Friday Fun & Saturday Preview

No loopholes, it seems, dear reader, in Betfair. At least judging by your comments. I think we'll leave the debate there, and move on...

Nottingham proved a good place to bet today, with the 10/11 favourite well beaten as suggested in the opener, but my selection plum last from what I thought was an ideal draw in 14. Given that the last four home were drawn 11-14 of 14, I feared the worst. However, three of them were 50/1, 66/1 and 80/1.

In the next race, I was sweet on the favourite, who obliged at a tight evens. No cream there for the average punter. My opposition of Readily was matched on course, as she was sent off 7/1 before finishing a nicely stuffed 10th.

In the last race, I was surprised to see Bold Argument start at 15/2, which I considered too big, and availed myself of (over 10 on betfair!). Any earlier reservations about the draw bias evaporated, as 17 (of 17) beat 11 and 16.

Who needs the form book?! ;o)

******

On to tomorrow, and the Swinton Hurdle is the big race. 'Just' the 24 runners line up, and its tricky to say the least.

Some trends that will help us, from the last ten runnings:

10/10 were aged 4-6yo (cheerio to six old'uns)
8/10 were officially rated between 125 and 136 (nine classy horses, whose form is more exposed, are reluctantly eliminated: this is a race for the young improving types)
9/10 were placed or better in 50% or more of their races last season, and all won (two fail on this)
9/10 had had between 4 and 9 hurdle runs, which erases another one horse here

So, I'm quietly confident that the winner is on my list of six. But not sure where...

A four year old has not won since 2000, so I will reluctantly cross out Mamlook and Lazy Darren, leaving a quartet to conjure with. These are Blue Bajan, Working Title, I Hear A Symphony, and Raise Your Heart.

One other stat is that 8/10 carried 10-06 or less to win. A strict interpretation of the stats then would cross out Blue Bajan and Working Title, but - given they carry - a pound and two pounds over this threshold, I leave them in. [I never said this was a science!]

The four are 10/1 or bigger, so back them all win only. I will be and, when Mamlook or Lazy Darren wins, I'll be blubbing in the corner...

******

They race tomorrow at Ascot too, and its too hard for me. I reckon the middle of the track is likely to be the best place to be, and a 4-6yo has won the last eight runnings. No more than token selections are Al Khaleej and Fishfourcompliments, who have both got jockey bookings that imply they are expected to run well...

******

Just time for a spot of Friday Fun before I hit the pub... and this week, I've reverted to Family Guy to entertain us all... Its low grade, its American, and its pretty darned funny to boot! As you know, here at Nag3, I promote sensible betting with money that you can afford to lose... or this could happen! (yes, I know it repeats itself, but its almost worth watching twice!)



Good weekend one and all,
Matt

Some You Win... But Not With Betfair Loophole!

And some, dear reader, you just do not. The Chester Cup is mare of a race for me, and this year was no exception. Four 'universal truths' of the past decade, three remain intact. But, importantly, one of them (poor previous performance at the track) now breached.

Now, of course with hindsight, I can see that qualitatively, Bulwark's sole previous course start was a close sixth from draw 15 in the same race in 2006. It's all so easy now...!

And in the sprint, where I sided with the two Kings, Orchisios and Of Swords, the Sword was a non-runner, but alas for Orchisios he broke a leg and has passed to another equine plane.

Better luck was to be had at Beverley, where the sprint advice proved to be gravy.

The three 5f contests were all won by the highest drawn horse, and this is by no means a rarity. At odds of 5/2, 7/1 and 4/1, that's pretty good.

Better yet, we got the forecast up in the handicap sprint for older horses, Namir beating Glasshoughton (Pawan was an unlucky fourth).

Keep more than an eye out for the high boxes in the sprints at Beverley, when the ground is riding good or faster.

******

Pretty uninspiring fare tomorrow, but at Nottingham we have another chance to play the draw. High numbers have a definite edge, so lets see what we can do with that.

In the opening maiden over six furlongs, there is a short priced (around evens) favourite coming from box 8 of 14. But she's up against the colts here, and I'll look elsewhere for value. Kenton Street has the plum draw in 14, and ran a creditable fourth in his only start last season.

With the aggressive Alan Munro in the saddle, he could try to make all. Look out also for the lady, Little Cee. She ran a stinker when fancied on debut, and David Elsworth is a wily trainer. If she's not being targeted for handicaps in due course, she could run well against the chaps.

Art Princess looks to have an excellent chance of going one better than her runner up spot in the fillies juvenile maiden (2.00). Oppose Readily, who will have to be pretty good to overcome her draw, if I'm reading things correctly.

In the closing apprentice handicap (4.45), best jockey and best draw combine for Bold Argument who, while not a controversial or inspired selection, must go close in a race with a lot of dross in it.

Small stakes only: keep the powder dry for another day is my call.

******

Finally, I've had a couple of emails about a product that you are very likely to have heard of recently: Betfair Loophole.

Here's my take. If there was ever a loophole on Betfair, it would be spotted in about five minutes flat and closed.

Moreover, if you had a loophole on Betfair, would you chance it being closed by broadcasting it and trying to tell people for just £55?!

I know that I wouldn't. As much as I love you fine people, I'd be keeping firmly shtum on that one.

So, I've not seen the product and I can't say for sure that its guff. But the premise is most certainly preposterous!

[Incidentally, if you've purchased the aforementioned product, do please leave a comment with your experiences to date... just click the 'comments' link beneath this post.]

That's all folks!
Matt

Draw Specialists...

Back in the saddle, dear reader, after a few days away from it all in sunny Dorset. And what a few days they were!

The Guineas preview may not have been nearly as amusing as last year's Fudd-story, but it was more lucrative for sure.

From a quartet on the shortlist in each of the boys and girls races, we found the forecast in each. In fairness, though I tipped up Henrythenavigator, the 11/1 winner of the colts' race, I ducked Natagora in the fillies' equivalent, as she was a shorter price than many of the recent winners. I think she is a very good fast lass, in the mould of Attraction, Mark Johnston's flyer who led from trap to line in 2004.

As for Henry, well the front two came clear (he pipped New Approach), and both look above average to my relatively untutored eye (I'm a stats man, rather than a seasoned interpreter of collateral form). That connections believe the winner will improve significantly for the run marks our Henry down as a miler to follow.

And a mile is the trip for this one: he'll not stay the Derby trip, despite the curious noises coming from the O'Brien camp. Save your money for something else of theirs (Kingdom of Naples).

