Saturday 31st January

2009 Challenge Fund (£8230 – 250 in running accounted)
This month's stake - £100

Serena gets us off to a good start.

Racing today looks very decent. I may get more involved later as I have a racing friend down for the weekend, but to keep it simple here's my four for today.

Degas Art
Doctor David
Erics Charm
Killaghy Castle
6 x £15 doubles
£10 fourfold

and of course I'll throw a few quid at the scoop 6



Barking Bets (Banked £1375/Current bank £2405 – 1 bet in play unaccounted)
This week's stake - £250.

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Friday 30th January

2009 Challenge Fund (£8435)
This month's stake - £100

I've got friends coming for the weekend so let's get rid of the sport here. I may find time to do Sandown/Doncaster tomorrow.

Phil Taylor is about the right price but we can play him in this fund without thinking twice.
Serena Williams should bring Safina down to earth – Murray showed how hard it is to play a proven winner in your first slam final; the Williams sisters would be totally dominant if they weren't part-timers, and Safina serves too many double faults and makes too many unforced errors. The price is pretty horrible though! Thought about putting both these in barking bets, but they don't really qualify, so I'll have to play them in this betting-lite fund!

Football. A few teams came out as bets on ratings but most of them can be avoided. I'll throw them in accas and play just the one main bet – MK Dons to beat hapless Cheltenham, I think the Dons should be odds on to be honest, despite some hiccups of late.

I also keep looking at Everton. I'd have them around 5/1 for this, so 12/1 on betfair is on the large side no matter how long Man Utd have gone without conceding. I think I'll have a little tickle on Everton doing a 1-0 smash and grab. Could even have a fiver on Cahill/1-0 – must be at least 100/1!

Phil Taylor £100 at 8/13
Serena Williams £100 at 4/9
MK Dons £100 at 11/10
Everton 1-0 £20 at 25/1

£20 acca Bolton/MK Dons/Luton/Wycombe/Newcastle at 55/1ish
£10 acca above 5 teams and Everton at 570/1ish




Barking Bets (Banked £1375/Current bank £2405 – 1 bet in play unaccounted)
This week's stake - £250.

Seem to be in hibernation!

Thursday 29th January

2009 Challenge Fund (£8550)
This month's stake - £100

Jonah, sadly I neck a bottle of wine every night! I just forgot to post – having nothing to say.

I'll play the placepot at Wincanton today.



Barking Bets (Banked £1375/Current bank £2405 – 1 bet in play unaccounted)
This week's stake - £250.

Wednesday 28th January

2009 Challenge Fund (£8225)
This month's stake - £100

Ferdy Murphy seems to me to embody all that's wrong with racing. (Won't stop me backing his horses at Cheltenham though!).

Birmingham's price was interesting yesterday. Their form (and Derby's) seemed to be fully integrated into the morning prices, but they had drifted to an enormous 1.9 by the off. I need to try much harder to chase down these sort of drifts.

Everton have got their toughness back. 'Weddings and funerals' springs to mind but for tonight
£35 win at 2/1+
£65 draw no bet at 5/4+

Pullein has been doing draw/result on big four teams all season in the half-time/full-time markets; tonight looks likely to me, and I like virtually any football bet where you can get better odds with the bookies than betfair.
£100 Draw/Chelsea at 4/1

I'll also do a get rich quick golf darts throw after last week's lickle bite.
£10ew double Kaymer/Na
£5 ew double Jeev Singh/Na




Barking Bets (Banked £1375/Current bank £2405 – 1 bet in play unaccounted)
This week's stake - £250.

Tuesday 27th January

2009 Challenge Fund (£8100– £100 in-play accounted)
This month's stake - £100

Birmingham and Sheffield United come out as possible bets tonight and I think I'll favour the former over the latter, who are up against a Doncaster side that have discovered how to score. People are looking to get after Birmingham after some humdrum results and a fairly impotent strike force against a new manager. The price looks to have gone too far for me.

Birmingham £100 at 1.75+





Barking Bets (Banked £1375/Current bank £2405 – 1 bet in play unaccounted)
This week's stake - £250.

2:50 Folkestone may be playable around 1.15 front two.

