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The Inside Scoop (iii)
- By Matt Finnigan
- Published 10/5/2007
- Weekly Columns
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Matt Finnigan
I have been professional punter and successful trader since August 2002 when I left my high profile job as company spokesman for Ladbrokes. I believe the two disciplines are separate, because one is gambling and the other is risk management, however I do feel there is room for both and you should never be frightened to take one-way positions.
During the past five years I kept a low profile although I have acted as consultant to various companies within this industry. November 2007 I decide to launch Pro X Trading to mentor a maximum 100 traders become more professional with their approach to trading, enabling them supplement their income with extra money from the exchanges.
As a professional punter I spend hours researching my bets, lays and trades, I do so with a complete open mind. I hate comments like never back odds on favourites in flat handicap races or lay the favourite in novice, hunter & beginner chases. Often these types of remarks are not backed up hard facts and the person making them is trying to appear more knowledgeable than they actually are.
So what are the facts?
If we take the favourite novice, hunter and beginner chasers over the last 3 national hunt seasons you would have actually made a level stake profit of over 60 points. However its not just a case of blindly backing every single favourite in these races.
The actual most profitable races are 3m and above races, with only 6 to 9 runners and the price of the favourite is between even money and 5/2. Of the 99 races that have qualified over the past three seasons the total level stake profit is 63.97 points or 64.61% Return on Investment
Past results have no bearing on future results, but I will be backing THE ENTOMOLOGIST in the 3.05 at Hexham today as the races fits the profile.
As punters we are always looking for angles to stay ahead of the game and my advice would be keep an open mind in the future and to be honest your have never had it so good. Because of exchanges like Betfair the false favourite is a thing of the past, and this gives you a opportunity to get a true picture in certain type of races.
The 21st Century punter is armed with so much information it astounds me how very few use this information to their benefit.
In Summary
The method I revealed today is a fraction of my money making strategies that I use for horse racing, this method takes seconds to find a qualifying bet, but it took months in research before I was confident enough to part with my hard earned cash. In world of betting exchanges, we have been slightly blinded by either laying or trading for a profit when it comes to horse racing. Less than 10 years ago the only way to make money as punter was through backing, you now have three ways and if you use each individual discipline effectively, you will make a nice long term profit.