why Ravens Pass should beat them and even if I did this seems to be a prep race for him. I'll dutch the front two at admittedly short odds.

Rainbow View should win the Fillies Mile OK, for a barking bet you can keep Fantasia on-side if need be.

I'll dabble otherwise and my modest treble would be Leslingtaylor, Relative Order and Missoula.

£15 dutch Tamayuz and HenrytheNavigator at 1.35+
£15 Rainbow View at 1.45+




Barking Bets” (Banked £1075/Current bank £3432)
See above, plus:

Arsenal £300 beat Hull at 1.2




Snippet of the day”
Miniver Cheevy thought and thought and thought
And thought about it.”

(My favourite use of line enjambment in poetry!)


Friday, September 26, 2008

Friday 26th September

£500 Challenge Bet” (£1012– 6 bets inplay – accounted)


Twiston-Davies finally got going yesterday – could have been a handy profit if Crescent Island had deigned to join in! At least the three winners got us most of yesterday's money back.

Campbell and KJ Choi both in the mix so hopefully one of them will remain competitive over the weekend.

Good luck if you're playing Ascot today – you'll need it.

I'll put tomorrow's football bet up instead. There are a few home win shorties thrown up by the ratings. I can't get excited by them though and can see why the bookies are trying to lay them. The exception is the Plymouth v Forest game. It's possible that deeply unfashionable Plymouth are being overly dismissed on the basis of previous home games this season, whilst Forest are nearly always too short. Scoring has been a problem.

Plymouth £25 win at 11/10+
0-0 £2.50 at 11/1+

Five fold £2.50 at 20/1ish Southend/Plymouth/Reading/Mk Dons/Luton




Barking Bets” (Banked £1075/Current bank £3252)
A bet up on the week. Today looks unlikely to add to that.

2:35 Haydock and 7:20 Wolves possibles.



Snippet of the day”
You can't buy time,
But you can sell your soul
And the closest thing to heaven
Is rock and roll.”

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Thursday 25th September

£500 Challenge Bet” (£1018– 4 bets inplay – accounted)


A similar shape to yesterday's miserable offerings.

Racing. Perth again and the time's here to get the novice chase bets going. Crescent Island was rated pretty highly as a hurdler – higher than anything else here – and was always thought of as a chaser. Twiston-Davies typically targets this race, and the horse gets a very useful ten pounds off both his rivals. First time out obviously but I'm still playing. We'd best dive in again on TD's runners as well, despite yesterday where to my eyes I'll admit it did look like they weren't quite finishing their races.

To cut the stake I'm playing the Tour Championship golf. The ew odds are attractive in such a small field, especially so if you take the view the Ryder Cup players will be frazzled. Our man looks ot be comingback into form.

Crescent Island £15 win at 6/4 guaranteed
Twiston Davies 15 x 50p doubles and 25p ew acc
KJ Choi £8.50 ew at 22/1



Barking Bets” (Banked £1075/Current bank £3192)
A couple of winners yesterday keeps the fund ticking along.

Potential races today – Ponte 2:30 and 5:00.


Snippet of the day”
Keep on to the bus-stop
Don't stop till you're getting off.”


Still Michael Jackson's finest lyrices. Probably.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Weds 24th September

£500 Challenge Bet” (£1048– 4 bets inplay – accounted)

Regulars will know that I'm a loyal gambler – and today's bets pick themselves.

Goodwood 4:20: Many Volumes has already won for us twice this season and we've only been on the losing side of him once. The price isn't all I'd hope for, but there are legitimate doubts about the rest of the field and this could be the hat-trick.

British Masters Golf: Michael Campbell came good the other week, loves the track and this isn't a great field. Another place looks very possible and maybe the win that seems imminent.

Perth: ever since a visit to the track as part of an autumn holiday I've been playing the Twiston-Davies factor. Obviously the prices have become silly but I'll keep doing it until the mine's completely exhausted.

Many Volumes £15 at 9/4+
Michael Campbell £3.75 ew at 18/1
Twiston Davies 15 x 50p win doubles



Barking Bets” (Banked £1075/Current bank £3092)
The day was looking very good – I played four horse races which all won, Mahut and Liverpool. Shame that I got a greyhound race wrong then and undid most of the good work!

