ATR - Who are we? - The Punters Lounge

bowles10 · 30-10-2007, 23:12

Thought its about time that we understood a bit more about each other & what makes us tick. i have conversed with a number of you guys at various times but know little about you.

I am not after personal information here just a few lines on what you are about & your betting preferences etc. I will kick it off, & feel free to generally add comment where you want to & raise any questions to whoever!

I turned 40 this year & have been gambling since i was in short trousers....

the reason is my great grandad was a bookmaker from the 1930's through to late 60's. its a pity that i never heard all the stories as both he & his son (my grandad) died when i was very young. My dad has some great tales of the days before photo finishes when he used to stand on the winning line & know who had won so his old man could lay one off against the other! they mostly traded at the London tracks - epsom, sandown, ascot, kempton, hurst park & of course our local dog track - White city which was 10 mins from our's.

In the Racing post last year on Derby day, they printed a photo from 1938 & my old man spotted his grandad's pitch in the photo. They blew up the photo for him & sent it to him. we also have some great photo's & also his betting association badges/shields etc

I grew up betting on the ITV7's etc & then ventured into betting shops from about 16 when we used to sit in the local ladbrokes on a satuday all day doing 10p win yankees etc

I was offered a job on a newspaper when i was 19 as i knew a fella who left the sporting life to become a tipster on this new daily rag. I was in my first job at the time & doing well & didnt want to leave it. I would only have been teaboy but it would have been a stepping stone, that fella now is the racing correspondent for one of the main daily broadsheets & its my sole biggest regret in life!

I change my staking plan every day, month, year & that is where i fall down. If i am in poor form i reduce my stakes so much that when i have that big winner, it doesnt make a dent into the debts! I must be more stable & thats my aim.

I set up a website last year & i enjoy doing that in my spare time. One day i hope that will go further but my ambition is still to work in the industry. My asset is that i dont always read form & would rather take the trends into account first. Those of you that know me over the years, you know that is the case at Cheltenham which produces some excellent results.

There is more to know.... but thats it for now!

RussP · 30-10-2007, 23:26

I'm Russ, aged 34 (& a half). I've been gambling since the age of 16 and basically got into it because my Dad is a keen gambler too.

Before PL, I used to have a Lucky 15/31 every weekend but now I am much more focused, mainly EW singles. I specialise on handicap races as that is where I have the most success, and I generally back EW at bigger prices. I use a set staking plan now, which has enabled me to make a decent profit this year (that has not always been the case, let me tell you!).

Memories that stick out for me include:-
a) an incredible summer this year where winner after winner was going in
b) winning £100 when I was young as my Nan & I went halves on a placepot. She took my advice on the first 5 legs but disagreed in the 6th. She said "I like that name, Niche". Bloody hell, it was something like 25/1 but where did it finish....yep, you've guessed it...2nd

c) backing Lammtarra for the Derby after it had won its maiden. Took 33's and it won at 14's. Didn't have enough on it though.
d) backing Arcangues for the Breeders Cup and it returned something like 120/1. Again very small stakes.
e) Red Rita for the Lincoln, asked my Grandad to take the price. He didn't! It opened at 40's, won at 16's

Biggest disappointment:-
a) having a Goodwood placepot up (paying around £500) except for one leg. I had Grand Lodge in it but it got withdrawn, putting it on the fav. The fav being Turtle Island from Chapple Hyams yard, unbeaten on soft ground but terrible on good ground. Yep, going was firm and it finished down the field.

Favourite horses of all time are Istabraq, Arazi and Lyric Fantasy, the pocket rocket. My local track is Haydock Park, a cracking course.

BillyHills · 31-10-2007, 02:54

Ok, here we go; (deep breath)

First memory of Horse Racing was watcing the 1968 Grand National, my dad put me 2 bob (10 pence was a lot in them days!) on Red Alligator at 100/7, these days that would be 14/1, loved the race ever since. First meeting i went to was a couple of years later at Docaster where my dad was born and bred.

As soon as I was old enough - or maybe before- I was reading the Sporting Chronicle and The Sporting Life and always wanted to work in the industry. Me and my brother applied for a bookmakers license in 1979 and worked the Point To Point scene for a couple of years around the Midlands. You learn fast in that type of racing, no stewards, no photo finishes, no rules basically and some very shrewd farmers!! I have a good story to tell but i'll leave that for another thread.

Anyway, we couldnt get on the main courses because of the huge waiting lists, i think we were number 100 at Cheltenham, that means 100 bookies have to go out of business or die before we could stand there, so we gave up in the end. We did stand at the Epsom Derby in 1980, thats public land and anyone with a permit can try their luck. Henbit won the big race and we won £65 on the day after L.Piggott had a treble and nearly skint us. It wasnt the money that mattered, it was just being part of it, we stood next to a guy that had been to the last 38 Derby's, thats history for you.
These days the highest bidder gets the pitches so it might have been different if we had kept going?

10 years later I joined William Hill and for another 10 years enjoyed being in the business, ran the shop on Statford Racecourse, a brand new shop in Melton Mowbray and finally the biggie in Coalville which took 3 thousand bets on a Saturday! also got involved in Odds Compiling and the Raceroom at Leeds head office. It was ok and then one day i just got fed up of the way Racing and Betting Shops was heading. They got computers in to settle the bets which took half the fun away and was more interested in how much the Roulette machines made than the bets, I just gave my notice and left, hardly been in a betting shop since. That was 5 years ago. I could write a book on the things ive seen!
Since then i've ran a newsagents and now as many of you know I'm a Photographer, finally making a hobby pay for itself.

As far as Racing goes today, I follow NH Racing closely but not the flat so much, hate the AW but also understand its place in the game. Used to like the Dogs too, had Greyhounds at Sunderland, Brough Park and Leicester before it was closed down, like to get back into that at some stage.

I dont bet that much anymore to be honest, I play around on Betfair and mainly back horses for a place and dont back odds on. Like to seek a bit of value and watch as many races as possible, in fact I record all meetings every day and watch them back, your eyes are the best form book in the world, racereaders nowdays miss so much in my opinion and can mislead the betting public. Trust your own opinion.