Monday 26th January

2009 Challenge Fund (£8070– £100 in-play accounted)
This month's stake - £100

A small return on Tim Clark/Henrik Stenson. And relief I didn't hang my plums on Murray.

I'll continue my placepot experiment at Ludlow (progress so far, system working well – send more money!)





Barking Bets (Banked £1375/Current bank £2405 – 1 bet in play unaccounted)
This week's stake - £250.

No bet. A long climb back in store. Need to remember still in big percentage profit.

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Sunday 25th January

2009 Challenge Fund (£8000– £100 in-play accounted)
This month's stake - £100

Star De Mohaison cost me yesterday – upped stake in-running, and thought I was going to collect, and was too busy getting excited like a mug Saturday punter to trade out at under 1.5. And Jankovic disappears overnight. Some state for the fund to be in with January not even finished.

May as well keep digging.

I'll play Muirhead today. I'm always taken when Pricewise and Gerald Delamere agree, and they must be on better form than me.

Liverpool should be 5/6 today full-strength. We can get Everton +0.75 at around 1.9 which gives us quite a bit of insurance in what should be a close tie.





Barking Bets (Banked £1375/Current bank £2405 – 1 bet in play unaccounted)
This week's stake - £300.

No bet.

Saturday 24th January

2009 Challenge Fund (£8420– £250 in-play accounted)
This month's stake - £100

I backed Verasi ew Thursday night in anticipation of bad ground at Doncaster. At least this morning there's a load of non runners, so four places is looking useful!

Since Thursday I've been seeing a treble in my mind's eye. The going isn't going to help and these near dream bets don't usually get very far – still :
£42 win treble Star De Mohaison/Fair Along/Verasi, and waste £8 on the scoop6

This morning I've added the following:
Edmo Yewkay/Kilcrea Asla £10ew double
Edmo Yewkay and Kilcrea Asla with Turpin Green 2 x £5ew doubles
and £5ew treble

(Turpin Green is a double squiggle but in bad ground and (fingers crossed) 8 runners, 100/1 is too long).

Football gave me Southend and Luton, but the former are in injury crisis and I've had enough of Luton!






Barking Bets (Banked £1375/Current bank £2405 – 1 bet in play unaccounted)
This week's stake - £300.


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Friday 23rd January

2009 Challenge Fund (£8520– £450 in-play accounted)
This month's stake - £100

Leaked some more money on Thyestes chase. Experimenting with placepot at Doncaster this afternoon.






Barking Bets (Banked £1375/Current bank £2340 – 1 bet in play unaccounted)
This week's stake - £300.

Maybe the Silk Drum novice hurdle (front two) but maybe too short especially if ground goes bad.

Thursday 23rd January

2009 Challenge Fund (£8745– £450 in-play accounted)
This month's stake - £100

Sorry – had to go to hospital.

Yesterday I decided to do some ew doubles on the golf tournaments – Scott/Stenson and Leonard/Clark – Stenson started well, Scott less so!

Will look at Warwick but doubt I'll play.






Barking Bets (Banked £1375/Current bank £2340 – 1 bet in play unaccounted)
This week's stake - £300.

I need to have a closer look but the 8:00 at Perry Barr may be playable – front two.


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A Gambler's Lot

Here's a poem ("what I wrote")!


A Gambler's Lot


Somewhere between the ticket and the call
Somewhere between the hubris and the fall
Somewhere between the luckless and the skill
Somewhere between the mercy and the kill
Somewhere between the roll-up and the late non-runner
Somewhere between the winter chill and the endless summer
Somewhere between the victory parade and the empty box
Somewhere between the whirlpool and the rocks
Somewhere between the backer and the layer
Somewhere between the trader and the player
Somewhere between the closer and the lone speed
Somewhere between the fear and the greed
Somewhere between the surfer and the deepness of the sea
Somewhere between the agony and the best of me
Somewhere between the photo finish and the print
Somewhere between the high roller and the skint
Somewhere between getting even and getting the odds
Somewhere between the atheists and the gods
Somewhere between the final corner and the skid
Somewhere between I could have done and did.




(Told you it was slow day!)

Wednesday 21st January

2009 Challenge Fund (£8845– £450 in-play accounted)
This month's stake - £100

No idea what La Toyah's doing but she's been overtaken in the market by Ulrik-ka-ka-ka so it can't be good!