******

A quick update on TFS, as always. My regular reader (hello mum!) will know that I am very fond of the punter's motto:

After a good run expect a bad run; after a bad run expect a good run.

And so it was that after a luckless fortnight or so, once Ephorus broke the spell, so the winners came again. And how!

As one TFS subscriber wrote,

"As you know i've emailed you a fair bit since joining. sorry ;-) . I probably joined at a really iffy time , loser after loser but kept the faith and am well happy with proponent, slugger o toole, redolent and just jimmy. Now i'm playing with their money which is a far healthier position. Also as i'm usually out have been playing at betfair sp, which seems to be going really well :-) Heres to the future."

Since Ephorus won at 6/1 for us last Wednesday, we've cheered home winners at (in chronological order): 13/8, 4/1, 11/2, 8/1, 11/1, and today's only runner, the 7/1 shot Just Jimmy.

In fact, the other potential qualifier, who failed on price as a 16/1 shot (we only bet 14/1 or shorter), finished 2nd beaten a short head.

The TFS guide has been withdrawn from sale, as I said it would, due to some eejits who choose to spoil things for others by giving away my copyright for free (since addressed both logistically and legally, I'm pleased to report).

You can get TFS by email subscription from the page, www.trainerflatstats.com, but we're probably about to head for another losing run... ;o)

Results to date are here: www.trainerflatstats.com/TFS2008results.html

(over £500 up to £20 stakes since the start of the season...)

******

Although the jumps season has now finished, there is still a fair bit of Summer jumping on the screens. And so it was that I was lapsing my discipline tonight and wagering from race to race (naughty boy!).

In the last at Exeter, I saw the familiar (to me at least, and probably to some of you) name of Felix de Giles on the favourite. The horse had form, though had been second three of his last five starts (normally alarm bells ring in these cases).

But the jockey is class, and this was a race for conditional jockeys (i.e. apprentices).

So it was that coming to the last, de Giles' mount was trying to add to his silver medal collection, but the savvy Felix was having none of it, kidding and cajoling the nag to the front where it mattered.

I tell you this because I encourage you to keep an eye out for this boy. Better judges than me think he's going to be top drawer. His guv'nor is none other than Nicky Henderson, who doesn't normally trouble himself with mediocrity.

He's a jock on his way to the top...

******

It's draw bias nirvana tomorrow, as not one but two of the strongest stall position influences feature in a few hours of favoured trap heaven! Chester (low) and Beverley (high) are tough to top when it comes to influential starting positions, which are obviously accentuated the shorter the trip.

At Chester first, and ignoring the opening juvenile event (I'd go for Doncaster Rover if pressed), the lowest drawn four all look to have a squeak. At the odds, I like King Orchisios (though he's the likely favourite) and King Of Swords. The other two with low draws are Paul Green and Invincible Force.

But I'll be having a small perm exacta (these four to be first or second in any order) as well.

Over at Beverley, the 2.30 presents Namir with a great opportunity to optimise his rail draw in the 11 box. He has course and distance 'previous', and will be on the premises for sure.

Again, the perm exacta comes to hand, and I'll play Namir with Glasshoughton and the redoubtable Pawan (ridden, and trained, by the redoubtable Ann Stokell).

Blue Jack has the rail in the 4.45, another sprint, and is worth a second glance, but perhaps of most interest - numerically at least - is the penultimate race, a seven furlong sprint.

Sixteen runners contest, and obviously we're going high. Princess Maria, having had three runs in maidens, now contests a weakish handicap for the first time, and she has the rail berth in 16. Interestingly enough, she is flanked in boxes 15 and 14 by Lu's Woman and Piverina, both of whom are also having their handicap debuts, following three runs in maidens.

Given that there is only one other runner in the entire field to which this comment applies and, furthermore, that the handlers of this tricky trio are Richard Fahey, Mick Easterby and David Barron respectively, I'll look no further for my wagers.

I expect all three to improve markedly on ostensible form demonstrated to date, and one will pick up the prize. No idea which though. I'll go win only on all three, and perm them for the forecast (incidentally, four permed is 12 bets and three permed is six bets, if that helps).

******

Finally on tomorrow's racing, it's back to Chester for a preview of the Chester Cup, an apparently insoluble handicap over two and a quarter miles.

Some trends from the last ten years to potentially assist in the winner finding process (though my record in the race is terrible):

1. 10/10 aged 4 to 7 (ciao ciao to 4 horses, including last year's winner, Greenwich Meantime)
2. 10/10 were having their seasonal debut or had just one run prior to winning here (Shipmaster sets sail)
3. 10/10 had won over 2 miles or more, either on flat or over jumps (another three are scratched)
4. 10/10 were having their first look at Chester OR had been placed at least once here before (it's cheery-bye to yet four more)

These four universal truths of the last decade pare the 17 runner field down to a more manageable five. Alas, thereafter, it gets more difficult and we still have the joint favourites in that quintet.

I happen to believe that in a big field end to end gallop, low drawn horses are at a distinct advantage, even over this marathon trip. Even though 'only' seven of the last ten winners were drawn in single figures, closer inspection of the other three shows that last year (where the first three home had double digit draws) they went lightning fast and broke the course record; in 2005, six of the last seven home were drawn double figured; and in 1999, Rainbow High also set a then course record.

So, barring track records, I expect a horse drawn one to nine to win. From our remaining five, it's au revoir to the two classy jumps horses Fair Along and Sentry Duty, which leaves the three at the bottom of the handicap, Highland Legacy, Missoula, and Double Banded.

Missoula was given a freshener over hurdles a couple of months ago, and Messrs Bell and Dunlop Senior have employed Jamie Spencer and Kerrin McEvoy respectively for the 4yo's.

I can't split these three, so will split my stake across them 40/40/20 on Highland, Double and Missoula respectively.

Like I say, my luck in this race is shocking. But it has to change some time... Doesn't it?!

Matt

Two (Thousand) Pints Of Guineas Please...

It's Guineas weekend, dear reader, and it reminds me of one of my favourite posts since I started doing, this 'ere blog. Last year, I previewed the 2,000 Guineas in the style of Elmer Fudd, the syntactically challenged wabbit hunter in Bugs Bunny.

The tip was wubbish, the post hilawious. See it here...

On to this year's race, and it looks pretty straightforward (as so many races do on paper, prior to the nasty but necessary elements of turf, horseflesh and human interaction entering the equation).

