Saturday 25th October

“£500 Challenge Bet” (£1029 - 5 bets inplay – accounted)

I could have the afternoon off and get back for early evening, judging by today's bets!

No surprise this one as he's the only horse to have really delivered for us this year, and bet of the day is Sixties Icon at the Breeders Cup. He's the class horse in the race and has been winning races this year with one burst of acceleration off slowish fractions. Looks an ideal way to finish off. I've no idea how the prices are going to go – so up to you whether to take 2/1 or wait, I'll do something like half and half.

As for football, the ratings threw up Southend (but they let in too many goals away); Wycombe (but I've had enough of the draws!); and Brentford (but Shrewsbury have been hurting me). And Reading, where I can't see the downside. It seems to me that QPR are still being overrated by the compilers. We'll focus on them alone, though I have done a sixfold chucking in Portsmouth and Villa as well.

Sixties Icon £30 at 2/1ish
Reading £30 at 8/11

“Barking Bets” (Banked £1175/Current bank £3032)
Seem to be stuck at the moment – there are a few possible races today – 1:35 and 3:15 Aintree, 2:20 and 4:35 Chepstow – but far from definites. Maybe football in-running.

“Snippet of the day”
“LA is a great big freeway
Put a hundred down and buy a car,
In a week, maybe two, they'll make you a star.
Weeks turn into years, how quick they pass;
And all the stars, that never were
Are parking cars, and pumping gas.”

(Bacharach is getting all the plaudits on his visit – let's not forget the brilliance of Hal David the lyricist)