Was gong to play Huntingdon but will have to waste my life on something else instead!




Barking Bets (Banked £1375/Current bank £2340 – 1 bet in play unaccounted)
This week's stake - £300.

Novice Chase – Sedgefield. Twat. I even tried to green out on Overlady in-running but had “insufficient funds in account” which in itself is an indication of how badly I'm doing!

Worrying times folks. Spoke to Anne last night about going back to part-time gambler come April if it doesn't turn around. What else I'll do god only knows – maybe write a new gambling book on where it all went wrong!

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Tuesday 20th January

2009 Challenge Fund (£8845– £450 in-play accounted)
This month's stake - £100

No bet today.





Barking Bets (Banked £1375/Current bank £2640 – 1 bet in play unaccounted)
This week's stake - £300.

Went to my safe go-to person for yesterday's tennis bet. Radwanska. The only upset. Another terrible start to the week.

Monday 19th January

2009 Challenge Fund (£8845– £450 in-play accounted)
This month's stake - £100

To trade out or not to trade out? I've done everything. For a while I always looked to lock in a profit, but that didn't suit me – definitely more gambler than trader. For a while I didn't trade out at all. That blew to pieces the day Thomas Bjorn took three to get out the bunker! For a while I followed the adage about only trading when there's 'value' in the new bet, but I'm never as confident about estimating 'value' in-play as I am beforehand. Plus there's an 'insurance' element involved as well.

Overall I think I close winning positions too early and losing ones too late. Making me a mug.
I thought this year I'd try to be more ruthless at closing out the bad bets.

Yesterday I laid Spurs. And then greened out at half-time, on the basis they looked certain to score second half. My £100 to win £145 became a certain profit of £30. Which doesn't look so good now, looked worse when Portsmouth went ahead, but looked much more astute when Darren Bent was about to head home the winner, and less astute second later!

Last night I caught the first quarter of the Phillies game, and decided to get out for a certain £45 loss. That saved me £55 and allowed me to enjoy television with the wife rather than twitching uncontrollably.

So, if I'd let both bets run – I'd be £45 in profit.
Doing what I did cost me £15


No bet today – need to do my other work.






Barking Bets (Banked £1375/Current bank £2940 – 1 bet in play unaccounted)
This week's stake - £300.

Losing £100 a week at the moment!

Probably tennis bets I should do – I'll look later.


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Sunday 18th January

2009 Challenge Fund (£9010 – £300 in-play accounted)
This month's stake - £100

All football bets lose – including Scunthorpe in the last minute.Congratulations to Corals who went out on a limb over Wycombe, who (in my defence) Pullein also fell succour to. It was pretty disheartening after actually picking a decent horse for the first time in months, (and Alfie Flits). When the dust settled I was pretty much back where I started.

I want Murray to win in Australia and have been telling everyone for months he'll win there and/or US this year, but the price has long since gone. The woman's tournament is more open, and my old friend Jankovic has a pretty easy ride to the final. I wanted a bet on her to reach the final but odds aren't available right now. I've gone £50 ew at 13/2, and would take another £50 at 5/2ish if I could find it – the win element I'd either be looking to trade out or dutch later on, depending on the progress of Serena.

Spurs shouldn't be odds on this afternoon – not sure I can trust Portsmouth though, and yesterday's results have me running silent. Fulham prices look right.

I caught a highlights programmes of the Phillies knocking the Giants out of the Superbowl reckoning – they looked pretty impressive. A bad way to bet (one-eyed), but Arizona are supposedly one of the weakest sides defensively to ever progress this far. £100 at 1.55




Barking Bets (Banked £1375/Current bank £2940 – 1 bet in play unaccounted)
This week's stake - £310.

Lucky I missed the novice chase (though did play it in the fund above). No obvious bet today.

I'm having trouble with my laptop. So if I disappear for a bit you'll know why.


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Saturday 17th January

2009 Challenge Fund (£8655 – £600 in-play accounted)
This month's stake - £100

Let's hope today's football goes better than last night's.

Racing. In my fledgling days, which in many ways this year is trying to recreate, I would mix a few larger single win bets with small stake doubles. Small stakes doubles are the way for me today.

