Shown
below are some of the most frequently raised questions about Steve's work and
the service provided:
How
do I get the bets?
Steve
records a daily message for members on special low cost lines.
Calls cost
just five pence per minute from a BT landline. Mobile costs can vary. If there
are any bets for the day, Steve will advise you of this at the very start of the
message. He will give bet details plus concise reasoning behind the betting decision.
He also provides a summary of his analysis for other selected races of interest.
This additional work is widely used by members for their own betting purposes.
The
message is concise and informative. Its content is best suited to a telephone
recording. A text message would be too short and as Steve is working right up
to message time; an email could be outdated and prone to delay.
What
does 'proofing' mean?
All
of Steve's bets are emailed to the Racing Post in advance in accordance with the
rigorous procedures laid down by the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA).
The
Racing Post are extremely thorough in their monitoring. Many services have stopped
proofing as they cannot meet the exacting standards required.
Only
a limited number of services, including Steve's, are still proofing.
Can
I join online?
It
may seem old-fashioned, but we prefer members to call the Racing Office or take
the trouble to make a postal application.
The
professional approach is necessary. This is not a 'get rich quick' scheme for
the undisciplined gambler.
In
some circumstances, the Racing Office have declined membership applications from
those who would not be able to take the professional approach.
Also
they are able to guide people towards the most suitable membership and also tailor
subscriptions to the individual personal requirements.
An
automated online subscription system lacks human understanding, guidance and reassurance.
What
is your view on each way betting?
Most
of my bets are to win, I am not against each way, but it should be used sensibly.
Lots of punters see a horse at around 5/1 and automatically think to back it each
way.
You must be
far more analytical than that. Each way is two bets: one to win and one to place.
Fit the bet to the horse and the race overall. If there is no value in the place
part of the bet, then you must back it to win.
When
conditions are right, we occasionally have each way doubles when I can see the
horses in question are highly likely to be in the frame and also have a good chance
of winning. The conditions for these bets is relatively rare.
Over
the years we have won substantial amounts from this rare but rewarding bet.
Why
is value so important?
Value
is the key to the betting decision and it also significant in other factors such
as stake and bet type.
Once
I have selected and analysed the individual races, there will be a shortlist of
horses from each race. Value will then decide whether I proceed to the next stage
of actually having the bet.
The
level of value also goes into the staking level and bet type. Everything
revolves around value.
How
do you determine value?
Nothing
replaces hard work. From my analysis, digital library, ratings system and contacts
I put together an outline of each of the races I am looking at.
I
then determine value by pricing up every horse in the selected races. That is
to a 100% book, that way I can see the value without the bookmakers profit margin.
It
is a thorough process, but a highly necessary one. Without having an accurate
assessment of the value on offer, you are essentially backing blind. In the long
run, this is not a profitable strategy.