Patrick Lynch
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Jun- 2018 -16 June
Betting Knowledge
Royal Ascot – A British Kind of Race Meeting
For racing traditionalists, there are few meetings on the calendar to match the 5-day extravaganza that takes place at Ascot every June. Known as ‘Royal Ascot’, the meeting has been the course’s centrepiece since 1711 after being founded by Queen Anne. Entry to the festival comes with a guarantee that you’ll see world-class action as there are a total of…
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2 June
Big Race Previews
Is the Epsom Derby 2018 the Easiest Renewal to Call in Recent Years?
Known as the Investec Derby these days, the Epsom Day is the most coveted of the five Classics and is arguably the most famous and prestigious Flat race in the world. With a purse of over £1.6 million, it is officially the ‘richest’ horse race in the UK and is also known as the Blue Riband of the turf scene.…
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May- 2018 -26 May
Betting Knowledge
How to Find Front Runners for Back to Lay Opportunities
This was something I’ve wanted to write about for a while but the notion of getting value from front-runners on the Betfair Exchange became embedded in my mind after the Chester Cup. I had backed the well-known front-runner My Reward at 14/1 and saw its odds tumble to around 9/1 by the off. Within 20 or so seconds, when the…
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15 May
Betting Knowledge
The York Dante Festival: Can Trends Help You Go Off The Beaten Track For Profits?
The trouble with festivals is that the feature races are exceedingly competitive. Take the main event at the York Festival, the Yorkshire Cup for example. Less than a week from the race, there are 11 horses at odds of 16/1 or less in an event where 13 of the last 21 favourites have failed to win. However, the last four…
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5 May
Betting Knowledge
Can Past Trends Deconstruct the Incredibly Competitive 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas Races at Newmarket?
We’ve barely had the opportunity to get over another epic National Hunt season, and amazing finishes in the Aintree and Scottish Grand Nationals, when there is world-class Flat racing for us to enjoy once again. The two-day QIPCO Guineas festival features the 2,000 Guineas on Saturday, 5 May and the 1,000 Guineas (fillies only) on Sunday, 6 May. Both events…
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Apr- 2018 -28 April
Betting Knowledge
Trainer Sweet Spots – Are the Forums Right?
It is a well-known fact that some trainers have a clear preference for specific courses. For example, in his career, Paul Nicholls has a 56%-win rate over jumps at Southwell, a 40%-win rate at Leicester and win rates of 35% at Fakenham, Perth and Musselburgh. Meanwhile, he struggles at Market Rasen (17%), Haydock Park (17%), and Towcester (12%). We also…
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25 April
Betting Knowledge
The Tote Jackpot and Placepot
In February, it was announced that the Tote would be replaced by Britbet on most UK racecourses from July 2018. It brings an end to 90 years of history as the Tote was set up in 1928 with Sir Winston Churchill playing a major role in its formation. It remained government-owned until July 2011 when Betfred purchased it on a…
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17 April
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10 April
Big Race Previews
Achieving the Impossible: Picking a Grand National Winner
Although the Cheltenham Gold Cup is one of the highlights of the racing calendar, we revealed that it isn’t as open a race as originally thought. If you focus on the top three in the market, you’re likely to come close to picking a winner. The Aintree Grand National, on the other hand, is as close to a ‘lottery’ as…
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3 April
Betting Knowledge
Handicap Ceilings
On November 10, 2016, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) made a decision which significantly impacted the world of handicap racing. It announced a change to handicap race entry criteria which meant that horses rated 1 or 2 pounds higher than the allocated rating band could enter the majority of races. The amendment only impacts races at Class 3 and below.…
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Mar- 2018 -24 March
Betting Knowledge
Is it worth your while following trends
There is a stark difference between horse racing betting systems and trends. With systems, you’re following a set of data in a bid to find winners. I have written dozens of articles for Race Advisor that offer readers an insight into different betting systems to see if they have the potential for profit. A recent example was the ‘Nowhere Fourth’…
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17 March
Betting Knowledge
The fix is in. How can you spot a dodgy race and avoid betting on it?
It would be naïve in the extreme to suggest that the Sport of Kings is purer than the driven snow. Over the last few decades, there have been numerous scandals involving trainers, owners, jockeys, and bookmakers. One of the most notorious instances of alleged race fixing involved six-time Champion Jockey, Kieran Fallon. He was arrested in September 2004 on suspicion…
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13 March
Betting Knowledge
Cheltenham
Bookmakers tend to enjoy the unpredictability of major festivals such as Cheltenham, Newmarket, and Aintree. With so many world-class horses facing off against one another, it can be a nightmare to choose a potential winner. Occasionally, such as the Cheltenham Festival in 2017, a significant number of favourites win and give the bookies a much-needed bloody nose. When it comes…
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5 March
Betting Knowledge
First Run Since Gelded: How Do These Horses Perform?
A gelding is a male horse that has been castrated. Gelding is supposed to make horses easier to handle, and they usually have little or no interest in mares. Therefore, a gelding should be more focused and not think about the opposite sex; at least that’s what some punters think. However, a gelded horse will have its speed and consistency…
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Feb- 2018 -28 February
Betting Angles
Should you focus on specific yards in the lead up to major events?
Bookmakers tend to enjoy the unpredictability of major festivals such as Cheltenham, Newmarket, and Aintree. With so many world-class horses facing off against one another, it can be a nightmare to choose a potential winner. Occasionally, such as the Cheltenham Festival in 2017, a significant number of favourites win and give the bookies a much-needed bloody nose. When it comes…
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21 February
Betting Knowledge
February’s finest NH performers
We are approaching the business end of the National Hunt season as it gets closer to the two main festivals; Cheltenham in March and Aintree in April. By the time February rolls around, all eyes are firmly on the massive meeting at Cheltenham the following month where the Gold Cup and several other Grade 1 races take place. February can…
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16 February
Betting Knowledge
Exotic bets: Is there a point in wagering on Lucky 15s and other bets with fanciful odds?
Most of us have been guilty of it in the past; usually when we make our first foray into betting. For me, it was football accumulators as it was several years before I began betting on horse racing. The allure of the long shot is impossible to resist for the casual punter. The whole ‘look for value and bet on…
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2 February
Betting Knowledge
3yo handicaps: Should you back, lay, or stay away?
Younger horses receive a Weight For Age (WFA) Allowance when up against older horses. The size of the allowance depends on the month of the race, the horse’s age, and the length of the race and it is supposed to make up for a horse’s lack of physical maturity. Horses on the flat are deemed ‘mature’ at the start of…
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Jan- 2018 -26 January
Betting Knowledge
Are Course & Distance Winners a Boon for Your Bank Balance?
Some punters get excited when they see a horse that is a previous course and distance winner. It is very easy to determine if there is one in any given race. You can go to the Racing Post and on the race card, look for the initials ‘CD’ beside a horse’s name. As you can see, Sunshineandbubbles is a course…
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16 January
Betting Strategies
Is Laying Odds-On 2yo Horses on the Flat a Winning Strategy?
There is often a suggestion that betting on Maiden and 2yo races is something of a gamble. After all, it is common to be left in the dark form wise which means you are almost taking a ‘guess’; never a good idea in the Sport of Kings. Some 2yo races will feature several horses making their debut. In such cases,…
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