First, the two big handicap chases. No-one should be surprised that I'm sticking with Miss Mitch – who is well handicapped. At Haydock, the world and his wife seem to have been waiting for Montgermont to go a trip in ground on a slow course.
Miss Mitch £35 at 9/1
Montgermont £35 at 6/1+
£30 win double

Elsewhere there are 8 and 9 runner fields aplenty, and with fingers crossed against non runners, I'm going to play minimum stakes ew doubles as follows:
12:30 Ascot - Stow (against long odds on fave)
1:20 Haydock - Issaquah (the improver in the field)
1:30 Wincanton - Bertie May (every chance on hurdle ratings)
2:25 Haydock - Alfie Flits (is a dog – but dogs often place in better races)
2:50 Ascot Aimigayle (is tough and genuine and some of these aren't)
10 x £5ew doubles (and a get rich quick acc which I won't account here!)




Barking Bets (Banked £1375/Current bank £2890 – 1 bet in play unaccounted)
This week's stake - £310.

12:55 Wincanton – front two look playable – but possibly going to be too short (under 1.1)

I probably won't play the front two 1:40 Ascot or Master Minded here, though both should oblige – the barking bets seem to work better in lower class races.


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Friday 16th January

2009 Challenge Fund (£9055 – £300 in-play accounted)
This month's stake - £100

I keep leaking money on the horses and have to stop. The first two weeks of this fund have hardly been inspiring. I came back from a goodmeeting in London yesterday feeling good about money and plainly played far too loosely yesterday (incl barking bet) – a stupid waste.

Football – tonight and tomorrow.
£100 Northampton +0.5 at 1.75 or better. Bookies have this as thoughthe teams are the same ability, but my ratings have Northampton slightly better, and have done all season.

£100 C Palace -0.25 at 1.9+ against Ipswich – not far off the price my rating suggest they should be to win.

£100 Scunthorpe (again) split £35 win at 6/5 and £65 draw no bet at 8/13

£100 Wycombe beat Grimsby at 4/7



Barking Bets (Banked £1375/Current bank £2805 – 1 bet in play unaccounted)
This week's stake - £310.

So much for being too cautious. I played the nov chase at Ludlow and didn't even include the second let alone the first. It was plainly a race with a surprising amount of depth, which I knew in the morning.

Catterick 2:45 – front two look playable.


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Thursday 15th January

2009 Challenge Fund (£9190 – £300 in-play accounted)
This month's stake - £100

Better yesterday, and my work got the thumbs up so I can afford to continue this downsized betting approach.

There should be bets at Taunton and Ludlow today (including barking bets) but I can't seem to find any. We'll see.

Mike De Kock is possibly the best trainer in the world right now and he starts his annual assault on Nad El Sheba this afternoon. To keep me interested I'll dutch his runners at best prices I can get so that each winner returns £75 and hope he gets at least one in.


Barking Bets (Banked £1375/Current bank £3115 – 1 bet in play unaccounted)
This week's stake - £310.

No bet today. Maybe I'm becoming too cautious down here. Could have played Alli Carter down here yesterday – easy to say with hindsight.


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Wednesday 14th January

2009 Challenge Fund (£9235 – 1 bet in-play accounted)

Typical – Scunthorpe canter to easy win, whilst Luton give up a two goal lead. I nearly did Portsmouth as well. And the less said about my performance at Folkestone the better – what a twat.

I'm off to London today to see how well received the work I have done so far is – so no racing.

Just time to back Carter to beat a declining Ebdon, £100 at the last of the 4/7, and to take La Toya to be top female in Cbb £100 at Evens – better available for those with the relevant accounts.



Barking Bets (Banked £1375/Current bank £3115 – 1 bet in play unaccounted)
This week's stake - £310.

Played the Thurles race, a bit too stressful with the favourite falling at the first!
No bet today.


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Tuesday 13th January

2009 Challenge Fund (£9350 – 1 bet in-play accounted)

Nicked £50 at Fakenham – should have been more really – principally laying the fave in the novice hurdle that was already 0-12 in his races.

Football tonight, I looked at Scunthorpe, but swerved, leaving Luton who my ratings put in much shorter than 7/4. £100 Draw No Bet at a shade over Evens.



Barking Bets (Banked £1375/Current bank £3085 – 1 bet in play unaccounted)
This week's stake - £310.