BH

TheRat · 31-10-2007, 12:52

Joe aged 24. Been gambling now for about 18 months
Used to gamble for a laugh before I watched a footie game or whatever, but was extremely bored at Uni and was skint so started betting on horses for a laugh and just looking at the form really. Started getting into it and learning more, then stumbled accross this place and been gaining more knowledge ever since. Even ended up writing my dissertation on The effect on online gambling on the industry as a whole!
Managed to turn 2 quid into 70 at uni which helped a lot at the time! Mainly helped by a tip on here, Klasson to win the darts at 100/1. Wish I put more than a few pence on it!
Don´t really lay horses, will bet EW if 5/1 or more as a rule.

Still learning but feel I´m improving each month

Bigges tthing I have learnt is what not to bet on I think this year. Used to make too many bets but over time you learn what races you are not as strong in, and what you are, although I would not say I have a specific strength or favourite race.

Prefer the flat and Im annoyed its nearly over, but still like the jumps!

ZuluWarrior · 31-10-2007, 13:38

My names Danny, I'm 26 and been gambling (properly) for about the same time as TheRat, I used to bet for fun with my old man on the big races and stuff and thats where the interest sprouted from.

I'm a computer programmer and data analyst by trade and so you can see that the horse racing, with all its form, facts and figures was like a candy store for me!

Still learning this game, and have yet to get beyond small interest stakes, but have build up alot of good info from this forum and these guys

Some of the big things I've learned are not to bet every day, ignore those short priced favs, the going is the most important thing in racing and pay attention to everything!

I went to my first race meeting only 2 weeks ago with the PL Uttoxeter meet up, really enjoyed it and it has encouraged me to go again! Being quite 'young' in the game this is pretty much the biggest gambling related memory I have (thanks guys for making it such a good one

), apart from beating my dad 2 consecutive years on the grand national with big priced selections (I was a kid, he used form, I used the names, lol).

As you can imagine, systems is where I'm at, while I'm still learning the form and trend game, but I am always looking for a way to 'computorise' what I learn and develop better systems for finding winners (or as this year has provven a few times, losers!)

I love watching the jumps (not as keen on the hurdles, prefer chases and NH) but prefer to bet on the flat, with the sprints being my fav betting arena really.

mileni4uk · 31-10-2007, 13:42

Milen 24 aged, from Bulgaria.

Started betting at school on the football. Wasn't staking much, but always been a gambler. Friends say it's in my blood. Had some nice hitss, but lost plenty of quid back then and stopped doing it.

Started it again last summer and this time online. Found this place and the thing that brought me to horse racing was Slapdash's system. Then I started visiting ATR and started following the sport. My first love are the jumps and that's why it is impossible to likethe flat. I just don't like it. Or at least not as much as the jumps. Flat is still entertaining, but I'm not that interested in it

My 2 biggest wins are 2 saturdays with some e/w doubles from tips in here. Won 2 times 1000 Euros and this is actually my betting bank right now

I remember some nice winners from there. My biggest winner is one Frisky's fancy at 85s' at Betfair.

Never been on a horse course in my life, but I'll soon come to one of these PL meetings

Currently getting ready for the jumps with a list of 30-40 horses to follow. Cheltenham festival is just amazing. I can't describe you where I was hidden in my office to watch the races

This year I won't be working for sure during the festival week

I think the most entertaining race is the Grand National, but probably the most unpredictable too.

Starting to do things more professionally lately with betting banks for every thing. Using percentages for my bets. The only way to win from betting is to have enough bank for the bets in the long term. So actually when the losing run ends I have to be sure I'm still betting nice ammounts that can make up for the losses.

The best jockey for me is AP, but my favourite ones are N Schofiled and David England and I predict very very bright future for them. 2 horses that might do a great season are expected to be Don't Push It and Twist Magic. Remember where you heard it first

Otherwise I'm in the IT branch and I work for HP.

slapdash · 31-10-2007, 14:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by mileni4uk

Started it again last summer and this time online. Found this place and the thing that brought me to horse racing was Slapdash's system. Then I started visiting ATR and started following the sport.

Well, glad I've done something for ATR.

Good thing you didn't find my system this year, otherwise you'd probably have
moved on by now.

Quote:

Otherwise I'm in the IT branch and I work for HP.

Small world. My partner works for HP.

I've not been very active in ATR, but I do read what the rest of you post,
so I hope you don't mind me adding my bit.

I've just turned 45, and I'm a mathematician for a living.

I developed a passive interest in betting as a child. My Dad's main hobby was
horse-racing. I doubt he made any money at it, but I doubt he lost much
either. It's a pity he died before Betfair and internet betting forums took off,
as I'm sure he'd have loved them both.

I can't pretend to know much about racing, certainly compared to some of
you lot, and I think my edge, if any, in betting (not just on horses) is
understanding the maths of it.

WoodyTHFC · 31-10-2007, 16:51

I am James and I turned 19 last month and I am student of politics at Queen Mary University in London. I have always been interest in sport and many kinds of sport from a very young age and even watched Klinsmann at Spurs first time live when I was 5. Since the turn of the century I have had a season ticket and get to all the home games and some away although not too many and I will be off in an hour tonight.
As for horse racing i have always followed it but only in the last year have I legally bet on it and with a fair bit of foolish decisions to start with but I feel I have improved with experience but being a student funds are not brilliant. My Dad put on a fair few bets in the past notably Rough Quest in the 1996 National which is the only time I have won that race and I think I got £7 for a £1 which was a lot for me then. Cornish Rebel was my first bet in the 2006 Gold Cup and I thought I was dead unlucky that day as it was cruising until a mistake four out and I won the Derby for the first time this year. Generally if I have a forumla whish I do not really it is to have a collection of horses I see and put them in the Racing post notebook and add to it, sometimes it works, I remember Boscobel first time at Kempton last winter and thinking that will go on and it ended up winning at Royal Ascot, a lot of times it does not. I am probably still very raw in the betting world but hopefully I am and will get even better.

devil tish · 31-10-2007, 17:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by RussP

e) Red Rita for the Lincoln, asked my Grandad to take the price. He didn't! It opened at 40's, won at 16's.