Potential races (although all look unlikely): Goodwood 2:00 and 3:10; Perth 5:50 and Kempton 6:50



Snippet of the day”
Life: ‘I’d been supposing that it all adds up to something times the power of infinity recurring.’


Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Tuesday 23rd September

£500 Challenge Bet” (£1027– 4 bets inplay – accounted)


Swansea probably won't field a first team tonight. Whatever, they will play with a lone striker and flood midfield. Cardiff have had problems scoring. It's a derby that's been a long,long time coming. Sounds like all the ingredients for a tight game. Which is really the only time I find the Unders/Overs market attractive to be honest.

Swansea/Cardiff £30 Under 2.5 goals at 1.75




Barking Bets” (Banked £1075/Current bank £2980 – tennis match unaccounted)

There's a few potential races today – Bev 4:00; Sedgefield 3:40; Folkestone 3:20.
And the greyhounds at Yarmouth throw up 4 possible races. One for sure below:

  1. 9:45 Yar Dutch traps 2 and 6 £300 at 1.2+

  2. Liverpool beat Crewe at 1.2 (better price than they were to beat Stoke!)




Snippet of the day”
He minces...but not his words.”

Wife – on Craig Revel Horwood.





Monday, September 22, 2008

Monday 22nd September

£500 Challenge Bet” (£1027– 4 bets inplay – accounted)


No bet today.



Barking Bets” (Banked £1075/Current bank £2920)

Review to date:
Football 14/15 119% returns
Tennis 145/172 99% returns
Racing 146/169 106% returns
Overall 338/398 103% returns

The reduction on tennis bets and a concentration on other sports and racing, plus in-running seems to have paid dividends.

So, today's bet naturally is a tennis bet!

Mahut beat Udumchoke £300 at 1.35+




Snippet of the day”
Businessmen drink my wine
Ploughman dig my earth.
None of them along the line
Know what any of it is worth.”



Sunday, September 21, 2008

Sunday 21st September

£500 Challenge Bet” (£1015– 5 bets inplay – accounted)

Fair play to Faldo with the foursomes. He may make me eat humble pie. I'm half tempted to get out of yesterday's bet for a small loss, so that I can sit back and cheer on Europe without anything else on my mind. This is one of the few sporting events my wife really likes and it's hard work pretending I'm 100% in the European camp!

Football prior to that though.

Chelsea are 5/4 in places. That indicates two teams equally matched, which I guess overall is fair, though my ratings have Chelsea the higher-rated team. Add that Man Utd are stuttering on this season's form and 5/4 becomes the merest whiff of value.

Everton are a very good team when Arteta and Cahill play. 11/8 looks pretty big to me for a team who have don't concede much away from home against a Hull team who may have shown their true colours against Wigan rather than against Fulham.


And as for Presvis being favourite for the Cambridgeshire, I may be the only who thinks people are looking at the wrong Cumani horse. That looked to be Presvis's day. Meanwhile buried in the pack in a race that wouldn't have suited, having a nice prep was Ask the Butler. His run reminded me of Lost Soldier Three's sighter for York a few years ago, which later formed part of the Fallon trial. I'll play.

Chelsea £15 at 5/4
Everton £15 at 11/8

Ask the Butler £2.50 at 16/1



Barking Bets” (Banked £1075/Current bank £2920)
I ended up with three plays yesterday. The Catterick maiden put me in a hole; Lady Deauville started the rescue bid, and laying Bolton when they scored saw me get my hand onto the parapet. Nearly 300 bets in this fund now – I'll share some stats tomorrow.

No obvious bet today.


Snippet of the day”
Last night at dinner a friend said that we were heading for “barbarism” due to the systemic failure of the financial markets. My wife was puzzled.

I don't see that at all. Just because there's a recession doesn't mean people won't need hair-cuts.”

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Saturday 20th September

£500 Challenge Bet” (£1045– 5 bets inplay – accounted)

Right – back and refreshed; my dog has now seen the sea (and drunk a lot of it) and has hence already ticked off most of his 1001 things to do before you die.

Campbell came good for a place last Sunday and our Champions League bets look well placed. Ronnie let us down mid-week but no need to worry yet. Which leaves the golf – and Casey has already let us down. I've got out of the draw with a bit still on our side.

