The Recreational Punter

that the Craven's there. Apologies to Robert Browning but the Craven meeting at Newmarket always lifts my heart. As I have got older I have taken more of an interest in flat racing, and even have tentatively started learning more about breeding and pedigrees. That Galileo seems quite good, and Frankel is not doing bad in his second career! For me the Craven signals spring has arrived (even when it is snowing) and it is also the true beginning of the flat turf season (with due apologies to the Lincoln and Brocklesby).  The quality of the racing is pretty good, even if the big stables do give more prep runs for their better horses on the all weather these days. I have been lucky enough to attend as a 'guest' member on 4 occasions, enduring tropical heat, electronic storms forcing all the power to go down during a race and bitterly cold winds arriving direct and uninterrupted from the Ukranian Steppes. Despite the Craven itself not being the Derby trial it used to be - after a...

Yesterday's National was a proper race - stupid statement I know but it was run at a fast gallop and produced a deserving winner in Minella Times under a superb ride by Rachael Blackmore. She was in the perfect position throughout and timed her winning move from 4 out just right. Remarkably the trainer, Henry de Bromhead, is now third in the British jump trainers championship with 8 winners from just 36 runners. I did warn readers about my tipping prowess in the big race but at least we had a bit of excitement with 2 of the 4. The disappointments were Mister Malarkey, accurately described as a s**t or bust horse. It was obvious from the first fence that it was not a going day for him, and he pulled up shortly after halfway. Surprisingly I was not the only one that fancied him, as he was backed in from 33/1 to a SP of 12/1. Yale Enki was going ok from the start to Beechers first time but gradually started falling back before being unsighted by a faller in front of him at the 20th, ...

Grand National day and the usual texts and messages "Any tips for the race?" and my heart sinks - the pressure! I was once asked in an interview what my specialist subject would be in the (very unlikely event) of me being on Mastermind. My answer was "the history of the Grand National". The interview panel looked mystified and funnily enough I did not get the job. My betting on the National was initially rather successful. I backed Red Rum to win his third. I also backed Churchtown Boy the year he did not come second after winning the Topham 2 days earlier (an achievement to nearly match Red Rum going onto to win the Scottish National 2 weeks after his second triumph in the big one). I may have backed Boom Docker when he refused when 30 lengths ahead. I definitely did back Party Politics, Maori Venture, Numbersixvalverde (the last time I had the winner) and Royal Athlete (the latter sadly only 50p each way at 66/1 in the morning - and the bookie tried to pay me out ...

Right this is a completely serious and, just, betting post (yes really). I am a massive admirer of Pam Sly. Possibly the most underrated trainer of all time, including (most importantly) in the betting.  Therefore I am persuaded the awkwardly named Eileendover is a certainty for the bumper at Liverpool tomorrow (5.45 Aintree). At that price I cannot back her but ..... I am attracted to the mare who was second to Ben Dover's cousin (sorry could not resist it) last time. Miss Lamb was giving weight to Eileendover and pulled too hard and still came 2nd. The form has been boosted since. You can back Miss Lamb at 16/1 this evening. I reckon that is a cracking bet each way.

"Why does the starting price (SP) still exist?" - a question I have never come up with an entirely satisfactory answer to.  As far as I am aware there is no such thing as a starting price for bets on sports other than horse racing. You bet on Manchester United to beat Arsenal at 2/1, 8 hours before the kick off, and that's the price you get paid at whatever fluctuations there have been in the meantime. I am pretty sure that most reasonably clued up gamblers on horse racing always take the early price rather than SP when placing their bets, which simply leaves the 'tobys' in the betting shop who get paid at starting price because the do not opt to take the price when handing the betting slip over to the cashier. A quick scan of the best prices on offer on the morning of the race usually gives you an overround of between 104% (for level weight races with short priced favourites) and 114% (for the more open handicaps). The SP overround is usually about 120%. The mos...

Easter weekend and it is the Plumpton 'Easter Festival'.  I have been going for the past 30 plus years, but for the second year running there is no trudge from the station along the footpath covered in dog shit (it's against the law to pick up in Plumpton - dog owners there do not even put their hound's poo in a pink plastic bag and hang it from a bush) but absence really is making the heart grow fonder.  Yes the 'family fun day theme' is irritating, with longer queues for the face paintings, trampolines and the roundabout than for the tote. I will even miss trying to get your monkey on the shortening favourite as the bookie patiently explains to the woman (yes sorry it is always a woman) in front of you that having £1 each way on the even money favourite is probably not a good bet , and no £1 is not enough. The quality of the racing has improved a bit over the years, with the Sussex 'Champion Hurdle' attracting a  good class of horse, but is still gener...

Breaking news - I am struggling to find a bet today. Maybe it is because of my Calvinism and associated reluctance to gamble on Good Friday, although I suspect the dour Scot John Calvin would have disapproved of wagering every day of the year. All weather finals day at Lingfield used to present an opportunity. Simply back any French trained horse as the market always underestimated them. That angle may have gone as people wised up but in any case this year there are only 2 French trained runners, and both of them used to be trained here so the unknown element is missing. A combination of the pandemic, lower prize money and (oh ok maybe) Brexit seems to have put off the Gallic raiders. There is rugby league on the telly, but it's during the afternoon. I like my rugby league after dark under lights whilst drinking a beer. In the end the only punt I may have is in the 4.30 at Newcastle, Oakenshield for Linda Stubbs. Won for Kevin Ryan last year and since then has run poorly but as a c...