our rita? russ. this went 33/1-16-1 about 30 seconds before the start of the race m8, i was on it too

devil tish · 31-10-2007, 17:20

by the way im ian 36 from bradford. used to work at hills in the head office raceroom in leeds while at college. learnt how to settle bets, and do security checks on betting slips before the advent of computer/scanning technology. worked with a group of 20/30 lads in an office, with 20 tv screens showing live racing/footy/rugby u name it.. and we would bet on it.! used to get some proper hot tips as we would get betting shop managers ringing up with large bets that had been placed or faces backing certain horses.

this was 1992ish. been dipping in and out of racing ever since, when having the time. 1st ever winner was sayyedati in the 1000 guineas, but have a soft spot for sprint handicaps. from memory the best winners i have had have been, like russ lammtarra in the derby for walter swinburn. i only got 20's day of the race..lake coniston for the july cup in 95, khayrapour at 16's golden mile goodwood 95, superior premium stewards cup, hidden dragon/perryston view great st wilfred, wow could go on and on.

since i stumbled across this forum from playing poker against the lads on s.o, i have found the atr forum, and must admit am getting the bug for racing again....but i definately prefer the flat, so maybe going quiet for a bit. horse to follow from me for next season..bruges.

Guy Fawkes · 31-10-2007, 17:30

Hi everyone,

I'm Lee, 27 and although I'm not as regular as I'd like to be (on ATR - not in the bowels!) but I thought i'd stick my two penneth in as i love contributing here when I have time (seem to have a distinct lack of at the moment, despite my best efforts!) and have done OK . . .

My first bet was Wimbledon v Liverpool in the 88' cup final!! Obvioulsy Liverpool were strong faves but with me being only 8 i didn't really have a clue and I had a £1 bet with my Uncle that the dons would win!! When they did I can remember having this WHOLE pound in my hand and thinking "WOW - This is easy!".

Despite my early (misplaced!) optimism I didn't have another bet until 5th October 1999 when I was at Uni. It was my birthday and me and my mate went into Ladbrokes bookies on Percy Street in Newcastle as we had some time to kill before meeting people for drinks (no idea why we went into the bookies) anyway, we had £10 each on Red Guard and it won @ 5/1!! I was over the moon and got into horse racing and football betting pretty heavily. . . . and things have just progressed from there.

Learning a little more with each bet (and massively due to this place) I think I have become a "sensible" gambler and solely bet ONLY on the horses and football.

Ideally I would like a pot of £1000 to use to gamble, making it a nice (hopefulyl profitable) hobby but as I have alluded to in many of my posts, i just don't have the time (and the money actually!) anymore . . . one day, one day.

I try to get to as many racecourses as I can and have probably been to about a dozen - my favourite by a long way is Hexham. A wonderful, wonderful course!! My local track (1/2 a mile away!) York is great too but i can't be doing with all the people and the a$$holes.

I much prefer the jumps and I love doing the placepot, a daft bet perhaps but I only play with small stakes and i've had a few nice returns. There's nothing like cheering a couple of horses home on the 6th leg after you've had a placer in each race!

I firmly believe that one of the best tools for a new punter is YESTERDAY'S Racing post and an inquisitive mind. Looking back at the results of the day with the RP in hand and figuring out HOW and WHY a horse is invaluable for picking winners (and losers for that matter) and something i should still be spending more time on than I do.

bowles10 · 31-10-2007, 17:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by BillyHills

.

. It wasnt the money that mattered, it was just being part of it, we stood next to a guy that had been to the last 38 Derby's, thats history for you.

BH

Might have been my old man, he has been to every derby since 1948 give or take 2 or 3 when he lived abroad.

Woodie · 31-10-2007, 17:50

Ok, here is my little bit..
21 in May, been gambling for about 4 years now but only the last year I've learnt the art of being disciplined with my bets. I used to have anything up to ten bets a day but now I'll be lucky if I find ten bets to be had a week! Since being more selective with my bets I've found that I'm making a consistent profit. Most of my betting is now done on betfair got into that about 2 years ago when I was on holiday one year and this guy all he did all day was sit in the bar on his laptop watching the racing, asked what he was doing and he showed me how to bet in running and I was hooked after that as soon as I got home I signed up to betfair the rest is history

Been following racing for ages now been watching it since I was like 8 best sport in the world in my opinion even if I haven't had a bet on it I can watch it all day even the US racing. Also follow greyhounds quite a bit usually at Wimbledon a couple times a month.
Wouldn't mind one day getting a job as a bloodstock agent that would be awesome!

pete10 · 31-10-2007, 18:09

Hi My Name is Peter iam 38 , Been watching racing since i was a kid in the 70's .
It was just a passing interest on a Saturday , But fun trying to pick some winners.
Anyway i was mainly into watching Reading Fc play , But then through a lad that
I gave a job to ,I meet his dad and i blame him for getting me into it . The horse
in question is Soviet Song , She didn't win her race that day but after that i was
hooked. I dont really bet much these days just try to work out some winners on
any given day , Just like a big jigsaw puzzle getting it all to fit , Anyone who trys
to solve it is respected by me as it can be dam hard.

BillyHills · 31-10-2007, 19:14

Some great posts here guys, fascinating how we all have different backgrounds and come from all over the place yet still meet up on a regular basis, keep em coming and dont be shy in posting in other threads in the future.

mowgli77 · 31-10-2007, 20:29

I’m Phil, 30 years old and been gambling/backing horses since about 19yrs old. I was walking past my local bookies when my uncle was on his way in and said he’d had a bet on four horses. He asked me if I wanted to buy into his bet and go half stakes. I gave him £5 and got about £120 in return as all his horses won and thought easy money. Started going in the bookies regularly and used to do all my betting there till a few years ago. It’s very tempting to back in every race when you are in there and the £100 you just won has soon gone on a load of donkeys you had no intention of backing.

I would normally say I prefer the flat racing but I really enjoyed last jumps season and watching the racing at the weekend from Aintree made me realise that there were probably more exciting finishes than in the whole of the flat season, those last hurdles and jumps add something to the sport. I prefer to stick to the better class races, there is less fiddling and more incentive on the horses winning than losing. As most people already know I like to select a number of horses that I will follow through the season and they have to show a genuine attitude or some level of ability.