Today's foursomes are a headfuck. Westwood and Garcia dumped and Wilson thrown in for a debut against a Mickelson who is looking like he was born to play Ryder Cup, revelling in the absence of Woods. That and the presence of Faldo were potentially two big factors in USA's favour and so far so good. Now you have to think confidence, team spirit and crowd are going to kick in further. There is a long way to go but I'm thinking this looks bad. Fair play to Faldo if he proves me wrong but I think he's blown this big time.

As the racing looks tricky and I haven't had time to update my football ratings that'll be today's bet.

(On the Ayr gold cup I'd be prepared to give Rising Shadow at decent shot at reaching the frame and have done a small ew treble him, Ask The Butler and Look Busy, but for interest only.)


Ryder Cup
£30 USA at 1.5+



Barking Bets” (Banked £1075/Current bank £2995)
The last racing bet let me down and nothing since. Probably no bet today as I ease my way back in.



Snippet of the day”
And the Burning Sky keeps burning bright,
And it won't turn off till it's had enough,
It's a greedy bastard that won't give up
And you're just a dreamer if you don't realise
And the sooner you do will be the better for you.
And we'll all be happy and we'll all be wise
And we'll all bow down to the burning sky”

(Ok – enough Jam)


Sunday, September 14, 2008

Sunday 14th September

£500 Challenge Bet” (£1037– 5 bets inplay – accounted)

I'm off for a brief walking holiday – back next weekend. Probably a relief after yesterday's setback!

In particular it looks sensible to let the football ratings settle down – 7-0!

I'll leave you with my idea of a good bet for the Ryder Cup.

Paul Casey must have a decent shot at being top wildcard. He looks to have a lot in his favour to me. For starters he may well play more than the others. The Americans tend to give everyone outings and as their wildcard picks are also rookies they're going to do well to get more than three starts. Casey is a relative old hand and could well get 4 starts – maybe even the full five. Aside from that, his record is pretty decent and he pairs up well with Karlsson who is on top form if this week is anything to go by. His singles record is hardly shabby – narrow defeat to Woods and beat Furyk. Plus he's won the World Matchplay.

Of course, it's golf and the dead heat rules could decimate the bet. Even so, I'm on at 7/2 and think I'll go in again at 10/3. It's probably just me that's forcing the price down though – you'll probably get 4s once the markets open up properly. I'll be stuck in deepest, wettest Wales then though!

My only other feeling about the Ryder Cup is it looks like it's going to be another close one, as opposed to last time's massacre. Europe in transition, with a potentially disatrous captain; Americans on home soil, and probably more of a team without Woods. I think a trade of the tie could provide some interest at least.

Casey top Wildcard Ryder Cup £15 at 10/3
Back Tie £15 at 12/1 – looking to trade out out in-play.



Barking Bets” (Banked £1075/Current bank £3245)
Septimus and a half-time lay of ManCity got the week off to flyer. Add a couple here and hopefully that'll be the week done!

  1. Golf Mercedes – Dutch Karlsson, Molinari and Lucquin £300 at 1.15 (there's an element of hedge here as we still have Campbell in-play but probably too far back).

  2. Goodwood 3:40 – Dutch Bankable and Lady Deauville £300 at 1.25



Snippet of the day”
Cut down on the pork pies mate,
Get some exercise.”

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Saturday 13th September

£500 Challenge Bet” (£1050– 7 bets inplay – accounted)

Let's go St Leger crazy.

This morning the Doncaster race looks exactly the same as it did earlier in the week and my only solution is to increase our bets. Look Here should be favourite for me and Unsung Heroine remains the outsider to take the eye.

At the Curragh it looks a stroll in the park for Septimus, but I can't let my old friend Jellystone go unbacked. Jane Chapple-Hyam showed again last week how good she is in the big races.

The other races look tricky and I'll just throw some trebles in the mix based around Look Here.

Look Here £7.50 win at 7/2 (already advised £7.50 at 5/1)
Unsung Heroine £2.50 win at 12/1+ (already advised £2.50 at 10/1 – oops!)
£1.25 rev fc.

Yellowstone £5ew at 12/1
£2.50 Septimus beat Yellowstone

Look Here/Corrybrough/Al Qasi/Sonny Red
4 x £1 trebles and £1 fourfold.