Thurles 1:10 maybe – but looks like the front two will go off too short to play.


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Monday 12th January

2009 Challenge Fund (£9300 – 1 bet in-play accounted)

I actually made a good decision for once yesterday. When that goal went in at the end of the first half I thought the game would change completely. So ditched the bet on unders (at a very short 1.58) and hence escaped another loser, to go with the Pierse hurdle shambles. Makes up for the terrible trading on Murray against Federer.

Looks a quiet day, and I've work to do – I'll keep Fakenham on in the background and see. Prices look right in the MK Dons game.



Barking Bets (Banked £1375/Current bank £3085 – 1 bet in play unaccounted)
This week's stake - £310.

Ogilvy collects. No bet today.

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Sunday 11th January

2009 Challenge Fund (£9400 – 1 bet in-play accounted)

Toad gave us a 2/1 winner (dutched) to our modest £25 stake, and I played a mysteriously drifting Aston Villa early on to nick another £55. But then I dumped £100 on Aeroplane's race dutching the faves.

Most the forecast football was postponed, wish Burnley had have been, and Frankie Figg didn't get home. I had a lay in the machine to cover the stake at Evens, and naturally the lowest he reached was 2.1 Had better days. Had worse.

Today - Chelsea/Man Utd. Unders is always a big player here – 7 of last 8. The price is probably only fair to be honest – you could just about argue it should be 1.6 based on matches between the Big 4 over the last few years. But both sides do appear to be mis-firing upfront, Chelsea have conceded only 3 times away from home; Man Utd haven't conceded a league goal in something like 11 hours, and you'd think Chelsea would settle for a draw pretty early on.
£100 Under 2.5 goals at 1.65

The Pierse Hurdle is more of a fun bet, on a lottery that I've been lucky enough to win a few times. My darts have fallen on Fen Game, Deutschland, Alpine Eagle and Silver Jaro and for simplicity's sake, let's call it £25 win on each at best prices.



Barking Bets (Banked £1375/Current bank £3025 – 1 bet in play unaccounted)
This week's stake - £320.

Played the first novice hurdle at Ayr yesterday. Was going to play Andy Murray but the injury scare put me off. There's only been 15 bets in last 4 weeks. 15 bets per week is what we could really do with. Let's hope things pick up as the new year gets into swing.

Geoff Ogilvy is 6 shots clear overnight. People greening up (and fears of wind) seem to be allowing him to start at a decent 1.17 – I'll play.

Saturday 10th January

2009 Challenge Fund (£9480 – 2 bets in-play accounted)

As if Monfils wasn't bad enough, when Murray was one set down I decided to lay Federer at what looked a very short 1.37. Four games later I got cold feet and sold out for free. Murray wins the next four games, and the second set and I feel like a complete twot.

CBB - I decided yesterday afternoon Verne Troyer is the main player after all and am now £50 green on him, £1000 green La Toyah (still hoping to trade later) and £200 red on the field. Verne has since gone odds on.


Today's football – let's add to Leicester with:

Burnley have dipped in form and are coming off the back of that difficult second half mid-week. Swansea on the other hand are improving. The odds seem to have focused on this short-term switch in fortunes and overreacted.
£100 Burnley -0/-0.5 returning £200 for a win and losing £50 for a draw.

Portsmouth are trickier to make a case for. What Tony Adams is doing is anyone's guess. On the other hand Man City's players must be in a state of limbo. As important, the one player who has been shining for them – Stephen Ireland – is banned. The way Portsmouth leak goals is a worry, and the old fund wouldn't have touched this bet with a bargepole. But this fund can afford to play the ratings more recklessly and considering these price Portsmouth at an insane 5/4 I feel compelled to play. £100 draw no bet at Evens+.

I'll also continue following Kevin Pullein who has recommended a draw bet on Doncaster/Bristol City – which given Doncaster's lack of goals, has definite merit.


Racing.
3:00 Ayr – I can see Frankie Figg enjoying himself out in front at Ayr (the place to be). His absence after a poor run is a worry and if he drifts like a barge I guess there's something wrong with him.
£75 at 5/1 and a couple of get rich quick darts :-
Aeroplane/Philatelist/Millie's Rock £25 to win c£950
and add Frankie Figg for a £25 fourfold returning c£5500.