The stats over the last ten years show some reasonably strong traits:

10/10 won at least once at 2
9/10 were either having their 3yo debut, OR had won their only 3yo start
The last winners had all placed or better in a Group race at 2
9/10 were 11/1 or shorter on the day (exception was last year's winner)

Applying these four stats and, after stat one, we lose one rag. After stat two, we lose four. Stat three boots out six of the remaining ten.

The four left standing are New Approach, Ibn Khaldun, Henrythenavigator, and Stimulation.

The last named may be too big a price, which leaves us the previous three.

It's difficult to pick between them, but 50% of the last ten winners (yes, five of them!) were Irish trained (from far fewer runners), as New Approach and Henryetc. are.

To counter that, only one of the last ten runnings has gone to the favourite (George Washington in 2006). So I'd be a little wary of lumping on the New Approach at 6/4 or thereabouts, despite apparently bombproof form.

The thing with taking so many horses first time out, is a hell of a lot needs to be taken on trust. And trusting in dumb animals at short prices may not be the way to the counting house. So, on value grounds only, I will split my stake 40/40/20 on Ibn, Henry, and Stimulation (or 50/50 if the latter drifts on the day).

When New Approach wins, I'll be thrilled of course... ahem.

******

Moving on to the ladies on Sunday, and - although I'm not really a fan of adding the whimsies of the fairer sex to the aforementioned imponderables of first time outer's (with apologies to any unwhimsical fillies reading this!) - there remain some strong patterns here too.

Over the last decade, the stats say this:

10/10 won at 2
9/10 were either having their 3yo debut, OR had won their only 3yo start
9/10 were placed or better in Group class at 2
10/10 were 14/1 or shorter

Interestingly, the point about placing or better in Group races as a juvenile strikes out both Infallible and Muthabara, who may just not have enough class for this.

The quartet who make the shortlist are Kitty Matcham, Natagora, Spacious and Laureldean Gale.

I think it may be misleading to say that 8/10 were British trained, because probably 80% of runners were British too!

Natagora, if she stays, may well win, but no less than six of the last ten winners were 10/1-14/1. I know many of you will be yelling at your pc's, "but the horse doesn't know what price she is!", and you may be right.

I happen to think that on one of the most studied races of the season, the market will not be too far away from reality.

On that debatably tenuous basis, I'll cut my shortlist to Kitty Matcham and Laureldean Gale (probable back to lay, given that Dettori rides, currently 25 on betfair...), and hope for some luck with the lay-deez...

Good luck with your fancies at Newmarket.

A note about Thirsk tomorrow from a draw perspective: if it rains between now and then in Yorkshire, and it surely will, then look to the low boxes in the big field sprint at 4.55. Each way plays on Charles Parnell, Tartatartufata, and Jilly Why may prove lucrative: they're drawn 1, 2 and 3 and they've all won on good to soft or softer.

Of course, if I'm wrong about the draw, we'll all have done six units!

******

Finally, now that the doors are shut for TTS (end of season) and TFS (window still open for subscription only), time for a spot of Friday Fun. And, this week, I have an amusing little music quiz for you.

[TFS today: five run so far, 2nd 9/4, 1st 13/8, 3rd 4/1, forecast 4/1 and 10/1 (1st and 2nd): exacta £70.00 to a £1]

Guess the song from the statistical representation:

Toodlepip!

Matt

Despatches: Fin Du Siecle...

It feels, dear reader, very much like the last day of school today. You see, the 30th April is the end of the TrainerTrackStats (TTS) season.

TTS runs, as many of you know, from beginning of September to end of April. And, as many of you also know, it's been nicely lining your pockets (and mine!) during this time.

The full results sheet is now up on the site here. This was the second season that I have published my research, and I'm somewhat proud of the fact that its also the second season that TTS followers have made a healthy return. For those of you with an appetite for such things, the 2006/7 seasonal results are here.

The tale of the tape is that in 2006/7, TTS made just over 60 points profit to betfair odds (£1,207 to £20 stakes).

In the season just finished, we made a fantastic 96.8 points profit to betfair odds (or £1,936 to £20 stakes).

If you think these results are anything less than impressive, then you are either VERY new to horse racing and believe there is an alchemy solution somewhere, or you are awaiting a lift in the blue lighted ice cream van to the nut house... ;o)

I charged the princely fee of £57 in the first season and, based on the success, perversely only £37 in the second season. Why? Because I want the little guy to get closer to being in front.

The results of yesterday's survey - so far, 408 have replied (thanks a million: I've been amazed at the response rate!) - are that 66% of respondents are losing or breaking even in their betting overall.

And also, interestingly, 66% of you use betfair or another betting exchange to bet most often. (For the other third of you, do you know you're losing money by not using betfair?! Click the link on the left of the page, get £25 for depositing a tenner, and get 20% better odds the next time you place a bet!!)

My point is that two thirds of you are taking advantage of betfair AND STILL DOING NO BETTER THAN BREAKING EVEN!

Which means that before betfair, I can include the 31% (this includes me!) who said they are winning a bit, and confidently state that 97% of us were doing no better than breaking even.

So, here it is: rule number one. If you want to stand any chance of winning at betting, open a betfair account NOW. Better still, do it through my link on the left hand side, and we'll both get a thank you from betfair (you £25, me £20). Happy days :o)

So, that places into context, what a good result it is to make 60 or 100 points from a rigid statistical approach to betting, using a tool such as TTS.

TrainerFlatStats (now all but off the market, except for subscription only) has had a mercurial season to date, with a flying start quickly countered by a week in the doldrums. The only TFS qualifier today won at 6/1, which was a welcome riposte to what had gone before, and illustrates that it only takes one winner to make a big difference on the monthly points tally. TFS is marginally in front for the fledgling season.

******

Ok, what else did I learn from the survey?

A whopping 95.5% of you bet a few times a week up to every day. Wow!

Average stake is about five pounds, with a few big players out there. 50p or £50 punter: you're all equally welcome here. Nag3 has no hierarchy (except that I'm the one with the virtual pen!).

[Incidentally, for those of you who work in an office environment, here's my number one tip for meetings. If you want to get your point across, make sure you are the scribe. No matter what is said in the meeting, if you are the minute taker you have a degree of freedom to 'interpret' / 'massage' what others have said so that their words align merrily with your tune... Apologies if that's slightly off topic!]

