Monday 28th September

For the last two weeks I've been playing in-running on the racing, and although it's early days I've been encouraged by what I've been seeing.

However, the profits I've made have been swallowed up by the normal bets (0-12 for the season on football draws!).

So I'm going to concentrate on in-running exclusively for the next however long and see what happens. I see this as my last (last) chance at staying full-time.

So I guess this blog has run it's natural course. Thanks to those who hung around and who enjoyed the good times and, more importantly, gave their support when times were bad. It was much appreciated in what can be a very lonely way to make a living.

I'll post an update every Saturday or so, until it's obvious no-one is looking in any more!



.

Saturday 26th September

“Part-Time Fund” (£9380 – plus £250 in-play)

Just a get rich quick treble for me today, plus the football already put up, and a £2 Scoop 6 line!
The rest of the time I'll stick to in-running.

Alsace Lorraine
Redford
Aqlaam
£30 to win £45000ish!

Thursday 24th September

“Part-Time Fund” (£9500)

Still pootling along (helped by Pigeon Island's failure yesterday).

However, I will do a weekend football threeeplay, on three tight league one games.

Hartlepool/Walsall
Mk Dons/Leeds
Yeovil/Brentford
3 x £60 draws and £20 treble

Weds Sept 23rd

“Part-Time Fund” (£9490)

Continuing to make a few pennies in-running and stopping myself from doing normal bets in the meantime.

Couldn't resist a small season finale farewell bet on Kevin Na though at 100/1, covered by Tiger!

Saturday 19th September

“Part-Time Fund” (£9480)

A bit lucky, but another winning day playing in-running. Be interesting to see if the Saturday markets are any different (easier I'm hoping!).

Not inclined to waste the profits on normal bets – so I've just done a couple of mad doubles and the Scoop 6 for a few quid (like that'll be won today!).

Friday 18th September

“Part-Time Fund” (£9320)

Another winning day. I don't feel like doing any old fashioned bets whilst I'm clawing some money back.

I was going to do threeplay draws on:
Bolton/Stoke
Burnley/Sunderland
Hull/Birmingham
but will stick with a treble just in case and throw in Redford for the four fold.

Thursday 18th September

“Part-Time Fund” (£9170)

I had a good betting day yesterday – all in-running bets. Laid several horses in-running, and then laid Standard Liege at half-time. Maybe this is the way forward for me. Maybe it's another false dawn!

Either way, it doesn't lend itself to blogging advice much!

I was also reassured about my dreadful start to the season backing draws – when I saw there have only been three draws in the Premierhsip so far...

Tuesday 15th September

“Part-Time Fund” (£9120)

I was counting on the Serena money – more fool me.

The Championship is looking interesting based on my ratings. Normally this division is hopelessly competitive with every team moderate and not much of a spread. However, the early signs this year is that a group of teams look like pulling away from the rest. There may be a small edge in this for a while.

I'll start with:
Preston to beat Scunthorpe £40 win at 13/8 and £60 drawn no bet at 10/11 (or +0.25 asians)

and £20 win 6 fold
Preston
Sheff Utd
Leicester
Middlesbrough
WBA
Newcastle
at around 75/1

Thursday 10th September

“Part-Time Fund” (£9260 – plus £380 in -play)


Decent start to weekend's football.

Let's add a draw threeplay:
Man City/Arsenal
Wigan/West Ham
Shrewsbury/Crewe
3 x £60 draws
1 x £20 treble


Away tomorrow – back Saturday but probably not in time to post.

Changingoftheguard looks a big price (though weak) at 6/1 for the St Leger, and Schiaperelli looks backable at 4/1 for the Irish version.

Wednesday 9th September

“Part-Time Fund” (£9240)


I can see Croatia scoring tonight – no obvious value play though.

Let's do a threeplay instead, with one international and the two outstanding weekend bets on ratings.

Paraguay beat Argentina (latter in disarray – probably fix the match though!) 5/2
Northampton beat Notts Co (latter over-hyped – and the price a bit silly) 5/1
Sheff Utd beat Derby (keeping faith with the former) 13/8
3 x £60 singles and £20 treble.

I'm away Friday (and probably Saturday) – I'll put up a threeplay draw tomorrow.

