Who cares? The fact of the matter is, and what Steve Whiteley has proved in addition to Agnes Haddock, who is known for her ‘nice names’ formula and netting £688,620 on a £2 bet, is that you can win a lot on a small bet, and whatever the odds are, there’s definitely a chance that if you put one on, you could make a small (or even huge) fortune.
Small deposits on high risk bets that result in substantial wins are the current trend on Bettor.com. Last week we saw hundreds and thousands of pounds being won on bets under a tenner.
Steve was lucky on Tuesday. In fact, his win just shows that you don’t need to be a professional gambler to win big. He chose one of the six horses because he liked the name of its jockey, who he knew nothing about, which proves that form is not always necessary for a winning formula. The horse was the 12-1 shot Lupita.
I mostly consider a horses form when making my selection, but admit that I also occasionally use other factors and my gut feeling.
When I was in my late teens I went to the races for the first time and planned to spend a maximum of £2 on a bet for each race. I won seven, yes, SEVEN out of ten races. I couldn’t believe it. After winning six races and making a profit of £80 I realised that my luck was in and increased my stake to £10 for the final race. I ended up with a total profit of just over £500. What a feeling! OK, winning £1.4 million must have been more surreal and encompass a greater feeling of shock as well as elation, but that will certainly be a day that I never forget. That was when my love of horse racing began.
After stupidly flashing the cash around that I’d won, which resulted in numerous rounds of drinks and an empty pocket before my journey home had even commenced, I was asked by a few people what my strategy involved. Well, betting, as shown by Steve winning his £1.4m on a horse selected for the jockey’s name and by Agnes winning with horses selected for ‘nice names’, is not rocket science. A lot of it is based on luck and your gut feeling. Sure, you can look at the form and consider how well a horse has run in previous races and on what type of ground to make some winning decisions, but gut feeling is essential and that's all I used that day because, at that point, I hadn’t got a clue about form. So, whether you select a horse based on its spirit in the paddock before a race or just because you like its name, if you have that butterfly feeling and you’re having a particularly good day, it's worth a small bet.
As I mentioned earlier, on Bettor.com we’re seeing a trend of small bets and big wins. So for those wanting to put a bet on the upcoming Cheltenham Festival, here are some tips that may be worth considering:
1) Put the bet on. You’ve got to be in it to win it!
2) Consider the form and odds. Although you may be tempted with a favourite on paper, look at each horse in the paddock before the race commences. Just by gauging their temperament on the day may give you a gut feeling about their performance.
3) Review the horses’ or jockeys’ names. Agnes Haddock swears by her ‘nice names’ formula and Steve selected his last horse based on the jockeys’ name. So, if any stand out, it could be worth a bet.
4) Less is more. Don't be greedy. There’s no doubt about it, if you start spending more than you can afford on a horse and walk away with nothing after 10 races, you’ll be gutted, so, stick to a budget.
5) Finally, it’s your gut feeling and no-one elses that matters. So even if the tips come flooding in from your mates and they recommend you change your ridiculous selection, ensure you're content with your final decision.
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