SBC members were treated this week to the release of the latest betting magazine.  Within this issue a distinct theme ran, for the three services put under the microscope each had something fundamental in common…they release bets to their subscribers the night before racing.

Now if you’re fairly new to betting you may be thinking, so what?  If you’re a seasoned bettor, you’re probably thinking, “Really?”

You see, the problems associated with consistently putting on bets the night before the racing actually takes place are numerous and the effect of you doing so can have deeply significant consequences.

The problems stem from the fact that evenings are when bookmakers, bless their little cotton socks, are feeling particularly vulnerable when it comes to taking bets on the nags.  The markets are immature, there’s not a great deal of money floating about, and because they can’t be bothered to employ a team of skilled analysts and traders to price up their books (which is what they used to do back in the day), they know that some of the prices they are offering are out of synch and that they can be punished by someone skilled in spotting their mistakes.

So what do they do?  They slash prices as soon as they see any kind of significant money coming in, and they mark the accounts of those doing the betting.  If they see customers regularly taking night-before prices on horses whose ultimate SP is shorter, then they send out one of their lovely little emails telling that customer that their business is no longer welcome.

Before we write tipsters who tip the night before off completely though, it is still possible to make good money by following them.  The reviews of the tipsters in the SBC Magazine show you how, and they also raise the other issues associated with betting very early.

In the meantime, if you are betting willy nilly in the evenings on the following day’s racing, just be careful, eh?  Pick a few steamers and you’ll find yourself persona non grata with those sensitive bookies.  And we don’t want that now, do we?

Betting Performance from Monday 10th – Sunday 23rd September

Behind the scenes there’s been a whirl of activity.  The reason?  I’m going to revamp the portfolio.  There are going to be some changes which are not a reflection on any of the services in themselves, but of a desire to have a bit more variety in the sports involved in the betting and to show what can be done by laying as well as backing.

Importantly too, it is going to show you how you can start small, and by following the right services and reinvesting profit, how you can grow a portfolio to a significant size.

The new portfolio will be launched on the 1st October, at which point too I’ll be able to reveal who’s in.  Exciting times, eh?

In light of this, I don’t want to make too much comment now about how services are performing so for this post, I’m just posting the figures.

Here they are…

AH Edge: Staked 21pts, +1.96pts, ROI 9.33%.

Fake Mug Bets Club: Staked 78pts, -33.75pts, ROI -43.26%.

Football Service 1: Staked 1pt, +1.07pts, ROI 107%.

Jason James: Staked 33.5pts, +16.2pts, ROI 49.25%.

MVS (Lite): Staked 26pts, +3.5pts, ROI 13.46%.

Northern Monkey: Staked 30.875pts, -10.317pts, ROI -33.41%.

Pilelist Racing: Staked 17.45pts, -5.475pts, ROI -31.38%.

Racing Service 1: n/a

Racing Service 2: Staked 43pts, +13.75pts, ROI 31.97%.

Racing Service 3: Staked 20pts, -5.15pts, ROI -25.75%.

There was a tipster I followed a few years back who, when he experienced an exceptionally profitable day, always referred to it as a day of ‘deep joy’.  Sadly for that chap such days were very few and far between and his service wound up some time ago, but that saying has stayed with me.

Last Saturday was a day of ‘deep joy’ for Our Wayne at Northern Monkey.  Up until then, he’d found the first days of September pretty tough going, but on Saturday it all turned around…and then some.

First up we had our 10/1 antepost selection Ripp Orf in the big 20 runner handicap at Ascot, which comfortably came home in first place at a starting price of 7s.  As if this wasn’t sweet enough in itself, Ripp Orf was the second leg of a win double with a horse we’d backed earlier in the week that had come in at 13/8, so there was a 28/1 winning double right there.

As if that wasn’t enough, we’d also backed early a nag called The Tin Man for the Group 1 sprint up at Haydock at 8s, and in that screamed too!  A couple of others that were tipped on the Saturday finding place money it was a fine day for the service.   Indeed, a day of ‘deep joy’.

And it’s a good job too, as September has got off to a generally slow and sticky start.  Jason James has done well finding a 14/1 winner and hopefully this signals a strong month – he could do with one.  Elsewhere though, five services are running at a loss, and MVS (Lite) and the Fake Mug Bets Club are particularly culpable.

Early days in the month yet, though.

AH Edge: Staked 11pts, -0.003pts.