A really interesting point that came out from the survey results is that less than 10% of you bet most often at a high street bookie. Now we probably all pop in from time to time, but its amazing to think that in the ten years or so that the internet has been truly mainstream, 90% of us now prefer to wager online. Wow again!

And only 5% of you don't have an online betting account of some description. That's a third wow!

A further point that surprised me - pleasantly - about the survey results is that only 6.6% of you didn't think it was possibly to make money consistently from betting.

One sixth of you weren't sure, and an excellent optimistic 77.2% of you believe that it is possible to make consistent money betting. That's bloody marvellous, guys and girls! Because that's what we're about here, and we don't want the nay-sayers and profits of doom discolouring our bright skies.

If you're one of the 'don't know' camp, then I hope that you will be in the 'yes' camp after a time with Nag3. :o)

You can see all of the survey responses (less people's email addresses of course!) here.

Incidentally, one of the things you can't see in the attached is the comments about the one thing that would make you a better bettor. An overwhelming majority of you said that DISCIPLINE was the key that you were missing.

I tend to agree with you (having layed Bankable this afternoon, even though I thought it would probably win), and I'll be doing some stuff on how to train yourself to be better disciplined in the coming weeks.

The five lucky winners of TFS guides this time are:

brenmarbay
ptchsmith
geoffstraw
m45adams
clifjenkinson

Well done to you guys, and - again - thanks a lot to everyone who shared their views. It's proved truly instructive once again.

******

Moving on, and I did another little video for you last night, on how to trade on football using betfair (another reason to get an account if you haven't already done so!!)

As with the first one, the production quality is pretty shabby. And as with the first one I've still got a bad head cold, so apologies for the nasal narration.

However, I made a couple of quid in real time, and it's a simple enough strategy that anyone can follow. Intermediate or advanced punters will probably know this already, so bear with me while I bring some of the newcomers in the Nag3 class 'up to speed'. :o)

Click the link to watch the vid! [and apologies if you can't see it - seems to be quite small...]

Watch Matt make money online...

That's all for today - in case you're wondering where I'll be watching the footy tonight, I won't. See the comment on yesterday's blog post to establish where I'll be. I was going to ban this user for blatant spamming, but given that it's my girlfriend, I can't really!!

Ciao ciao.
Matt

I've Got A New Toy!

Dear reader has been a ubiquitous refrain almost since day one on this 'ere little blog. And now, I'm delighted to announce, I've gone multimedia, and introduced hitherto unheard of modern technologies, in the form of audio and... video!

I've invested in a rather splendid new toy called Visual Studio that allows me to 'record' my PC screen. This means I can show you all sorts of clever tricks and tips and favourite sites in the future.

It should be said at this point that I'm still learning how to use it, as will become evident from the first clip below. And the fact that I'm nursing a horrendous cold and sound like the bloke from the Tunes advert (anyone else remember 'secodd class return to dottigham please'?!) should not detract from my unbridled pride at being able to personally introduce you to my little virtual 'pied a terre'...

See my video here...

Please let me know what you make of it: remember, it's your feedback that's contributed to such quantum leaps in technology and service offering! ;o)


Elsewhere, and no less than TWO of my ten to follow are running tomorrow night at Bath. Which is curious as one of the other two to run from my ten also ran (and won) at Bath last week.

Brexca and Naughty Thoughts are the two, and they are a good bit shorter in the betting than we might have hoped. So let's see how they fare...

That's all for today.

Happy Monday!
Matt

Sandown Preview

Sometimes, dear reader, a reasoned process of elimination can distill a fiendishly difficult looking handicap chase into a somewhat more soluble puzzle. A case in point is the Grand National, where the sensible application of statistics and trends creates a shortlist that usually contains the winner.

Alas, for the big race at Sandown today, this is not the case. Despite there being some solid trends, the process of elimination whittles the runners down to a shortlist of... none!

So, no horse can win the bet365 Gold Cup? Well, this is obviously preposterous, so let's have a look and see which trend may flex to allow us to locate the winner.

A whistlestop tour of the key stats for the past ten winners are thus:

10/10 were officially rated between 129 and 152 (and nine of them between 129 and 145)
8/10 carried 10-10 or less
8/10 were aged 7, 8 or 9
9/10 ran 5-9 times that season before the race
7/10 had already won that season
8/10 had run in the last month (including the last seven winners)
8/10 placed in first 3 last time out OR unseated in the Grand National

The favourite, Iris de Balme, looks to have a good chance of emulating Hot Weld who last year won the Scottish Grand National the week before winning this race, and although I was going to strike through him for being rated only 117, I noticed that he is due to go up 27 pounds in future for his win last week.

This would put him on 144, within the official rating bracket of all of the last ten winners. He carries 10-00 (09-07 actually if his jockey can make the weight: its a long time since I was 9 and a half stone!); he's an 8yo with 5 runs to date this season; he has won twice already this term (and placed two more times); and he ran and won in the last month.

So... Iris de Balme is an unoriginal selection, but the only one who ticks all the boxes.

At around 6/1 on betfair (and 6/4 a place) I think there are many worse wagers today.

The previous race at 2.45, bet365 Celebration Chase, is clearly suffering from the season's elongated tail, with all the good horses having run at Punchestown or been put away for the season.

The fact is that the last five winners of this race (it's only been run seven times) had competed last time out in either the Grade 1 Champion Chase at Cheltenham or the Grade 1 Melling Chase at Aintree.

None of the 11 League One contenders can claim to be Championship (let along Premier League) material.

This is a swerve race, but if you must play, note the following:

6/7 were 8-10 years old
6/7 Officially rated 161+
5/7 had 5 or 6 runs prior to winning that season
There were NO last time out winners (but bear in mind all winners had run in much better races than these hairy ponies)

Monet's Garden (only one rated above 160) probably has most going for him, but I won't be wagering on this race.

Over at Ripon, I reckon the draw favours high boxes, though those closest to the far rail (i.e. drawn low and able to get the rail position) have chances too.

Princess Ellis may try to make all in the 3.05, from the top stall. But I reckon she'll be pegged back, and I'll be taking Highland Warrior to do the pegging. I'll also be having a small interest on the well drawn Steelcut and Sandwith, both of whom are tempting each way.

The top weight, Judge N'Jury, is trained by our man, R A Harris, and he may be best of the low drawn runners.

Good luck wherever you're playing today...
Matt

Friday Fun, And Survey Results Just In...!

According to a recent MORI poll, dear reader, eight out of ten cat owners (who expressed a preference) said their cats preferred Whiskers.