If a horse I fancy is beaten fair and square by a better horse it’s fine but if it has not run to form I like to find out why, whether it be race tactics, ground, trip, injury or being just poor on the day. This has paid off for me numerous times, mainly at Cheltenham when I suddenly hit winner after winner last year and took the bankers thread into profit with my usual suspects like My Way De Solzen, Voy Por Ustedes and Inglis Drever. I also really fancied Chief Dan George at Cheltenham and it didn’t perform. I gave it another chance at Aintree soon after and tipped it up on here at 33-1 and it won, also being matched in running for one lucky punter at about 300-1.

Boscobel and Silkwood were others I put in the PL notebook from our trip to Wolverhampton races. I don’t personally like AW racing very much but those two horses have paid me back big time after their Royal Ascot successes. I think everyone should have a notebook, either paper notebook or virtual notebook as you are then testing your ability to pick future winners or future stars.

I wanted to prove myself in the ATR forum and gradually got noticed after putting up plenty of reasoning with my selections. I don’t know why anyone would back a horse without it, if you are willing to put your money on it then know why you are backing it. Would you a buy a car from Auto Trader if the advert read "Ford Focus - £3,000" but had no other details?

Always like to hear other people’s opinions and have only used Betfair recently. I have started to do more place betting now too. If I fancy a horse ew but I’m not too confident on it winning I might put more on the place part of the bet and back win/place on betfair instead of ew with a bookies. I used to use bet365 mainly but their early odds are often poor.

One of my best selections on here was 3 horses against the fav in a sprint (my least successful type of race) and they came in in the correct order at 20-1, 20-1 and 50-1 with the winner being my nap that day.

I try get to the local courses like Pontefract, York, Doncaster, Wetherby, Ripon etc and also try get to the Punters Lounge meetings but I’m definitely leaving the Mrs at home next time as she picked 5 winners and I couldn’t pick my nose at the last one. I like this thread because it gives some background to a user name. I’ve met people off punters lounge too and it is weird because suddenly a user name is a real person in front of you and you feel like you already know them. If you haven’t been to any PL race meetings yet you should try get to one, just don’t ask me for any winners.

Finally, for the jumps season I’d say keep an eye on Star De Mohaison. I really like this horse and if Nicholls has it fit and ready to go it will win some big races this season. The other would be Katchit, saw it last season at Wetherby, followed it and was really impressed. Bowles is the man for the trends and I’m sure he will pick out following Ferdy Murphy’s horses at Cheltenham, the man can’t be ignored. 33-1 and 50-1 winners for a trainer who does really well there. One horse I won’t touch is Detroit City, for me it looked like it was fed up of racing; it was lacklustre and uninterested and will be one to swerve in my opinion.

Don’t forget to get an entry in the PL 10 to follow for the jumps season too, the more the merrier.

socky1 · 31-10-2007, 21:18

I’m Andy 29, I have been into horse racing pretty much since I was 16. Having tried my hand at every conceivable form of gambling over the years, Horse Racing is probably the only one I can honestly say I’m any good at.

The love affair started for me way back in 95 when I was mentored by one of the most knowledgeable people I have ever met called Wilf. At 16 years old I think it’s very difficult to listen to somebody when they are trying to give you useful information but this guy had a charisma to him that made that made everything he said interesting.

Over the next few years despite the fact he was in his late fifties we became very good friends from our time in the bookies and stuff and I even went racing with him a few times. Basically he taught everything there is to know about reading form, but unfortunately one thing he couldn’t pass on to me no matter how much he tried was discipline.

I had to learn that lesson the hard way, many a time I’d spend all day studying the form to pick out one really good winner only spunk it all on the 6:06 at Monmore. Eventually my attitude towards gambling changed. I started working in the industry about 4 years ago which really opened my eyes to a lot things since then despite the odd lapse occasionally I manage to enjoy racing more than ever.

What do I love most about horse racing? Well I’ve have to say actually going to the races; you cannot beat a day out at the races with the lads although I get just as much enjoyment watching a winner in the comfort of my own home.

My PL experience so far, joined up about two years ago and although perhaps not as active on the tipping front as I used to be I still very much enjoy lerking about reading some of you other guys views.

As some of you may know I don’t bet on flat racing, which is why I have been rarely about over the last 6 months but expect plenty more of my views again as the jumps season really gets itself into gear.

Socky.

tedthewolf · 31-10-2007, 22:22

34 or is it 43 yo extremely good looking ulster man who speaks his mind.My 1st bet was like a lot of people in the grand national.I was 13 this horse ran very well the 4(i think) years it ran in the race no not Red Rum THE PILGARLIC i backed it e/w every year it ran.My uncle loved to back fav's he would then go to the pub to watch them with his 1/2 pint of bass and a whiskey chaser(black bush)it was he who tipped me my 1st winner CHARLIE MUDDLE that was me hooked.I like the jumps best and my fav was DAWN RUN.I love going to the track it gives me a buzz.I hate cheating in racing/sport. I have been to the dogs a few times and also horse trotting when in oz.I enjoy most sports and i am proud when someone from our we country does well.