Barking Bets” (Banked £1075/Current bank £3082)
Having ridden my luck at Doncaster yesterday I decided to shut up shop for the week and take a £200 dividend. No obvious bet today anyway.




Snippet of the day”
It's so hard to understand
How the world's your oyster but your future's a clam.
It's got you in its grip before you're born,
It's down to the use of a dice and board,
They let you think you're king but you're really a pawn.”

(Last weekend Anne and I went to a fundraising art show staged by a private schoolgirl in sunny Shropshire. It was surprisingly good and she raised a bundle of cash for Malawi. Today Anne is running a sports day for under privileged kids in run-down Birmingham as part of her job. Be careful where you're born! We don't seem to have progressed much in my lifetime. Eton Rifles running London already and soon the country.)

Friday, September 12, 2008

Friday 12th September

£500 Challenge Bet” (£1085– 5 bets inplay – accounted)

The racing should be the sort for me today but I've all but given up. The Doncaster Cup looks tricky. I put the front two in at 4/5 so there should be juice opposing them, but I can't find anything from the outsiders that I want to pin my colours to. I'll sit it out.

The other race involves Spacious for whom the odds look right – she's been swooping late and fast in big fields though and this small field has to be a worry – especially if Frankie steals a lead – and presumably this is a prep race for Autumn targets.

So, I'll put the weekend football up today instead. Three away teams.

Chelsea's price is a puzzle. I have them in at 8/13 and they're 11/10. Robinho's that good? It can't be Chelsea cast-off Wright-Phillips. I guess the bookies are expecting some bandwaggon jumpers. Big price all the same.

Derby are pooh. Saturday Gambler has been opposing them all season and it's time we joined in, with a side we've been keen to be with so far this season.

The team we remain against so far, and with no result, is Shrewsbury. My local paper points up some injury problems in the front line as well. Gillingham look like they're going to give it a good go this season and my tissue has this much more competitively priced.

Chelsea £9 win at 11/10
Sheff Utd £9 win at 8/5
Gillingham £9 at 10/11ish +0.5 Asian
£3 treble all three to win at around 16/1

(When there is a timelag with the matches I won't place the Chelsea bet until after the other two have been played and if they both have won, I won't place the bet at all – relying on the treble only).


One other bet today.

Strictly Come Dancing starts again, and I'll spread one day's bet out over the tournament for interest – given it's my wife's favourite show. Last year the semi final looked completely smelly to me, so we'll be mindful of judge manipulation.

Perusing the list of celebs the two I've decided to side with initially are:

Christine Bleakley – The One Show is remarkably watchable for the guff that it is and that's helped immeasurably by Christine. The show is on at just the right time (after the filler programme weeknights on BBC2) for her to get fan momentum; allegedly she can dance; and she has the girl next door feel about her that doesn't alienate the core voters (middle-aged women).

Austin Healey. It was a toss-up between him and Mark Foster for the male athlete. Foster will probably be the beefcake, but Healey already has reality TV track record and is a bit of a cheeky chappie. Foster also must have shoulders like wardrobes and could look a bit clunky.


Bleakley £1 win at 10/1 and £1.5 best woman at 5/1
Healey £1 win at 10/1 and £1.5 best man at 5/1




Barking Bets” (Banked £875/Current bank £3232)
Still a perfect week. I get the jitters when that happens – which is not helpful!

Possible bet
3:50 Doncaster – dutch front two at 1.2ish




Snippet of the day”
No corporations for the new-age sons”

(I watched Quadrophenia last night and remembered my own lost weekend on the beach at Brighton 1979ish, The Jam and a mini mod revival. Sans scooter though.)

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Thursday 11th September

£500 Challenge Bet” (£1092– 4 bets inplay – accounted)

Ronnie O'Sullivan loves the Snooker League. Fast starts, short games, quick play – perfect for him.

I don't like having money tied up and already have plenty of bets in play but we have to take some of the 11/10.

Doncaster 2:00
Only three horses interest me. Gravitation would be my pick on prices – my tissue has him at 2s. The other two look more ground dependent. Allegretto would probably not want it worse than good/soft and whilst a group horse last year has been patchy this. Gull Wing has a class barrier to overcome but his performance behind Jellystone showed how useful he can be if the going is trenchfoot. I may play all three as a barking bet. I may split bets between barking and up here. I'm sitting tight for now though.

