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What Do You Think of Professional Gambler Harry Findlay?

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I’ve always said: ‘You can only take people as you find them.’

I have never met Harry Findlay in person. My only understanding of the man was via the media, perhaps the odds interview on Racing UK, as it was known back in the day. Not being much of a fan of National Hunt racing, I wasn’t into the whole story of Denman winning the Gold Cup. I remember him having a go at Nick Mordin, who I always liked, after he questioned the hopes of ‘The Tank’ winning the greatest race in the World.

As it turned out, Harry Findlay was correct.

Perhaps he was correct about a lot of things and I got him wrong. To be fair, I didn’t have any real opinion about the larger than life gambler.

People either love or hate Marmite, hey.

I had Harry’s book sitting in the bookcase for years. I think it was a Christmas from my brother, Tony.

I picked it up and put it back down.

Harry Findlay: Gambling For Life – The Man Who Won Millions And Spent Every Penny, published by Trinity Mirror Sports Media (2017) if a worthy read.

I say that after reading all but the last few pages. In fact, I stormed through pages like Denman winning the Gold Cup.

I’ve never met Harry Findlay but I would like to. In fact, I’m pretty sure we would get on well. The media perception compared to the book reveals a very different man. True, perhaps I have made a mistake but I learned enough about the big man to appreciate someone who loves his sport and went out of his way, travelling the world, to get closer to the action and live every moment. That is a far cry from most of us coach potatoes who don’t literally go the extra mile.

In truth, I feel Harry Findlay was set up to fail by so many within the horse racing world. For too many in the highest echelons of horse racing thought the man with the big mouth had too much to say and the media loved him. He wore his heart on his sleeve and spoke with passion and told his truth even if they meant cursing the life out of someone who could only be politically correct. It was more than their jobs worth to have an objective opinion.

I’m sure if we knew the truth, there were plenty of people looking to set him up, pull the rug from under his feet, and put barriers in his way.

There’s little doubt in my mind.

Harry Findlay put his money where his mouth for the love of sport, by having an opinion and backing it with cold, hard cash, and lots of it. His efforts to revive greyhound racing noble at a substantial cost to himself. A gambling man who has known the great and good, he was to fall at the final hurdle with his ‘retirement bet’ when New Zealand failed to win the Rugby World Cup in 2007.

A killer blow if there ever was one.

The thing what I like about Mr. Findlay is that all the highs and lows were the journey of his own creation. I’m sure he wouldn’t have changed a thing because it was part of his story. His passion, knowledge, plastered on the tabloids told a story he was proud to stand up for.

I’ve always said only a loser wants someone to lose.

Harry bet like no other. Fearless with a conviction where his opinion was king.

He backed himself to win. There can be no worthier test of character.

I’m not sure if Harry Findlay is betting like the good, old days but I hope his finances are back in the black and life is good. I’m pretty sure such a resourceful man will never be down for long and I for one would like to meet him one day and shake his hand.

His book helped me realise I do like Marmite after all.

Good luck, Big Fella, Thanks.

Why Become A Horse Racing Blogger?

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They say a picture is worth a thousand words.

Sometimes words say more…

In truth, I started a horse racing blog to make a living. I’d always had a passion for horse racing which meant I could write with insight detailing something more about my chosen niche of two-year-old horse racing.

If there was a competition about being the best, I’d be there lined up with the starting blocks, go-faster striped tracksuit and a dream.

I guess you could say I have been a successful blogger. I’ve had articles reach the top of the search engines, in well-known publications, millions of page views and made a few quid. The greatest accomplishment is knowing more about two-year-old horse racing than anyone on this planet.

I can hear you saying: ‘So, you won that race!’

Probably the best part of being a horse racing blogger is the people you meet. In fact, it’s something I didn’t really consider until it happened. These things have a way of coming to fruition without thinking too much about them. It’s like a natural progression.

Firstly, let’s meet Jerry Banks a professional gambler from Lowestoft. I contacted Jerry a number of years ago when we exchanged links on our website. I helped him set up his domain and one day we decided to have a day at the races.

With Great Yarmouth just down the road from his home town, it was the ideal venue to catch up and enjoy a belated meeting. It took me just over two hours to get there by train, changing at Ely and Norwich.

We had arranged to meet at the Troll Cart, Market Gates at 12:30 sharp.

Jerry arrived a few moments later. I’d seen a photo on Jerry’s blog [Jerry’s Best Bets] and looking for a man wearing a hat. He texted a few minutes before arriving so I was on the lookout for a man wearing spectacles, head of grey hair and Racing Post under his arm. A broad Suffolk accent and an outstretched hand started a friendship. After a pint of Guinness and pina coloda with umbrella (only joking I had a lager) we got a taxi to the course.

A few more pints, a bet or two and back into town we headed to the Savoy Tandoori Indian restaurant. A popadum starter followed by a lamb dish of some kind and I opted for chicken tikka masala, pilau rice & peshwari naan bread. My lager had turned into a coke that tasted too sweet and Jerry started on a the rum.

It’s always interesting hearing about someone’s gambling perspective and thoughts on life. We can all learn from others but it’s better still to enjoy the company of kind, decent like-minded people.

At nine o’clock it was time for Jerry to get the bus back to good old Lowestoft and I walked round the corner to Andover House Hotel.

It was a great day.

Why Did Harry Findlay Called Denman The Tank?

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Harry Findaly: Gambling For Life.