30-10-2007, 23:12	#1 (permalink)
bowles10 Trend Specialist Join Date: 07 Nov 2002 Location: Block NU, Loft Upper, W12 Age: 41 Posts: 14,815	ATR - Who are we? Thought its about time that we understood a bit more about each other & what makes us tick. i have conversed with a number of you guys at various times but know little about you. I am not after personal information here just a few lines on what you are about & your betting preferences etc. I will kick it off, & feel free to generally add comment where you want to & raise any questions to whoever! I turned 40 this year & have been gambling since i was in short trousers.... the reason is my great grandad was a bookmaker from the 1930's through to late 60's. its a pity that i never heard all the stories as both he & his son (my grandad) died when i was very young. My dad has some great tales of the days before photo finishes when he used to stand on the winning line & know who had won so his old man could lay one off against the other! they mostly traded at the London tracks - epsom, sandown, ascot, kempton, hurst park & of course our local dog track - White city which was 10 mins from our's. In the Racing post last year on Derby day, they printed a photo from 1938 & my old man spotted his grandad's pitch in the photo. They blew up the photo for him & sent it to him. we also have some great photo's & also his betting association badges/shields etc I grew up betting on the ITV7's etc & then ventured into betting shops from about 16 when we used to sit in the local ladbrokes on a satuday all day doing 10p win yankees etc I was offered a job on a newspaper when i was 19 as i knew a fella who left the sporting life to become a tipster on this new daily rag. I was in my first job at the time & doing well & didnt want to leave it. I would only have been teaboy but it would have been a stepping stone, that fella now is the racing correspondent for one of the main daily broadsheets & its my sole biggest regret in life! I change my staking plan every day, month, year & that is where i fall down. If i am in poor form i reduce my stakes so much that when i have that big winner, it doesnt make a dent into the debts! I must be more stable & thats my aim. I set up a website last year & i enjoy doing that in my spare time. One day i hope that will go further but my ambition is still to work in the industry. My asset is that i dont always read form & would rather take the trends into account first. Those of you that know me over the years, you know that is the case at Cheltenham which produces some excellent results. There is more to know.... but thats it for now! __________________ www.tip4profit.com

30-10-2007, 23:26	#2 (permalink)
RussP E/W Horse Racing Punter Join Date: 10 Mar 2006 Location: Blackburn Age: 35 Posts: 6,122 Awards Showcase Total Awards: 3	Re: ATR - Who are we? I'm Russ, aged 34 (& a half). I've been gambling since the age of 16 and basically got into it because my Dad is a keen gambler too. Before PL, I used to have a Lucky 15/31 every weekend but now I am much more focused, mainly EW singles. I specialise on handicap races as that is where I have the most success, and I generally back EW at bigger prices. I use a set staking plan now, which has enabled me to make a decent profit this year (that has not always been the case, let me tell you!). Memories that stick out for me include:- a) an incredible summer this year where winner after winner was going in b) winning £100 when I was young as my Nan & I went halves on a placepot. She took my advice on the first 5 legs but disagreed in the 6th. She said "I like that name, Niche". Bloody hell, it was something like 25/1 but where did it finish....yep, you've guessed it...2nd c) backing Lammtarra for the Derby after it had won its maiden. Took 33's and it won at 14's. Didn't have enough on it though. d) backing Arcangues for the Breeders Cup and it returned something like 120/1. Again very small stakes. e) Red Rita for the Lincoln, asked my Grandad to take the price. He didn't! It opened at 40's, won at 16's Biggest disappointment:- a) having a Goodwood placepot up (paying around £500) except for one leg. I had Grand Lodge in it but it got withdrawn, putting it on the fav. The fav being Turtle Island from Chapple Hyams yard, unbeaten on soft ground but terrible on good ground. Yep, going was firm and it finished down the field. Favourite horses of all time are Istabraq, Arazi and Lyric Fantasy, the pocket rocket. My local track is Haydock Park, a cracking course. __________________ Russ

31-10-2007, 02:54	#3 (permalink)
BillyHills : T.C. Moderator : Join Date: 07 Nov 2001 Location: Leicester Age: 47 Posts: 10,506 Awards Showcase Total Awards: 2	Re: ATR - Who are we? Ok, here we go; (deep breath) First memory of Horse Racing was watcing the 1968 Grand National, my dad put me 2 bob (10 pence was a lot in them days!) on Red Alligator at 100/7, these days that would be 14/1, loved the race ever since. First meeting i went to was a couple of years later at Docaster where my dad was born and bred. As soon as I was old enough - or maybe before- I was reading the Sporting Chronicle and The Sporting Life and always wanted to work in the industry. Me and my brother applied for a bookmakers license in 1979 and worked the Point To Point scene for a couple of years around the Midlands. You learn fast in that type of racing, no stewards, no photo finishes, no rules basically and some very shrewd farmers!! I have a good story to tell but i'll leave that for another thread. Anyway, we couldnt get on the main courses because of the huge waiting lists, i think we were number 100 at Cheltenham, that means 100 bookies have to go out of business or die before we could stand there, so we gave up in the end. We did stand at the Epsom Derby in 1980, thats public land and anyone with a permit can try their luck. Henbit won the big race and we won £65 on the day after L.Piggott had a treble and nearly skint us. It wasnt the money that mattered, it was just being part of it, we stood next to a guy that had been to the last 38 Derby's, thats history for you. These days the highest bidder gets the pitches so it might have been different if we had kept going? 10 years later I joined William Hill and for another 10 years enjoyed being in the business, ran the shop on Statford Racecourse, a brand new shop in Melton Mowbray and finally the biggie in Coalville which took 3 thousand bets on a Saturday! also got involved in Odds Compiling and the Raceroom at Leeds head office. It was ok and then one day i just got fed up of the way Racing and Betting Shops was heading. They got computers in to settle the bets which took half the fun away and was more interested in how much the Roulette machines made than the bets, I just gave my notice and left, hardly been in a betting shop since. That was 5 years ago. I could write a book on the things ive seen! Since then i've ran a newsagents and now as many of you know I'm a Photographer, finally making a hobby pay for itself. As far as Racing goes today, I follow NH Racing closely but not the flat so much, hate the AW but also understand its place in the game. Used to like the Dogs too, had Greyhounds at Sunderland, Brough Park and Leicester before it was closed down, like to get back into that at some stage. I dont bet that much anymore to be honest, I play around on Betfair and mainly back horses for a place and dont back odds on. Like to seek a bit of value and watch as many races as possible, in fact I record all meetings every day and watch them back, your eyes are the best form book in the world, racereaders nowdays miss so much in my opinion and can mislead the betting public. Trust your own opinion. BH __________________ ~Professional Photographer ~ My Images