For blog accounting I'll do a split bet on Allegretto and Gravitation.


Ronnie O'Sullivan £15 win Premier League at 11/10
Dutch Allegretto and Gravitation £15 at 1.5+




Barking Bets” (Banked £875/Current bank £3149)
(Russia gave me a few palpitations). In good shape. No obvious bets today.



Snippet of the day”
Three lions on a shirt
Jules Rimet still gleaming
40(ish) years of hurt”.

(The number of years was always dodgy – surely the hurt actually started with Gerd Muller's goal in 1970 quarter finals – it did for this 8 year old, who was too young to remember '66).

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Weds 10th September

£500 Challenge Bet” (£1102– 3 bets inplay – accounted)

Regulars will be expecting me to steam into Croatia today. After all, we backed them both games last year, and have them to top the group. I have to say though, it looks like the betting public are beginning to wise up. The England price is beginning to fall into line with reality. A crying shame.

We won't desert just yet – I still have Croatia priced at a shade under what's available but we will look to split bets with a couple of other choices today.

Michael Campbell deserves one last and final chance to get back on track.

And at Doncaster Galeota jumps off the page as the horse most likely to be suited to conditions, especially given his love of the track and this race. There's legitimate doubts about all the others and so I'm willing to forgive his distinctly average form this year. I had him in at a minimum of 5/2.


Croatia £15 win at 6/4+
Michael Campbell golf £2.50ew at 33/1
2:35 Doncaster Galeota £5 win at 3/1+ (7/2 is available - limited)




Barking Bets” (Banked £875/Current bank £3067)
9/9 on the “possible bets” put up here so far this week. Shame I've only donw 6 of them!

  1. Spain beat Armenia £275 at 1.1 (Ladbrokes longer than exchanges)

  2. Russia £275 dutched to beat Wales and 0-0 at 1.2



Snippet of the day”
My wife on watching the finale of Maestro last night. (I'd have loved that to have been a betting event.)

Middle England having to choose between a black man and a lesbian. A retired brigadier in Reigate has just spontaneously combusted.”

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Tuesday 9th September

£500 Challenge Bet” (£1102– 3 bets inplay – accounted)


That Federer – he's gone at thegame I'm telling you – gone...”

Ho hum. The first draft of my intended bet which had me placing a saver on Federer winning 3-0 obviously had merit. El greedo strikes again.

Can't find a bet today.



Barking Bets” (Banked £875/Current bank £2926)
Back into dividend territory but as we know we should really be accounting in our heads for a couple of swift wickets.

Possible bets today:
2:30 Beverley
3:50 and 4:50 Leicester
9:45 Sheffield dogs £275 dutch traps 1 and 4


Snippet of the day”

Who'd have thought we'd both make so much bread, a couple of revolutionaries like us.”

Good job it's not important to us.”

Yeah – fuck 'em if they can't take a joke”

(For Andrew Black)


Monday, September 08, 2008

Monday 8th September

£500 Challenge Bet” (£1132– 2 bets inplay – accounted)


A decent day yesterday – horses and Serena.

I was going to put up a treble yesterday with the two horses and Murray outright. Damn. Would have saved me the bother and probably expense of what I'm about to do today!

Murray was sensational last night. The penultimate point was extraordinary. He pushed Nadal back foot by foot, and by the end had him gasping for air – not a sight you see very often. Federer still looks shaky – both with his game and with his head. And Murray more than anyone else seems to be able to mess with Federer's head. Federer thinks/knows he's way better than him, so how come the ball keeps coming back to me, and why am I making so many unforced errors off his nothing balls?

On the other hand there's some obvious downsides to backing Murray. Federer remains the 'best there's ever been', Murray has to deal with him in 5 sets not 3; has to deal with his first ever slam final; and has to deal with a possible let-down after Nadal.

Purely on current form though I think Murray should be a fair bit shorter than he is. I think I'll kick myself if he wins unbacked – I've been in the camp that thinks he's the real deal ever since he arrived on the scene. And won't cry if he loses. He is of course that perfect athlete for an Englishman to back – a brave battling winning Brit, or a sad sorry losing Scot!