Surveys can be quite interesting things. I am truly surprised at your feedback, which is both flattering and instructive.

I'd like to share some of the details with you, if I may.

400 of you (well, 399 as I write) were kind enough to respond, the first 100 of you qualifying for the prize draw (winners below)...

1. How long have you been visiting Nag3?
		Response Percent	Response Count
Less than 1 month		36.3%	145
1 to 3 months		26.6%	106
3 to 6 months		10.3%	41
More than 6 months		26.8%	107
	answered question		399
	skipped question		0

2. Which of these parts of Nag3 have you visited? (Select all that apply)
		Response Percent	Response Count
Home page		86.0%	343
Blog		91.5%	365
Free Systems		78.9%	315
Premium Systems		49.1%	196
Search		25.8%	103
Contact Us		17.0%	68
	answered question		399
	skipped question		0

3. What would you like to see more of on the blog?
		Response Percent	Response Count
Racing System Reviews		77.9%	311
Race Previews		54.9%	219
Tips		65.4%	261
Free Systems		41.9%	167
My Irreverent (Irrelevant?!) Ramblings		49.1%	196

4. What would you like to see less of on the blog?
		Response Percent	Response Count
Racing System Reviews		15.8%	63
My Irreverent (Irrelevant?!) Ramblings		19.0%	76
Tips		11.8%	47
Free Systems		34.3%	137
Race Previews		25.6%	102

5. What do you like most about Nag3?
		Response Percent	Response Count
Free Systems		8.0%	32
System Reviews		38.1%	152
The Blog		53.9%	215

6. What do you like least about Nag3?
		Response Percent	Response Count
Free Systems		11.8%	47
System Reviews		5.5%	22
The Blog		3.5%	14
I Love It All Matt!		79.2%	316

7. Going slightly off track for a moment, which of the following would you be interested in reading about?
		Response Percent	Response Count
Nothing Else		23.6%	94
Business Opportunities		36.8%	147
Share / Forex Investing		33.3%	133
Bookmaker Offers		36.1%	144
	answered question		399
	skipped question		0

Sincerely, thanks a million for this feedback, which will now go to shape the future of how Nag3 looks. I want it to give you what you want it to give you... if that makes sense!

By the way, one thing that really surprised me was that a whopping 78% of you want to see more system reviews here. That in itself didn't surprise me, but I'm guessing that many of that number were not aware that the page entitled 'Premium Systems' contains links to the reviews of those products, all of which were trialled here on the blog!

If you didn't know that, feel free to check that page out. And be assured, there will be more reviews to come.

Prize draw winners are as follows:
rdasent736
woger2002
garrycurtis
je_savage
backyardgardener

If you have already purchased TFS, send me your receipt and I'll refund you. Hopefully that doesn't apply to all of you!! ;o)

Thank you again again for taking time out to do this: I will take some time over the weekend to review your individual comments, many of which have warmed me far more than the following has cooled me....

******

According to Christian mythology, dear reader, the Holy Grail was the dish, plate, or cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper, said to possess miraculous powers.

It's also the name of a racing system / service provider on the internet. This is what they had to say about TFS today:

TrainerFlatStats System...if you are getting inundated with emails
from people promoting this like I am...with the usual "only a few
copies left" ploy...yeah right!!...you can save your money. If you are
a subscriber on May 1st I will tell you where you can download it for
free. It's nothing more than stats for every racecourse that you could
find for yourself on any decent racing site and the results are HEAVILY
backfitted to include many big priced winners.

As well as preparing to instruct my lawyers (pending a full retraction of the above to the same list as were sent this), I feel a little qualification is required.

1. TFS sales page will come down on Sunday evening / Monday morning. No if's or but's. No marketing strategy. I'm extremely disappointed with the reaction of some myopic luddites who fear collaboration and prefer to defame or libel (even with the legal implications of so doing).

2. You cannot find the stats ANYwhere else, because I spend between four and six weeks each season researching them, and using criteria that nobody else uses (i.e. males only, 14/1 price threshold).

3. Backfitting.... Hmm, now this is trickier, as all statistic based systems are predicated on the belief that history will repeat itself. However, to mitigate the dangers associated with this, and also in some cases to insure against the smaller than ideal sample sizes, I always ask myself if there is a logical reason to the trend. If I don't believe that, it doesn't make the cut. And the stats have made very tidy profits.

Enough already. I am growing very tired of the back biting. Hence, TFS guide will not be available after the weekend. [Note, the subscription service will continue and will be the only way you can get involved, should you wish.]

******

Having been infuriated by these individuals, I googled Holy Grail, and was somewhat delighted to be presented with a bunch of links to youtube clips of the marvellous Monty Python movie, one of which is below. (This is especially pertinent if you live in the Smoke, and are contemplating which of the inept candidates to vote for...)



Happy Friday, and Good Weekend to you!

Hacked Off of Hackney

Imitation Is The Sincerest Form Of Flattery

It was Narcissus, dear reader, who stared into still water and fell in love with his own reflection. And it is the rest of us who tend to appreciate our compliments from other people.

So I guess I should have been flattered to learn today that the download link for TrainerFlatStats was being published freely on racing forums on the internet.

This is not the first time I've been ripped off, and I've little doubt it will be the last. Nevertheless, it leaves a bitter taste in the mouth each time.

The flip side of course is that if you're peddling crap, nobody is fussed for the link! :o)
[Rest assured, I've now changed the download link, so the thieves and scumbags will have to try a little harder for their freebie!]

Rant over!

******

Onto happier news, and all of you TrainerTrackStats followers are enjoying a pleasant enough swansong to the season, which finishes a week today.

There were three qualifiers today, and they all won. At 7/1, 7/1 and 4/1. As one happy punter put it:

WOW: Matt, Ive just come home to a sh*t load of money in my betfair account, you are almost a god! Many thanks!

Thanks for the kind words, Mr P, and I'm delighted to be of service.

[Please don't try to sign up for TTS: it's now finished for the season to new subscribers.]

In order to balance the books somewhat, I must also tell you that the two TrainerFlatStats runners were both 3rd... in 3 runner races. Nevertheless, we'll be back tomorrow for some more...

******

I've received a lot of emails in the last couple of days saying firstly that Cape Colony wasn't a qualifier Monday night, and secondly that they couldn't see Tom Dascombe on the trainers to follow list at Windsor (following my post that evening).