Mid-week golf madness – I'll keep going until the end of the season!
Na/Jeev Singh £10ew double and tenners on both to win.

Monday 7th September

“Part-Time Fund” (£9280 – 220 inplay)


An in-running bet of unders in the England women's game at 1.8 after about twenty minutes, collected, having touched 1.2 and 2.6 in between times!

Kevin Na is in the mix. A place would land the Bradley Dredge double (£1200) and a win would land the cheeky tenner I put on him at 300/1. That would cheer the fund up. Of course, I fully expect him to have blown it by the about the 4th!

No bet today.

Saturday 5th September

“Part-Time Fund” (£9360 – 500 inplay)


Weekend football not exactly started with a bang...

Today I'll add Pullein's bet – Walsall £100 at Evens (+0.75 Asians)

and actually have a flat bet (as said I will be continuing with group racing) – about the only decent win I've had on the flat this season came from this horse, so I can't say I've studied the form and priced the race up.

Finjaan £100 at 11/2

and a treble Finjaan/Kirkless/Rock N Roll Kid, and chuck a couple of quid at the scoop 6.

Friday 4th September

“Part-Time Fund” (£9780 – 250 inplay)


A small in-running win on England's women yesterday.

Weekend football bets.

I'm doing two “three-plays” - the first on the lower leagues and the second on the internationals.

Southend/Orient
Northampton/Barnet
MK Dons/Huddersfield
3 x £60 draws and £20 treble

Cyprus/Rep of Ireland
Peru/Uruguay
Argentian/Brazil
3 x £60 draws and £20 treble

And throw a tenner at the six-fold and if you want a 7fold mad one, chuck in the Rotherham game as well!


Every chance I won't have a bet tomorrow – we'll see.

Thursday 3rd September

“Part-Time Fund” (£9750 – 250 inplay)


I spent yesterday thinking about what the key difference between being part-time and full-time was as Anne hadn't noticed any difference! Well, obviously I should actually be spending some of my time making an income outside betting. But apart from that the key difference will be turnover.

As a full-time gambler I worked to a target-profit, based on an assumed ROI, typically requiring me to turn my bank over ten times a season at 10% profit. I actually failed to get close to my turnover targets the last two years, but it will be a relief all the same not to worry about turnover any more.
(I wish I'd properly thought that through before letting that Guccione bet run!)

Obviously that will mean fewer bets as well. So instead of a bet today here's a poem!



Be Careful Who You Sit Down With

Here's a gambling tip for free:
If Betfair is the biggest price,
And it seems too good to be true,
Before you wade in, you'd better think twice
Because someone knows more than you.



.

Wednesday 2nd September

2009 Challenge Fund (£8570)


All those trainers queueing up to use Kieren Fallon got me thinking yesterday. And the conclusion is that I'm giving up betting on flat racing. I'll stick with the pattern races but ditch the rest.

This obviously isn't just about Fallon (though regulars know my opinion of that little bag of shite). But when I got to thinking about my profit and loss, and about my overall enjoyment of the sport I came down on the side of just giving it up.

There's too much crap racing. Often 5 meetings a day full of shitty little races framed for the bookies. I started the season with Veitch-like ideas of keeping on top of it (and if you can keep on top of it you will have a significant edge), but have personally found it not just impossible, but so mind-numbingly boring that I'd actually rather go back and work in an office than have to try.

Then there's the persistent overwatering – evening out draw biases, and turning many meetings into potluck, even without the incorrect going reports. You don't have to be a conspiracy theorist to be concerned about this – just look at the state of Ayr. And as for Ascot...

Even the festivals have left me cold this year – 4 days at York was just greed, greed, greed.

Flat racing is in a sorry state (and this in a year where we actually have a wonder horse),and doesn't seem to have a clue how to police itself. I like the idea of voting with my feet the week Fallon is welcomed back into the fold like some sort of prodigal son.



So, whilst I'm watching the two novice hurdles at Hereford this afternoon....

Mid-week golf madness.
Gonzalez £10ew at 80/1
Na/Gonzalez £5ew double
Na/Dredge £5ew double

US Open Tennis - Guccione beat Cueva £150 4/6 (the market movement a touch worrying on this and I fear my tip-toe back into tennis barking bets may be shortlived!).