All of which could leave us under £9000 by close of play, which wouldn't be the best two weeks at the start of a fund I've ever had!


Barking Bets (Banked £1375/Current bank £2985 – 1 bet in play unaccounted)
This week's stake - £320.

Unlikely today.


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Friday 9th January

2009 Challenge Fund (£9780 – 1 bet in-play accounted)

I played the front three at Southwell in the end and nicked a tenner. Which I promptly gave to Toad's bookies! Looking forward to more.

I'll probably do a couple more football matches tomorrow but I think the 2/5 on Leicester may disappear today so I'll grab £100 whilst I can.

I may doodle about at Kelso, but will play Monfils to beat Roddick £100 at 4/5. Once players work out how to beat the declining, and one dimensional, Roddick they usually brush him aside. Monfils has won the last three between them and comes off a beating of Nadal. The main would be a mental let-down and that looks more than in the price.


Barking Bets (Banked £1375/Current bank £2985 – 1 bet in play unaccounted)
This week's stake - £320.

Unlikely today.



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Thursday 8th January

2009 Challenge Fund (£9795 – 1 bet in-play accounted)

Dodged a bullet yesterday - I would have backed Utd at 1.5, but they had already been backed to 1.4 with bookies and 1.45 betfair when I looked.

Today I may play the front two Southwell 2:50



Barking Bets (Banked £1375/Current bank £3305 – 1 bet in play unaccounted)
This week's stake - £320.

Great Leighs 2:55 dutch front two and hope Fahey hasn't got a decent one ready.


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Wednesday 7th January

2009 Challenge Fund (£9795 – 1 bet in-play accounted)

La Toya Jackson is back to 12s. Must have missed something last night – which seemed to firm up the market into just a few contenders. I'll sit tight for now and hope for some internecine warfare to sort some of the frontrunners out.

Also must have missed something in the Carling Cup as I turned over at half-time when Burnley were winning comfortably! Today, 1.5 looks a fair price on Man Utd – as long as he isn't silly with the team selection. 1/10 on them to reach the final doesn't seem unreasonable either. Watching brief for now as we limp on through the week.

I can skip the golf and the tennis and Kempton and Wolves aren't my cup of tea at all. Perhaps Toad will come and provide some tips for those of you going cold turkey!




Barking Bets (Banked £1375/Current bank £3305 – 1 bets in play unaccounted)
This week's stake - £320.

No bet today.

Tuesday 6th January

2009 Challenge Fund (£9795 – 1 bet in-play accounted)

I hope you jumped aboard the Letoya Jackson train. Down to 7s now, I'll stay on board awhile and hope no funny eviction business casts her out unfairly.

I played Blackburn in the end – 1.27 seemed far too big – but in the barking bets fund.

No obvious bets today. The football looks right and Kempton isn't appealing. Glad I have that work to keep me busy.



Barking Bets (Banked £1375/Current bank £3305 – 1 bets in play unaccounted)
This week's stake - £320.

Not sure Blackburn would have been a bet here if there'd been enough racing to get stuck into. Still, mustn't grumble.

Monday 5th January

2009 Challenge Fund (£9795 – 1 bet in-play accounted)

Review of yesterday.
I had my first hunch bet – no real “pricing” involved – but just couldn't see Southampton scoring yesterday. That and a bet on Pullein's tip in the Post whch returned its stake. So we end the first week slightly down – not quite what I would want – but early days.

I greened up my Verne Troyer trade for £20 profit if he doesn't win, and have moved the £100 onto La Toya Jackson. She's already trading as favourite to be top female, so they must be a typically ghastly lot and if she's as nice as that implies she'll hang around and trade in single figures.
And her brother came second without saying anything for two weeks. 12/1 is a good trading price.

Blackburn look a fair price tonight don't they – the same price as Man Utd were yesterday against a struggling non-league side. Almost a barking bet, if it wasn't for Allardyce's antipathy towards the cup and the plain fact it is a cup and that always makes the draw a player.



Barking Bets (Banked £1375/Current bank £3225 – 1 bets in play unaccounted)
This week's stake - £320.

No obvious bet today. This fund needs to find some betting opportunities. 5 bets per week is no good.