To put the record straight, I mistaken put up Cape Colony on the email service, and he was not a qualifier. Though he did win at 3/1. So, sorry for that. I think!

Regarding Tom Dascombe, longer suffering (!) readers will know that he was one of my six trainers to follow this season. You can see the full list here.

It also includes Ron Harris, who saddled up 10/1 winner Hart of Gold today! ;)

And, from my 'alternative ten to follow' for the season, the two runners so far have finished 3rd (my own Rapid City, at 8/1), and 1st (Dunn'o at 6/4). Check this motley crew out here.

******

They race tomorrow at Beverley and this is normally time to punt like men, using the draw to guide us in the sprints. Alas, there is only one sprint and there are only a handful of runners. :o(

I still expect high drawn horses to hold sway at up to 1m, and Cornerstone is a front runner, who could get out and stay out. I'll be having a couple of shekels each way on this one.

That's all for now, so I'll say ciao ciao.

Matt

Jeez! It's Great Leighs!

New racetracks get laid about as often as new train tracks in this country, dear reader (said the author with admirable restraint, avoiding the obvious 40 year old virgin gag).

And, based on the delays to opening Great Leighs, they are about as punctual as our dearly beloved 'rattlers'.

So it was with a mixture of curiosity and trepidation that I headed out east into the depths of Essex to see what all the fuss has been about...

Now, although Great Leighs (GL hereafter, to save my blistered digits) has opened for racing, it is not yet open to the public: yesterday was the first of six 'test days' to ensure the infrastructure and logistics can handle the expected East of England throng in due course.

I was lucky enough to be one of the invited few, by dint of the fact that my share in a beastie, Rapid City, was taking its chance (alongside all the other shares in the same horse, mercifully - it would not have been good if just a leg and his tail showed up, which is about the degree of my ownership!)

I got there late. I thought I might. But I didn't realise just how deep into Essex countryside GL is. The sane way from the metropolis (should you be a fellow capital dweller) is on the previously cursed rattler out of Liverpool St. 45 minutes from there is a lot better than about an hour and a half by car.

That said, when you get to Braintree or Chelmsford, the nearest stations, you will have to conjure a taxi or hope that the hopper bus to the track has waited for you. I'm sure that, come the opening race day (on 28th May), all will be tickety-boo in this regard.

So what of the track itself? Well, blimey... It's really quite a sight. In fact, it's a mightily impressive site. And I think 'site' is still the operative word, as this picture suggests...

But credit where credit is due: after a wait of eighteen months beyond the originally scheduled debut meeting (yes, they should have been racing since October 2006!), and even given the fact that there is a temporary grandstand, and just a pile of scaffolding where the permanent counterpart will come to rest, the racing was both competitive and well received.

My main interest, aside from the course itself, was to see how the equine apple of my eye, Rapid City, would cope in a true run race after the preposterous dawdle at Kempton last time out.

As it turned out, I'm still not sure, as the pace was no more than steady. That said, Rapid cruised through the race, and looked like the winner turning in. But, when push came to shove, as it inevitably does, Rapid was outpaced in the last two furlongs, and finished third of the eleven starters.

Nevertheless, he acquitted himself well, and will clearly be suited by a full on end to end gallop. He also provided a return on my - and, judging from the e-mailbag, a number of your - investments at 8/1 (available at 10's if you were up early on Sunday).

There will be some nice races to pretend we have a chance of winning later in the season, and just a faint possibility that I may need to hire a topper and tails for a June trip to Ascot. OK, so it's a very faint hope. But that is, after all, why people have their ickle equine interests!

As to whether GL makes the grade, only time will tell. Having been at Kempton recently for a night meeting and wondered if there was actually any racing on (there can't have been more than a hundred people in the place), I suspect that GL will go one of two ways.

My scepticism is not shared by most other judges - many of whom are far better placed than me to comment on such matters - who reckon that GL's location in a big untapped conurbation offers huge potential.

I hope they're right, because I admire the developer's entrepreneurial spirit and fearlessness in bringing this project together. Good luck to him, and you if you plan to be there on (or before) the 28th May!

One footnote from a punting perspective: there was lots of (idle) chat about best place to be, draw positions etc, which will be nothing but conjecture for at least a month, when a realistic sample of races have been run.

But I can tell you this: it's a bloody long way home from the turn, and the surface is currently riding soft. It felt like a very deep shag carpet when I strolled across it. It really takes some getting, and there'll be many done in the shadows of the post I fancy.

****

Onto despatches, and well done to you if you backed Tom Dascombe's only runner of the day today, Savile's Delight continuing the trainer's almost unbelievable record with a tidy 7/2 win at Windsor tonight.

TFS also rowed in with the 1-2 in the 6.25, Silver Rime (11/4) beating Adversity (5/1), with TFS' other horse a non-qualifier in the race (because it was 20/1: too big a price), Legislation finishing a close up fourth.

So three runners, one winner at 11/4, a 5/1 second, and an unplaced horse at Pontefract.

****

Speaking of TFS (as I inevitably always do!), I've got a special 'unadvertised bonus' for all current TFS guide purchasers, which I've just put the finishing touches to, as a way of saying thank you for your custom.

It's a short(er) guide with the same degree of detail that features in the main TrainerFlatStats guide, but this is for the four all weather tracks (including Kempton, and excluding - obviously, I hope - Great Leighs).

I've called it, predictably enough, TrainerSandStats (TSS), and look out for an email from me explaining how you can download your copy.

If you want a copy of TSS, the only way to get it is by ordering the TFS guide from here.

And just to clarify, because I know some of you have seen emails suggesting I'm going to pull the TrainerFlatStats site down soon, well.... that's true. I've really be gobsmacked by the response to TFS (hence the reason I'm giving you all another guide that I could have sold for £27 or thereabouts).

I am planning to leave the page up until next weekend, and then its coming down. This is obviously not marketing speak (you've already witnessed first hand my dodgy attempts at this, so you know I'm not telling porkies!).

As they say at Tesco's, when its gone its gone!

Right, that reminds me, time for my weekly food shop...

Matt

Quick Update on Betalay

Following on from my review of the betalay service, dear reader, and some of you have been kind enough to share your experiences since taking the plunge.

Hi Matt

Just a quick update on BetaLay. I ran through the whole card plus all the American races until about 2 a.m this morning using Grey Horse Bot.

Result - 59 winning bets with just 4 losers. I am building a bank and yesterday my stakes were £3 and later £4 using 2% of bank. Increase stakes by £1 every £50 profit.

