General

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.

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.

It’s always interesting to hear peoples’ opinions.

A number of people, out of the blue, have said how not only do they admire Tony Bloom but he is their hero.

Much of his life is veiled in mystery. But much is there to be seen. But what are we to make of this self-made billionaire? You don’t make that kind of money without being an exceptional businessman. What’s more amazing is that he has made most of his money from gambling.

This was inspired by his grandad who enjoyed a bet on the greyhounds.

Tony Bloom’s gambling story dates back to 1985, as a fresh faced 15-year-old he visited his local betting shop in Brighton using a fake ID.

What sets Bloom apart from your average gambler is his love of mathematics. In fact, he gained a degree from Manchester University. It is a subject he used throughout his life in both business and gambling.

In the early years of his career, he started work with Ernst and Young as an accountant. This along side his gambling saw him build a bankroll of 20K.

For a short while [6 months] he worked as an options trader but hated trading his time for money. From that moment, he decided to become a professional gambler.

In fact, winning money from Victor Chandler (Bet Victor) got him a job he couldn’t refuse as head of setup for Asian operations. This position would give him valued skills in his gambling career but for the moment he was working for a bookmaker and learning Asian handicapping and living a jet-set lifestyle.

Bloom, as known as The Lizard, was very knowledgable about football and especially informing Victor Chandler about the 1998 World Cup. It is said that Chandler won a significant amount of money over this period.

France beating Brazil 3-0 was a big money spinner for the firm.

It also showed the world that Bloom had talents for understanding football.

Bloom’s understanding of Asian handicapping inspired his entrepreneurial spirit, starting up a business called Premier Bet, the first on the market to use the Asian Handicapping System. He went on to sell this business. With the rise in internet gambling websites and platforms, he invested heavily. This was much to do with the success of American poker player Chris Moneymaker who won the 2003 World Series of Poker who become a world champion after qualifying via an online poker website.

Investing his profits, Bloom setup two poker sites: St Minver and Tribeca Tables.

This venture was influenced by Tony Bloom’s love of poker. He said: ‘Poker gives you a good grounding in lots of things, including reading situations and reading people and making tough decisions. Those skills can be used in business and in running a football club.’

Born in Brighton, in 1970, he never forgot his roots.

In fact, many fans of Bloom would have first heard of him when becoming chairman of Brighton Football Club in 2009 although he was associated with this south coast outfit many years before (2000). Originally investing £93 million, his fortunes allowed him to add over £400 million of his own money to secure the future of this nomadic club which was on the brink of collapse.

‘But what about Starlizard?’ I hear you say.

This betting consultancy is very much a secret in the amount of money it makes but profits are substantial. It has been claimed as much as £100 million a year. In fact, the two string service is prohibitively expensive with £14 million made in annual subscriptions alone. Total annual wagers on Asian Markets (mainly football bets) total over £3 billion.

His success is coined in this simple maxim: ‘We answer the most interesting questions in sport.’

‘We take analysis of sport into a completely different league. Through a combination of innovation and critical thought, we make the best sporting predictions in the world.’

For all of his wealth, Bloom remains a very likeable man although he respects his privacy. He is married with a son.

Alongside his business and gambling interests, he has a passion for horse racing. He found success with Penhill, trained by Willie Mullins, who who is a dual Cheltenham winner before retiring in 2020.

Tony Bloom is one of few professional gamblers and business men to become a billionaire and respected within the industry.

Horse racing punters often talk about finding value. In essence, the odds you bet on a given horse are greater than its actual chance of winning. So you bet on Gee Up Neddy at 7/1 when its actual real chance of winning is 5/1. In truth, every winning horse is value. Every losing horse is poor value. That’s if you are betting a straight win. The theory is the same for all bets win, each-way, double, treble of Goliath. Those multi bets are often reserve of the ‘mug punters’ as the chance of winning a giant payout for a small bet is elusive and by all accounts a rarity.

Not to say that any bet can’t be a good bet.

As I often say, skill comes before money. If you know more than the layers you will make your betting pay. Patrick Veitch, a well-known professional gambler, estimated that he won over £7M over a seven-year period. You can read about his exploits in a very good book: Enemy Number One, published by the Racing Post.

Value is the key to successful gambling. However, there is an even more exciting concept called extreme value.

Extreme value can only be found by using data analysis and finding angles which few gamblers or layers appreciate. This advantage is understood by a limited number of professional gamblers who are literally cleaning up. The best angle for them is that even the bookmakers cannot anticipate their actions which leaves them vulnerable. For this reason, many are restricting winning punter’s accounts if not closing them down. However, these professionals don’t let that restrict them at all. The have found ways of betting which go beyond their detection or using the betting exchanges where their activity is part and parcel of the markets.

If you notice a horse has been substantially backed you can pretty much guarantee it is one of the limited number of professional gamblers who are using the technique known as extreme value.

This concept is in its infancy but it is making waves in betting markets covering all sports and if you are lucky you may even be given the opportunity to join forces with such teams. It is unlikely at this early stage but as the markets adjust to their activities they will look to subscribers to pay a bounty for such knowledge. Not that individuals will get their hands on the source data. Subscribers will put £5,000 into an account and they will get a percentage of the profit. This works well for the founders as they are guaranteed a bigger profit without any loss.

If you hear about a horse being substantially backed then you can guarantee it is from the extreme value group.