That’s the name of his book written by Neil Harman, published by Sport Media in 2017.

Findlay is by his own admission a Marmite kind of person: you either love him or ‘hate him. To be fair, I’ve warmed to him as I plough through his book about ‘The Man Who Won Millions And Spent Every Penny’.

I guess there are professional gambler books about poker which talks about giant bet but for a gambler in the United Kingdom I doubt there have been many who would fill his boots. Fearless isn’t the word, bordering on insanity some might say. I can’t imagine how he coped with all the stress. One moment springs to mind when he lost £100,000 in one day betting on five odds on shot at Hexham – all beaten. Another occasion, selling his house to Tony Bloom for £100,000 and tied himself up in so many knots betting on a cricket match that all he could hope was to get his money back. The book is full of so many crazy stories he must have felt as if he was on a roller coaster ride he couldn’t get off.

However, there have been many good days. One being the purchase of Denman for his mother with Paul Barber. One of the best investments of his life, an equal share of £60,000, in a beast of a horse, who took the National Hunt by storm.

Denman was a horse going places, even in those early days when winning at Wincaton, beating Victor Darnall’s Karanja by 16 lengths. The jockey on the runner-up, Andrew Thornton said: ‘That’s a f****** monster.’

Harry was convinced Denman was a future Cheltenham Gold Cup winner and was betting on him whenever the opportunity came.

On the 10th February 2006, Bangor-on-Dee, Denman was meant to face Black Jack Ketchum but he was withdrawn when an overnight frost brought concerns. Denman faced little opposition and priced 1/12f. Harry Findlay bet £360,000 to win £33,000. He said: ‘It was the easiest money I ever won!’

His first Chase experience saw him head to Exeter where he faced a worthy challenger in Penzance who ‘sailed the fence’ while Denman missed a stride and ploughed through four foot of birch. What surprised Findaly wasn’t that he landed on his feet but that he didn’t lose any ground on his opponent.

Harry put down his binoculars and said: ‘F*** me, he’s a tank.’

From that moment he was The Tank.

Denman went on to fulfil his ambitions winning the Chelteham Gold Cup in 2008.

Which horses would you recommed for the 2024 Spring Double?

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Although rarely spoken or written about as such, the ‘Spring Double’ remains a time-honoured and potentially lucrative ante-post bet, which involves coupling the winner of the Lincoln Handicap at Doncaster with the winner of the Grand National at Aintree. Traditionally the feature race on the opening day of the British Flat season, on turf at least, the Lincoln Handicap is scheduled for Saturday, March 23, 2024, while the Grand National is due to take place three weeks later on Saturday, April 13, 2024.

At the time of writing, the first leg of the Spring Double, the Lincoln Handicap, is still some months away, but the ante-post markets for both races are taking shape. Indeed, in the unlikely event that the ante-post favourite, or joint-favourite, wins both legs, the current odds of reward are a not-to-be -sneezed-at 128/1, so it’s definitely worth taking a look at the likely contenders, even at the early stage.

The 97-rated 4-year-old Botanical, trained by Roger Varian, currently heads the ante-post market for the Lincoln at odds of 8/1. The Lope De Vega has won two of his five starts so far, both at distances beyond a mile, on good to soft and soft going, on the undulating, testing track at Hamilton. Indeed, on his most recent visit to the South Lanarkshire course, in October 2023, Botanical ran out an easy 6-length winner of a Class 3 handicap, for which he was subsequently raised 10lb in the weights. At that stage, Varian said, ‘…he should be a nice horse next year’, although he did add, ‘…ground is quite important to him’.

Notwithstanding the cancellation of 2020 renewal, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the word ‘soft’ has failed to appear in the going description on Town Moor just three times in the last ten runnings of the Lincoln. Botanical may well have his ideal underfoot conditions, but the 10lb rise obviously makes life more difficult in a race as competitive as this and whether he’s quite as effective over the mainly flat, straight mile at Doncaster remains to be seen.

Obviously, with 97 entries for the Lincoln at this early stage, there are plenty of alternatives. For a recommendation, though, we’re looking to the lightly-raced 6-year-old Chazzesmee, trained by James ‘Fozzy’ Stack in Co. Tipperary. The son of high-class miler Excelebration was an comfortable winner at Naas in March 2023 and, despite a 98-day break, came within a length of defying a 13lb rise in the weights in a valuable handicap at the Curragh the following July. That form makes good reading in the context of this race and, with underfoot conditions unlikely to pose a problem, Chazzesmee makes no little appeal at 16/1.

Notwithstanding the reduction in the number of starters, from 40 to 34, in 2024, the Grand National still presents the thorniest of thorny problems from a punting perspective. Bookmakers currently bet 16/1 the field, which brings in last year’s winner Corach Rambler, trained by Lucinda Russell, Mahler Mission, trained by John McConnell in Co. Meath, and Vanillier, trained by Gavin Cromwell, also in the so-called ‘Royal County’.

Of that trio, despite lacking experience of the idiosyncratic Aintree fences, the second-named makes the most appeal, having finished a gallant, 3¾-length third in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury on his reappearance, despite losing both front shoes in the process. Mahler Mission was arguably an unlucky loser when falling at the second-last fence, when still 4 lengths in front, in the National Hunt Challenge Cup at the Cheltenham Festival last March. His stamina for the extra half a mile or so of the Grand National needs to be taken on trust, but he was keeping on well at the time of his Festival mishap, so looks to have bright prospects.