Profit for the day £109.61 after Betfair commission deducted.

***

I have monitored this system now for the last week, I was astonished to find so many qualifiers for this simple system. What amazed me most was the SP of the qualifiers compared to the Racing Post price (this at the time scared me in laying terms) but after the weeks paper trade i find my bank starting from just £20 is now at an amazing £55.75.


Its becoming clear that betalay has been doing... well betathanjustok!

As you'll probably remember its a very simple system: my review is here, and the pitch page is here if you're interested in complementing your portfolio with a laying system.

Enjoy your weekend!
Matt

My 'Alternative' Ten To Follow

Well it seems to be the time of year, dear reader, when every man and his dog is sharing the ten horses they’re most looking forward to seeing this season. And, in the spirit of this, I thought I’d share mine with you.

However, if you’re expecting the usual ten Classic contenders, you’re in for something of a surprise…

After last season’s lucrative alternative group of ten, I’ll have another crack this season.

As caveated last season, this list has a chance to go one of two ways: I suspect that there will be no middle ground with this. Most of these horses have something to prove, and pretty much none of them will make it to the top of their class.

But, from a punting perspective, does that matter? The reason for picking these ten is that I think they may win once or twice at nice prices.

And you’ll notice a number of my favourite trainers represented here, as well as a slight concession to myself...

So, with that in mind, here we go:

1. Rough Sketch (Tr: Sir Mark Prescott; 3yo gelding)

A 3yo, with three runs in sprint maidens last season, Rough Sketch has all the classic hallmarks of a Prescott improver.

By Arc winner, Peintre Celebre, out of a Saddlers’ Wells mare, this nag is clearly bred for at least middle distances.

So it will have been no surprise that he was well beaten in three starts from 6-7f.

Likely to start off a rating in the early 50’s, I’ll be surprised if this unit isn’t placed to run up a sequence in middle to long distance handicaps.

Beware though: if he wins first time out, expect him to be odds on for a couple of runs thereafter.

2. Astrodome (Tr: Sir Mark Prescott; 3yo gelding)

The same drill again here. It really is a pea shelling exercise for the Prescott team with some of these types.

In the case of Astrodome, he makes the cut ahead of stablemates General Ting, Almamia and Lady Calido only because his sire, Domedriver, won me a stack of cash at the Breeders Cup a few years back! (Domedriver won the BC Mile, beating Rock of Gibraltar – desperate terrible ugly ride from Mick Kinane – at odds of 26/1).

I digress. Astrodome went from being beaten 22 lengths over 7f, to being beaten ‘only’ 9 lengths over a mile (8f).

He’s a half brother to Alambic who had a similar profile in 2006. That animal ended up winning six from seven in the space of as many weeks.

3. Hill Queen (Tr: Luca Cumani; 4yo filly)

Luca Cumani is known for taking a similar approach to Sir Mark in ‘warming up’ horses for handicaps.

In this case, however, I’m enrolling a slightly more exposed nag into my ten. Hill Queen had three runs in Italy as a 2yo, the last of which being a victory.

Last season, she also had three runs, culminating in a fair bronze medal at Kempton.

She’s unquestionably not a superstar, but if / when she wins, you can expect that it will pay for the times she doesn’t.

4. Ridge Rose (Tr: Luca Cumani; 4yo filly)

More in the mould of the affable and wily Italian’s stings, Ridge Rose had three anonymous enough runs in maiden company last season, and will doubtless be tackling handicaps this term.

A half-sister to none other than 2007 Champion Hurdler Sublimity, she will be running over a mile and a half or further, and I doubt she’ll be long before winning.

5. Rapid City (Tr: Julia Feilden; 5yo gelding)

Ok, so I probably do need to apologise for including this horse in my list, as I own a piece of him! However, I think he takes his place on merit.

He had a great first season for us, mopping up three AW races, and finishing 2^nd another twice, before injuring himself when running quite well in the Newbury Spring Mile.

His first since was a month ago at Kempton, and the lack of pace there was totally against him.

Julia says she’s got nothing that can live with him on the gallops, and he’s going to be running at Great Leighs in their inaugural fixture this Sunday.

I’ll be there and cheering, and I’m hopeful that our patience last year with the injury will be vindicated over the course of the spring and summer.

6. Naughty Thoughts (Tr: Tom Dascombe; 4yo filly)

I’ve nailed my colours firmly to the Dascombe mast this season in my trainers to follow series, and I have nominated one of his mules here.

Forgive me for saying this, but I love the name… However, no nag makes my ten on nomenclature alone. No indeed!

This donkey won a seller for Andrew Turnell three starts back, and was bought in the ensuing auction by the shrewd Dascombe for about nine grand.

Since then, she won an apprentice handicap (for which I believe horses do not receive a penalty), and then finished 3^rd in a soft ground Folkestone handicap.

Realistically rated on 60-odd, she is unlikely to be done with winning just yet, and is one to keep an eye on.

7. Brexca (Tr: Clive Cox; 3yo gelding)

Three runs in 2yo maidens at the end of last season, the final one of which was a runner up spot over a mile at Newbury.

He looks bred to be a miler (by Diktat out of a Distinctly North mare), and may cut some ice in decent handicaps this season.

8. Dunn’o (Tr: Clive Cox; 3yo gelding)

Another from the Cox yard, this one has also had just the three qualifying runs in maidens to date.

He ran with credit on all occasions, the worst of which was a 4 ½ length fourth behind Wednesday’s Newmarket winner, Prohibit.

He could be a nice horse and will probably be pitched at a good handicap at Royal Ascot.

Before then though, despite the option of handicaps, Cox has entered Dunn’o in a maiden at Bath next week.

9. Mullein (Tr: Ralph Beckett; 3yo filly)

Ralph is a great trainer, and I’m a big fan of him. It’s a pleasure to include one of his team here, and the filly in question is unexposed and could develop into a tidy animal.

Having finished close-ish in a very decent Ascot maiden on her debut, she came back for her first run this season in a maiden at Kempton on the all weather.

Despite making her own running, she scorched four lengths clear by the line, and has obviously got further improvement to come.

I hope Beckett doesn’t go down the conditions / listed race route with her, because although I think she could win such races, we’ll get a better price in handicaps!

10. Rattan (Tr: ‘Sir’ Henry Cecil; 3yo colt)

No list of ten would be complete in my eyes without the living legend that is Henry Cecil.