Sunday 4th January

2009 Challenge Fund (£9713)

Review of yesterday.
Rotherham's stoppage time equaliser helped us to just over half our money back on the football.
I thought of backing Torquay on the back of Blackpool team news and this is the sort of bet I need to put back into portfolio, now I'm doing this kind of methadone betting.

Other bets: I played the front two in the Lingfield maiden at 1.16 – I wasn't convinced this was a barking bet, so played it here, and was right to be circumspect as the bet was based on Mellow Mixture not staying, and he did, but I collected anyway.

Things grew even luckier for the TV match. I decided people were thinking “Gerrard's bound to score” and his price did indeed fall to below 11/8 (7/4 in places early with bookies). I happily played against the crowd, and I hope his last minute break and complete selflessness in passing to Torres will be used in mitigation at his trial.

Overall I made £1. Judged on the last god knows how many Saturdays – that's a champagne moment!

I also started a book on Celebrity Big Brother. This one with a twist, as I'm going to play without actually watching the show. My initial move was to lay Verne Troyer to lose £100 at a very short looking 6/4 (sorry). He's over 2/1 now, but not sure what my next move will be until I've read the boards and seen a couple of polls.

No obvious bets on a cold Sunday. The football looks priced about right. There may be something in-play – I'll look when I get back from my walk.



Barking Bets (Banked £1375/Current bank £3125 – 2 bets in play unaccounted)
This week's stake - £300.

Taylor wins £100 tonight – money back Barney. I backed Barney yesterday in this fund, having decided Wade was absolute pooh. In retrospect that was a terrible bet, that at best belonged above.
Told you it was a lucky day yesterday!

No bet today. We'll finish this week without a loser, clawing back some of the previous fortnight's losses.

Saturday 3rd January

2009 Challenge Fund (£9812)

The worst darts match I've ever seen failed to get us in front. No other bets yesterday – I was doing some paid work, something that will continue all next week, so a slow start to the new fund.

Particularly with Sandown off.

I may dabble at Lingfield, but otherwise a couple of football ratings bets.

We're opposing Shrewsbury yet again, this time with highflyers Bradford. I'd have them closer to Evens and we can play them on the Asians -0.25 at better than that - £100.

Rotherham also get the nod – very similar prices as the Bradford game – but split £35 win at better than 6/4 and £65 draw no bet at 4/5.




Barking Bets (Banked £1375/Current bank £3015 – 2 bets in play unaccounted)
This week's stake - £300.

1:45 Lingfield – dutch front two at 1.15+

Friday 2nd January

Barking Bets (Banked £1375/Current bank £3015)
This week's stake - £300.

I had a small bet on Phil Taylor from last year's fund. I've added to it and moved it to here, so I have a bet on Taylor at 1.3 with a get out of jail free card on Barneveld

Today, we'll do a long-term bet – not really something I like in this fund – but I do it every year and this is the obvious place to put it. The big 4 win the FA Cup – 12 of last 13 I think. Last year was a hiccup naturally but there's little reason to think normality won't be restored. I'm especially looking at the likelihood of two or more coming a cropper in the next round of the Champions League. Also pretty much every other team in the Premiership this year is either balls out for Europe, or fighting relegation. I can see plenty of them playing reserves in this.

We can beat betfair prices and dutch them at 1.75 – last year they were 1.5 and I think that's closer to reality.




2009 Challenge Fund (£9912)

It's always good to get off to a flyer. Instead I made £2 on my first bet! I played the front three in the novice chase at Cheltenham yesterday – having put the chances of the outsiders at around 7%. I beat that easily but through incompetence/greed I ended up with a lop-sided dutch and Calgary Bay was the one of my three to be under-staked.

My second bet was worse. I convinced myself the ultra competitive handicap chase could be boiled down to 5 and bet my tissue accordingly. A mistake I'm determined to eradicate. I did steal a tenner back in-running. But a silly start to the year.

Today we can play the quarter final darts. Nicholson is the new kid on the block, and Wade the “class” act. The old quote about form and class may hold sway, but current tournament form has Nicholson averaging mid 90s, and Wade nowhere near. It's the sort of situation very hard to price right, a potentially good betting scenario, and I'll play that 11/8 Nicholson is too long. £100.