To balance the books I'll add a couple of ante post bets for the St Leger. And it's the fillies for me who have been impressing all year. Hardly more so than Look Here who of course did us a huge favour in the Oaks and so has to be backed. Unsung Heroine has been the much mentioned dark horse. I took her at 12/1 but will have a small top-up at 10s as well.

Murray £20 beat Federer at 7/4+
Look Here £7.50 win St Leger at 5/1
Unsung Heroine £2.50 win St Leger at 10/1



Barking Bets” (Banked £875/Current bank £2755)
That was a decent week – clawing us back into the game. Still a way to go to get to the last benchmark (£2900).

There are quite a few possible races today – but none of them obvious and the going also cause for caution.

2:20; 2:50 and 3:50 Folkestone
3:40 and 4:10 Bath



Snippet of the day”
There was a super little programme on Thomas Hardy last night – which took me back to my college days. I always preferred his poetry personally – and this snippet on the Titanic should speak to those who fear the wrath of the gambling gods.

And as the smart ship grew
In stature, grace and hew
In shadowy silent distance
Grew the Iceberg too.”

Sunday, September 07, 2008

Sunday 7th September

£500 Challenge Bet” (£1064– 4 bets inplay – accounted)

“Saturday Gambler” was with me at Brighton. He told me my football bets were rubbish (though he'd done the treble anyway), that Scotland would lose, Murray would win and Amir Khan would be knocked out. We should all be reading his blog!

I was tempted by Murray's odds but I've enjoyed staying out of that tournament so will concentrate on racing today instead.

New Approach has the race at his mercy now – it's hard to see what can beat him unless it gets a lot heavier than the clerk is suggesting right now, or unless he really pulls all chance away. 1.5 would be my price.

The Longchamp race is much more interesting and here I'll follow Pricewise, Willoughby et al and suggest Goldikova has the race conditions strongly in her favour, unlike Henrythenavigator. There's four other credible contenders in this race though, so we'll split stakes across the two races so that we make a small profit on either winning.


New Approach £22.50 win at 8/13
Goldikova £7.50 win at 7/2




Barking Bets” (Banked £875/Current bank £2755)
England were 1.14 at half-time last night. Now that was a cracking barking bet. It makes me think there must be an edge generally on overreactions to first half performances in televised football matches. Watching brief from now on.


Snippet of the day”
With an 8 year old's mind for silly rhymes I've been calling Jelena Jankovic – Jelena Skanky Bitch for years now. The phrase came from a great line about friendship in the brilliant TV series 'No Angels' . Having won us a few quid I vow never to say it again. Unless she beats Serena tonight that is!

I'm a horrible little skanky bitch”
Yes, but you're our horrible little skanky bitch”.

Thursday, September 04, 2008

Thursday 4th September

£500 Challenge Bet” (£1042– 4 bets inplay – accounted)

I'm off to Brighton tomorrow for my annual day out with friends from the old corporate days, so no further posts until Sunday. I'll be stuck on the train home for racing tomorrow so will have to miss it – with the ground as it is that's probably no bad thing. Here's some weekend bets though.

Racing today.
5:20 Salisbury – These conditions events can be tricky but this does look to boil down to Balkan Knight and Regal Flush. We should be able to beat 1.5 dutched easily enough and if so I'll play. If non runners etc decimate the race or the prices go against us, I'll skip and double up my bet on Serena Williams instead.

Dutch Regal Flush and Balkan Knight £15 at 1.5+


Tennis
The sisters may have carved up the match last night (I didn't see it so can't comment) but they have proved so far that they are much better than the rest. Given they are practically part-timers it's great testament to them but I tend to think it's more a damning indictment of the rest of women's tennis.

We have Safina to win (at around the same price she is now!) so there's an element of hedge in the bet.

Serena Williams to win US Open £15 at 1.9+


Football
I don't have any obvious reasons why any of these prices are wrong, I'm just trusting my ratings – if not enough to go for broke on any single match.

Millwall beat Blackpool £9 at 5/4+
Luton beat Macclesfield £9 at 13/10+
Bournemouth beat Notts Co £9 at 15/8+
£3 win treble at around14/1



Barking Bets” (Banked £875/Current bank £2682)
The non runner at Brighton probably saved me money on that race - don't think he would have beaten the upset.
Possible plays (both look unlikely though) 2:10 and 2:40 Salisbury



Snippet of the day”
Unreal City,
Under the brown fog of a winter dawn,
A crowd flowed over London Bridge, so many,
I had not thought death had undone so many.
Sighs, short and infrequent, were exhaled,
And each man fixed his eyes before his feet.
Flowed up the hill and down King William Street,
To where Saint Mary Woolnoth kept the hours
With a dead sound on the final stroke of nine.”