Regular readers know the affection in which I hold this man. And its not just emotional, but financial too.

After a few seasons wallowing in the doldrums (and who wouldn’t given the awful turn of events that beset dear Henry in that time), he bounced back last season in Classic-winning fashion.

He’s right at the top of the trainer’s hot list at the moment, and I think Rattan might be a nice one to look out for.

Three juvenile runs all ended in silver medals, and it surely won’t be long before this imperially bred Khalid Abdulla gets a deserved gold. Or two.

So there it is – my ten plodders to follow. Probably no equine superstars in there, but quite possibly some good payoffs to be had for those who keep the faith.

I’ll track the progress of this bunch from time to time and, if you have any comments, or your own dark horses to follow for the season, why not add them as a comment to this article.

I’ve no monopoly on content here, my racing friends!

******

Time now for a quick TrainerFlatStats update. After a slow start in March, when we finished £83 to £20 level stakes, April has been very pleasing to date. In fact this month, we’re up £242.

So, in total, that’s £325 up on the season to this point. Have you converted to TFS yet?

AND... THAT EXCLUDES TWO 20/1 WINNERS THAT WERE NON-QUALIFIERS ON THE 14/1 RULE (YES, IT HAPPENED AGAIN TODAY!!)

AND... that excludes 'unofficial' Yarmouth pick, Polar Force today... One happy Danish follower wrote:

Hi TFS,

Thanks, you're simply the best :-) I've got the "Always Brave" to 15.5/1 and went for your extra pick "Polar Force" at 19/1.

Just perfect :-)

Who am I to disagree?! ;)

Check out these completely independent blog posts here.

(They're actually quite embarrassing, but hell I'm starting to enjoy it!)

e-Guide: www.trainerflatstats.com

Monthly subscription: www.trainerflatstats.com/subscriptions.html

Results: www.trainerflatstats.com/tfs2008results.html

******

A quick joke for you:

Thieves took advantage of the "Battle of Britain "Champions League match
Between Liverpool and Arsenal on Wednesday night to burgle two more
footballers' homes. The first unfortunate player was Liverpool skipper
Steven Gerrard. The crooks got away with countless items of football
memorabilia including many of Gerrard's own medals. Amongst the items
currently being hunted by police are:

2 FA Cup winners medals
FA Youth Cup winners medal
2 league cup winners medals
Champions league winners medal
Uefa cup winners medal
2 super cup winners medals
2 charity shield winners medals

They also took a number of personal awards including player of the year,
young player of the year and his much cherished MBE


The other unfortunate player to be targeted was Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas.
Thieves are thought to have escaped with a kettle and a toaster.

******

Now I don’t normally do this, but in this case I had to make an exception. To help a little girl who has to undergo some horror treatment, a charity ‘closed auction’ is being held for some racing lots. The details are below:

Molly, age 2, is suffering from a retinoblastoma (cancer of the eye) and had her eye removed to prevent spread of cancer. Unfortunately the cancer had already spread into the fluid surrounding the brain and spine so Molly has had to begin chemotherapy.

Molly has received fabulous treatment from 3 hospitals (Dumfries Royal, Birmingham Children and Yorkhill Sick Children) all specialising in different aspects of her care. In an attempt to thank them and to support the families who spend a lot of time there Lockerbie & District Parent & Toddler Group are holding a number of fundraising events.

The lots up for grabs are:

A. Programme for 2008 Grand National signed by all the jockeys.

B. Signed autobiography of Timmy Murphy 2008 National Winner

C. Breeches belonging to Tony Dobbin (champion national hunt jockey & ‘the only jockey to win the Grand National on Monday’ who rode his last race on 12th April 2008) signed by himself, A. P. McCoy, Brian Harding and many others.

If you want to bid, you can do so by nominating the lot you are interested in, and the amount you’re prepared to bid, in an email to Lucy Mair (click here).

******

Finally, it’s Friday, so it must be Friday Fun time…

Continuing in the children’s TV mould, here is a bit of Captain Pugwash. Contrary to urban legend, all of the crew did not have smutty innuendo names. Which personally I think is a great pity….

That’s all for today. Happy Friday, and if you haven’t got TFS yet, get with the programme!

Dammit! TFS Misses 20/1 'Qualifier'

Those slings and arrows I referred to the other day are at it again, dear reader.

Newmarket raised the curtain on its bumper flat season today, and there is going to be lots of action there for TFS followers over the summer.

It is by far and away the busiest turf track for TFS - the AW has more, but that's for later in the year ;) - with no less than ELEVEN trainers to follow (nine of them two star trainers, which is very good).

And so it was that there were four potential qualifiers in the opening race.

Better still: the first three home were three of them! At 20/1, 5/1 and 7/2.

Alas for TFS, the swing had this time swung, as we only bet at 14/1 or shorter, this winner was passed up for most.

But for some, they rowed in anyway, buoyed on by the belief that it would be 14's or shorter (Racing Post forecast was 9/1!)

One email I received this evening said,

"Thanks a lot Matt, today I have accidentally wagered on Pampa's Cat, ignoring the warning about the odds being too long.. And I won at 26/1. That was a pleasant surprise, even though it was accidental. You're a genius."

Regular readers will know that I often pop a negative note on here from Angry of Andover or Disgruntled of Didcot; so it's only fair to balance that out a little... though I'm not quite sure about the genius bit!

But of course, for the strict TFS disciplinarians, who did just what they were supposed to do, this was two points lost rather than 25 odd points gained.

No matter, for later on the same card, the same trainer (John Gosden: look out especially for him and David Elsworth at Newmarket) banged in further winners at 11/10 (Virtual) and 8/1 (Prohibit) to put TFS followers in the pink yet again in this early season purple patch (if that's not too much of a colour clash mixed metaphor!). No feeling blue for us!

There's a load more tomorrow, and you can either work the runners out for yourself here, or get someone to do it for you here.

[TTS, the jumping version, is enjoying a last hurrah, with another winner today from three runners: this time at 9/2]

********

I've been working on my alternative ten to follow tonight, and will have what I hope you'll agree is an interesting list for you by Friday, so keep an eye out for those.

********

By the way, you'll have noticed a little ebook (Casino Cash Cow) on the left hand side at the top of the page. I've not tried this as I'm not a casino player. But it was recommended to me as something of interest by a normally reliable judge, and it looks an interesting concept.

If you've used this guide, please drop me a line and tell me how it went.

Until next time...
Matt