31-10-2007, 12:52	#4 (permalink)
TheRat By a neck Join Date: 21 Nov 2005 Location: Madrid Age: 24 Posts: 4,406	Re: ATR - Who are we? Joe aged 24. Been gambling now for about 18 months Used to gamble for a laugh before I watched a footie game or whatever, but was extremely bored at Uni and was skint so started betting on horses for a laugh and just looking at the form really. Started getting into it and learning more, then stumbled accross this place and been gaining more knowledge ever since. Even ended up writing my dissertation on The effect on online gambling on the industry as a whole! Managed to turn 2 quid into 70 at uni which helped a lot at the time! Mainly helped by a tip on here, Klasson to win the darts at 100/1. Wish I put more than a few pence on it! Don´t really lay horses, will bet EW if 5/1 or more as a rule. Still learning but feel I´m improving each month Bigges tthing I have learnt is what not to bet on I think this year. Used to make too many bets but over time you learn what races you are not as strong in, and what you are, although I would not say I have a specific strength or favourite race. Prefer the flat and Im annoyed its nearly over, but still like the jumps! __________________ http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=728050365

31-10-2007, 13:38	#5 (permalink)
ZuluWarrior Moderating Punter Join Date: 13 Feb 2006 Location: Cambs, UK Age: 27 Posts: 3,230	Re: ATR - Who are we? My names Danny, I'm 26 and been gambling (properly) for about the same time as TheRat, I used to bet for fun with my old man on the big races and stuff and thats where the interest sprouted from. I'm a computer programmer and data analyst by trade and so you can see that the horse racing, with all its form, facts and figures was like a candy store for me! Still learning this game, and have yet to get beyond small interest stakes, but have build up alot of good info from this forum and these guys Some of the big things I've learned are not to bet every day, ignore those short priced favs, the going is the most important thing in racing and pay attention to everything! I went to my first race meeting only 2 weeks ago with the PL Uttoxeter meet up, really enjoyed it and it has encouraged me to go again! Being quite 'young' in the game this is pretty much the biggest gambling related memory I have (thanks guys for making it such a good one ), apart from beating my dad 2 consecutive years on the grand national with big priced selections (I was a kid, he used form, I used the names, lol). As you can imagine, systems is where I'm at, while I'm still learning the form and trend game, but I am always looking for a way to 'computorise' what I learn and develop better systems for finding winners (or as this year has provven a few times, losers!) I love watching the jumps (not as keen on the hurdles, prefer chases and NH) but prefer to bet on the flat, with the sprints being my fav betting arena really. __________________ ZuluWarrior You put a number on it, I'll bet on it...

31-10-2007, 13:42	#6 (permalink)
mileni4uk Eastern European Punter Join Date: 23 Aug 2006 Location: Bulgaria Age: 25 Posts: 4,807 Awards Showcase Total Awards: 2	Re: ATR - Who are we? Milen 24 aged, from Bulgaria. Started betting at school on the football. Wasn't staking much, but always been a gambler. Friends say it's in my blood. Had some nice hitss, but lost plenty of quid back then and stopped doing it. Started it again last summer and this time online. Found this place and the thing that brought me to horse racing was Slapdash's system. Then I started visiting ATR and started following the sport. My first love are the jumps and that's why it is impossible to likethe flat. I just don't like it. Or at least not as much as the jumps. Flat is still entertaining, but I'm not that interested in it My 2 biggest wins are 2 saturdays with some e/w doubles from tips in here. Won 2 times 1000 Euros and this is actually my betting bank right now I remember some nice winners from there. My biggest winner is one Frisky's fancy at 85s' at Betfair. Never been on a horse course in my life, but I'll soon come to one of these PL meetings Currently getting ready for the jumps with a list of 30-40 horses to follow. Cheltenham festival is just amazing. I can't describe you where I was hidden in my office to watch the races This year I won't be working for sure during the festival week I think the most entertaining race is the Grand National, but probably the most unpredictable too. Starting to do things more professionally lately with betting banks for every thing. Using percentages for my bets. The only way to win from betting is to have enough bank for the bets in the long term. So actually when the losing run ends I have to be sure I'm still betting nice ammounts that can make up for the losses. The best jockey for me is AP, but my favourite ones are N Schofiled and David England and I predict very very bright future for them. 2 horses that might do a great season are expected to be Don't Push It and Twist Magic. Remember where you heard it first Otherwise I'm in the IT branch and I work for HP. __________________ "Brilliant Denman demolishes them all"

31-10-2007, 16:51	#8 (permalink)
WoodyTHFC God Punter Join Date: 04 Mar 2007 Age: 19 Posts: 2,599 Awards Showcase Total Awards: 1	Re: ATR - Who are we? I am James and I turned 19 last month and I am student of politics at Queen Mary University in London. I have always been interest in sport and many kinds of sport from a very young age and even watched Klinsmann at Spurs first time live when I was 5. Since the turn of the century I have had a season ticket and get to all the home games and some away although not too many and I will be off in an hour tonight. As for horse racing i have always followed it but only in the last year have I legally bet on it and with a fair bit of foolish decisions to start with but I feel I have improved with experience but being a student funds are not brilliant. My Dad put on a fair few bets in the past notably Rough Quest in the 1996 National which is the only time I have won that race and I think I got £7 for a £1 which was a lot for me then. Cornish Rebel was my first bet in the 2006 Gold Cup and I thought I was dead unlucky that day as it was cruising until a mistake four out and I won the Derby for the first time this year. Generally if I have a forumla whish I do not really it is to have a collection of horses I see and put them in the Racing post notebook and add to it, sometimes it works, I remember Boscobel first time at Kempton last winter and thinking that will go on and it ended up winning at Royal Ascot, a lot of times it does not. I am probably still very raw in the betting world but hopefully I am and will get even better. Last edited by WoodyTHFC; 31-10-2007 at 17:00.