Wednesday, September 03, 2008

Weds 3rd September

£500 Challenge Bet” (£1042– 4 bets inplay – accounted)

I was reading up on the golf this morning and saw that Campbell actually beat Dyson – the Tour scoreboard must have had a brainfart Sunday afternoon – that or I need to go to specsavers.

Either way, an unexpected bonus and as it feels like free money I'll reinvest a few quid on Campbell to win this week at the much reduced odds of 22/1, and throw an each way double in with Vijay Singh as well.

Jankovic landed the money for winning her quarter. Safina unlikely to win outright but a small profit overall.

Otherwise - no bet on a very quiet day.



Barking Bets” (Banked £875/Current bank £2694)
Possible plays:
2:30 Brighton – possibly dutch front two – though short at moment and Rio Gael a slight worry.
4:10 Hereford – possibly dutch front three – keeping an eye on Alecia in market.



Snippet of the day”
There's something I can't quite put my finger on,
About a clockwork monkey beating a drum;
But any time I've seen such a thing,
There's something inside of me knows what it means.”


Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Tuesday 2nd September

£500 Challenge Bet” (£1043– 3 bets inplay – accounted)

The Group 3 at Goodwood looks very playable, but non runners could well decimate it, so I'll be playing late. Royal Vintage could be way better than these and his end of season targets suggest connections think so. The rest are very average, and only Welsh Emperor likes the going. He should get a soft lead, but he had the same perfect conditions for his own race last time out and faded badly like a horse in decline. Royal Vintage is only having a prep (like Getaway) but really should sweep by. There's every chance he'll drift (as Archipenko did) and I'll play.

However, there are enough doubts (prep/fitness/going/course/first time in britain) not to go full steam, so I'll split bets with a couple of Champions League bets, solving yesterday's conundrum.

Royal Vintage £15 win at 6/4+
£10 Treble to win their groups – Inter Milan/Chelsea/Barcelona at 15/8
£5 Fourfold to win their groups – Inter Milan/Chelsea/Barcelona/Villareal at 10/1



Barking Bets” (Banked £875/Current bank £2589)
Possible plays:

4:10 Sedgefield match bet – dutch faves at about 1.15
8:15 Romford dogs – possibly dutch traps 1 and 3 – at close to 1.2
9:25 Romford dogs – possibly dutch traps 1 and 4 – at around 1.3



Snippet of the day”
And if you hear vague traces of tripping reels of rhyme
Through your tambourine in time,
It's just a ragged clown behind,
I wouldn't pay him any mind,
It's just a shadow you're seeing, that he's chasing.”

Monday, September 01, 2008

Monday 1st September

£500 Challenge Bet” (£1043– 3 bets inplay – accounted)

Michael Campbell was one shot ahead of Dyson with one to play and finished three behind!

At least the racing was better. And Jankovic needs one more win. I wonder if my fave Radwanska can put the cat amongst the pigeons in the other half of the draw by taking out Venus today?

No bets today. I was looking at the Champions League groups and outrights, but not keen on having a load more money tied up for ages. I'll think about it.


Review of progress of daily challenge bet:
Since inception - (“bets” means a daily bet – so yesterday's 3 racing bets actually counts as 1 bet):

Football bets: 53/95 120% returns
Racing bets:86/178 120% returns
All bets: 159/314 109% returns
(Clearly golf and other sports are dragging the fund down!).




Barking Bets” (Banked £875/Current bank £2441)
Possible plays:

2:20 Hamilton; 3:10 and 3:40 Lingfield and 4:30 Kempton



Snippet of the day”
There's always a lyric or line from a film or poetry or something running round my head. Always has been. (Not that they're always accurate!) Let's spice up this somewhat dry page with a daily dose of whatever's rattling around in there. I'll leave it uncredited as I know Saturday Gambler for one would like to guess – no google!


Like a bird on a wire,
Like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way
To be free.”