Jason James: Staked 20pts, +14pts.

MVS (Lite): Staked 19pts, -9.5pts.

FMBC: Staked 40pts, -30.5pts.

Northern Monkey: Staked 19.5pts, +25.769pts.

Pilelist Racing: Staked 10.05pts, -4.987pts.

Racing Service B: Staked 15pts, -5.5pts.

Racing Service C: Staked 8pts, +0.375pts.

A good end to the month meant that AH Edge posted some solid figures as the top European leagues got their new season underway.  Despite the fact that this service does provide tips through the summer, I can’t help feeling that this is the start of a new ‘year’ as undoubtedly there will be more bets coming through from now to next May.  Just like any supporter feels at this time of year about their football team, the new season always brings fresh optimism and that is how I’m feeling about AH Edge right now.  Last season wasn’t a vintage one by any means, but I’m a fan of Jon’s (the service operator) work and am hopeful that 2018/19 will be far more successful.  It’s been a decent start, with August more or less treading water until the very end, when a couple of winners – including a nice tip on Nice on the last day which came in at odds of just over 2/1 – really boosted the figures.

Staked 38pts, +4.375pts, ROI 11.51%, ROC 6.56%.

August was essentially a break-even month for Racing Service C but I can’t escape the feeling that it could have been so much better.  As you would expect, the York Ebor meeting was a busy time for this service and it wasn’t far away from being a bumper week with numerous each way tips finishing in the frame at fairly juicy prices but actual winners were hard to come by.  There was one race in particular I remember in which the two tips to be running finished second and third, and that summed up neatly how recent months have been going.  Still, a good number of the tips are running well, so let’s hope the winners follow.

Staked 54pts, -0.188pts, ROI -0.34%, ROC -0.18%.

I am concerned about the form of Jason James.  August finished in the red despite a good 14/1 winner being bagged during the last week.  Turnover appears to be lower than has previously been the case although this might be a short term anomaly, and it might be down to the tipster treading carefully whilst trying to rediscover his touch.  Either way, we do need to see a return to form.  Fingers crossed that happens this month coming.

Staked 71pts, -8pts, ROI -11.26%, ROC -4%.

After a nightmare run, the fog began to lift as the month progressed for MVS (Lite).  August started in the same losing vein as July but things slowly turned around and by the end of the month things had returned more to what I have come to expect from this service.  I remember distinctly that last summer was a golden period for MVS (Lite) with winners being banged in left, right and centre.  Just goes to show how the same betting methodology is so open to variance, both positive and negative.

Staked 64pts, +3pts, ROI 4.68%, ROC 3.33%.

A really strong month for the Fake Mug Bets Club with a couple of juicy doubles being landed to ratchet the profit.  Not much more to be said.  FMBC is what it is – one for the patient as there can be long barren spells but you know it’s only a matter of time before landing a big one.

Staked 152pts, +42.25pts, ROI 27.79%, ROC 10.56%.

A frustrating end to August for Northern Monkey with a series of near misses and second places eroding away at previously amassed profit.  At one point I was 20 points up but by the end of the month that had been reduced to 4.3pts.  I guess seconditis is all part of the betting we do and we have to accept it can strike at any time.  Doesn’t make it any less annoying though!

Staked 55.25pts, +4.3pts, ROI 7.78%, ROC 5.37%.

It was great to see Pilelist Racing return to some sort of form with a nicely profitable month.  I had felt during the latter part of July, when the service took a short break to recoup and gather some thoughts, that confidence was beginning to go, but some nice winners this month has reversed the losing trend.  The value of BOG was highlighted too on the 27th, when Borderline was tipped at a price of 12/1…it won at 22s!

Staked 51.882pts, +8.924pts, ROI 17.2%, ROC 11.84%.

The end of the month proved to be something of a damp squib for Racing Service B but a series of decent-priced winners that preceded the last disappointing week or so meant the month was far from being a dead loss.  Will himself suggested he was a little frustrated at a lack of consistency in his selection, but to be honest if he’s producing nearly 20% bank growth each month, then long may he be frustrated!

Staked 88.75pts, +19.26pts, ROI 21.7%, ROC 19.26%.

In summary then, it’s not been a vintage month but after a really poor spell earlier in the summer, it’s good to get back into the red.  Let’s see if we can progress through September.

Total Figures: ROI 9.88%, ROC 4.51%.