31-10-2007, 17:20	#10 (permalink)
devil tish can you wait 10 minutes? Join Date: 02 May 2006 Posts: 998	Re: ATR - Who are we? by the way im ian 36 from bradford. used to work at hills in the head office raceroom in leeds while at college. learnt how to settle bets, and do security checks on betting slips before the advent of computer/scanning technology. worked with a group of 20/30 lads in an office, with 20 tv screens showing live racing/footy/rugby u name it.. and we would bet on it.! used to get some proper hot tips as we would get betting shop managers ringing up with large bets that had been placed or faces backing certain horses. this was 1992ish. been dipping in and out of racing ever since, when having the time. 1st ever winner was sayyedati in the 1000 guineas, but have a soft spot for sprint handicaps. from memory the best winners i have had have been, like russ lammtarra in the derby for walter swinburn. i only got 20's day of the race..lake coniston for the july cup in 95, khayrapour at 16's golden mile goodwood 95, superior premium stewards cup, hidden dragon/perryston view great st wilfred, wow could go on and on. since i stumbled across this forum from playing poker against the lads on s.o, i have found the atr forum, and must admit am getting the bug for racing again....but i definately prefer the flat, so maybe going quiet for a bit. horse to follow from me for next season..bruges. __________________ tish Last edited by devil tish; 01-11-2007 at 16:51.

31-10-2007, 17:30	#11 (permalink)
Guy Fawkes Medieval Punter Join Date: 04 Mar 2006 Location: Eboracum Age: 27 Posts: 4,129 Awards Showcase Total Awards: 1	Re: ATR - Who are we? Hi everyone, I'm Lee, 27 and although I'm not as regular as I'd like to be (on ATR - not in the bowels!) but I thought i'd stick my two penneth in as i love contributing here when I have time (seem to have a distinct lack of at the moment, despite my best efforts!) and have done OK . . . My first bet was Wimbledon v Liverpool in the 88' cup final!! Obvioulsy Liverpool were strong faves but with me being only 8 i didn't really have a clue and I had a £1 bet with my Uncle that the dons would win!! When they did I can remember having this WHOLE pound in my hand and thinking "WOW - This is easy!". Despite my early (misplaced!) optimism I didn't have another bet until 5th October 1999 when I was at Uni. It was my birthday and me and my mate went into Ladbrokes bookies on Percy Street in Newcastle as we had some time to kill before meeting people for drinks (no idea why we went into the bookies) anyway, we had £10 each on Red Guard and it won @ 5/1!! I was over the moon and got into horse racing and football betting pretty heavily. . . . and things have just progressed from there. Learning a little more with each bet (and massively due to this place) I think I have become a "sensible" gambler and solely bet ONLY on the horses and football. Ideally I would like a pot of £1000 to use to gamble, making it a nice (hopefulyl profitable) hobby but as I have alluded to in many of my posts, i just don't have the time (and the money actually!) anymore . . . one day, one day. I try to get to as many racecourses as I can and have probably been to about a dozen - my favourite by a long way is Hexham. A wonderful, wonderful course!! My local track (1/2 a mile away!) York is great too but i can't be doing with all the people and the a$$holes. I much prefer the jumps and I love doing the placepot, a daft bet perhaps but I only play with small stakes and i've had a few nice returns. There's nothing like cheering a couple of horses home on the 6th leg after you've had a placer in each race! I firmly believe that one of the best tools for a new punter is YESTERDAY'S Racing post and an inquisitive mind. Looking back at the results of the day with the RP in hand and figuring out HOW and WHY a horse is invaluable for picking winners (and losers for that matter) and something i should still be spending more time on than I do. __________________ "To spend our days betting on three-legged horses with beautiful names" -- Bohumil Hrabal http://www.flickr.com/photos/ldthurston/ http://www.leethurston.tribalpages.com

31-10-2007, 17:50	#13 (permalink)
Woodie form. Jon16 Join Date: 22 Apr 2005 Location: South London Age: 21 Posts: 2,311	Re: ATR - Who are we? Ok, here is my little bit.. 21 in May, been gambling for about 4 years now but only the last year I've learnt the art of being disciplined with my bets. I used to have anything up to ten bets a day but now I'll be lucky if I find ten bets to be had a week! Since being more selective with my bets I've found that I'm making a consistent profit. Most of my betting is now done on betfair got into that about 2 years ago when I was on holiday one year and this guy all he did all day was sit in the bar on his laptop watching the racing, asked what he was doing and he showed me how to bet in running and I was hooked after that as soon as I got home I signed up to betfair the rest is history Been following racing for ages now been watching it since I was like 8 best sport in the world in my opinion even if I haven't had a bet on it I can watch it all day even the US racing. Also follow greyhounds quite a bit usually at Wimbledon a couple times a month. Wouldn't mind one day getting a job as a bloodstock agent that would be awesome!

31-10-2007, 18:09	#14 (permalink)
pete10 Senior Punter Join Date: 29 May 2005 Location: Reading Age: 39 Posts: 110	Re: ATR - Who are we? Hi My Name is Peter iam 38 , Been watching racing since i was a kid in the 70's . It was just a passing interest on a Saturday , But fun trying to pick some winners. Anyway i was mainly into watching Reading Fc play , But then through a lad that I gave a job to ,I meet his dad and i blame him for getting me into it . The horse in question is Soviet Song , She didn't win her race that day but after that i was hooked. I dont really bet much these days just try to work out some winners on any given day , Just like a big jigsaw puzzle getting it all to fit , Anyone who trys to solve it is respected by me as it can be dam hard. __________________ Winners are the name of the game. Last edited by pete10; 31-10-2007 at 19:39. Reason: spelling

31-10-2007, 19:14	#15 (permalink)
BillyHills : T.C. Moderator : Join Date: 07 Nov 2001 Location: Leicester Age: 47 Posts: 10,506 Awards Showcase Total Awards: 2	Re: ATR - Who are we? Some great posts here guys, fascinating how we all have different backgrounds and come from all over the place yet still meet up on a regular basis, keep em coming and dont be shy in posting in other threads in the future. __________________ ~Professional Photographer ~ My Images

31-10-2007, 20:29	#16 (permalink)
mowgli77 Group 1 Punter Join Date: 15 Jun 2005 Location: Bradford, England Posts: 6,302	Re: ATR - Who are we? I’m Phil, 30 years old and been gambling/backing horses since about 19yrs old. I was walking past my local bookies when my uncle was on his way in and said he’d had a bet on four horses. He asked me if I wanted to buy into his bet and go half stakes. I gave him £5 and got about £120 in return as all his horses won and thought easy money. Started going in the bookies regularly and used to do all my betting there till a few years ago. It’s very tempting to back in every race when you are in there and the £100 you just won has soon gone on a load of donkeys you had no intention of backing. I would normally say I prefer the flat racing but I really enjoyed last jumps season and watching the racing at the weekend from Aintree made me realise that there were probably more exciting finishes than in the whole of the flat season, those last hurdles and jumps add something to the sport. I prefer to stick to the better class races, there is less fiddling and more incentive on the horses winning than losing. As most people already know I like to select a number of horses that I will follow through the season and they have to show a genuine attitude or some level of ability. If a horse I fancy is beaten fair and square by a better horse it’s fine but if it has not run to form I like to find out why, whether it be race tactics, ground, trip, injury or being just poor on the day. This has paid off for me numerous times, mainly at Cheltenham when I suddenly hit winner after winner last year and took the bankers thread into profit with my usual suspects like My Way De Solzen, Voy Por Ustedes and Inglis Drever. I also really fancied Chief Dan George at Cheltenham and it didn’t perform. I gave it another chance at Aintree soon after and tipped it up on here at 33-1 and it won, also being matched in running for one lucky punter at about 300-1. Boscobel and Silkwood were others I put in the PL notebook from our trip to Wolverhampton races. I don’t personally like AW racing very much but those two horses have paid me back big time after their Royal Ascot successes. I think everyone should have a notebook, either paper notebook or virtual notebook as you are then testing your ability to pick future winners or future stars. I wanted to prove myself in the ATR forum and gradually got noticed after putting up plenty of reasoning with my selections. I don’t know why anyone would back a horse without it, if you are willing to put your money on it then know why you are backing it. Would you a buy a car from Auto Trader if the advert read "Ford Focus - £3,000" but had no other details? Always like to hear other people’s opinions and have only used Betfair recently. I have started to do more place betting now too. If I fancy a horse ew but I’m not too confident on it winning I might put more on the place part of the bet and back win/place on betfair instead of ew with a bookies. I used to use bet365 mainly but their early odds are often poor. One of my best selections on here was 3 horses against the fav in a sprint (my least successful type of race) and they came in in the correct order at 20-1, 20-1 and 50-1 with the winner being my nap that day. I try get to the local courses like Pontefract, York, Doncaster, Wetherby, Ripon etc and also try get to the Punters Lounge meetings but I’m definitely leaving the Mrs at home next time as she picked 5 winners and I couldn’t pick my nose at the last one. I like this thread because it gives some background to a user name. I’ve met people off punters lounge too and it is weird because suddenly a user name is a real person in front of you and you feel like you already know them. If you haven’t been to any PL race meetings yet you should try get to one, just don’t ask me for any winners. Finally, for the jumps season I’d say keep an eye on Star De Mohaison. I really like this horse and if Nicholls has it fit and ready to go it will win some big races this season. The other would be Katchit, saw it last season at Wetherby, followed it and was really impressed. Bowles is the man for the trends and I’m sure he will pick out following Ferdy Murphy’s horses at Cheltenham, the man can’t be ignored. 33-1 and 50-1 winners for a trainer who does really well there. One horse I won’t touch is Detroit City, for me it looked like it was fed up of racing; it was lacklustre and uninterested and will be one to swerve in my opinion. Don’t forget to get an entry in the PL 10 to follow for the jumps season too, the more the merrier. __________________ I've been dreaming of a time when, to be English is not to be baneful, to be standing by the flag not feeling shameful, racist or partial.

31-10-2007, 21:18	#17 (permalink)
socky1 67 days to go Join Date: 06 Jul 2005 Location: Staffordshire Age: 29 Posts: 1,655	Re: ATR - Who are we? I’m Andy 29, I have been into horse racing pretty much since I was 16. Having tried my hand at every conceivable form of gambling over the years, Horse Racing is probably the only one I can honestly say I’m any good at. The love affair started for me way back in 95 when I was mentored by one of the most knowledgeable people I have ever met called Wilf. At 16 years old I think it’s very difficult to listen to somebody when they are trying to give you useful information but this guy had a charisma to him that made that made everything he said interesting. Over the next few years despite the fact he was in his late fifties we became very good friends from our time in the bookies and stuff and I even went racing with him a few times. Basically he taught everything there is to know about reading form, but unfortunately one thing he couldn’t pass on to me no matter how much he tried was discipline. I had to learn that lesson the hard way, many a time I’d spend all day studying the form to pick out one really good winner only spunk it all on the 6:06 at Monmore. Eventually my attitude towards gambling changed. I started working in the industry about 4 years ago which really opened my eyes to a lot things since then despite the odd lapse occasionally I manage to enjoy racing more than ever. What do I love most about horse racing? Well I’ve have to say actually going to the races; you cannot beat a day out at the races with the lads although I get just as much enjoyment watching a winner in the comfort of my own home. My PL experience so far, joined up about two years ago and although perhaps not as active on the tipping front as I used to be I still very much enjoy lerking about reading some of you other guys views. As some of you may know I don’t bet on flat racing, which is why I have been rarely about over the last 6 months but expect plenty more of my views again as the jumps season really gets itself into gear. Socky. __________________ You got to know when to hold em, know when to fold em,Know when to walk away and know when to run.You never count your money when youre sittin at the table.Therell be time enough for countin when the dealins done.

31-10-2007, 22:22	#18 (permalink)
tedthewolf I'LL BACK ANY OLD RAG E/W Join Date: 15 Jan 2007 Location: NORN IRON Age: 44 Posts: 1,756 Awards Showcase Total Awards: 2	Re: ATR - Who are we? 34 or is it 43 yo extremely good looking ulster man who speaks his mind.My 1st bet was like a lot of people in the grand national.I was 13 this horse ran very well the 4(i think) years it ran in the race no not Red Rum THE PILGARLIC i backed it e/w every year it ran.My uncle loved to back fav's he would then go to the pub to watch them with his 1/2 pint of bass and a whiskey chaser(black bush)it was he who tipped me my 1st winner CHARLIE MUDDLE that was me hooked.I like the jumps best and my fav was DAWN RUN.I love going to the track it gives me a buzz.I hate cheating in racing/sport. I have been to the dogs a few times and also horse trotting when in oz.I enjoy most sports and i am proud when someone from our we country does well.