Another Year over...

Happy New Year to all!

Christmas has come and gone as is tends to do and now a new year is before us full of possibilities and opportunities. It's an exciting time of year - anything is possible.

Before we move into the New Year proper, I need to wrap up a few bits of business from the last week of December 2011.

The two competitions we have been running, reached their conclusion.

The Christmas Tipping Competition

We have joint winners of the tipping competition.

MikeA and BigAl both finished on 9 points for finding Quantativeeasing and Cannington Brook as the winners of the first 2 races in the competition.

Originally the winners prize was to be 3 betting books from my shelves and a 1 month free subscription to the Morning Value Service  that I run. I was going to draw the winner from a hat but that seems a little arbitrary and unsatisfying so I will be offering both winners the free month subscription and I will be in touch to work out how to split up the books!

Congratulations to both of you and look out for my email!

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I really enjoyed the comment competition as well. There were some great comments and I have decided to reproduce the best 3 of them below:

From John:

"The best betting advice I ever had and one which has stood me in good stead over the years (probably kept me afloat) was to back the topweight in handicaps up to 1 mile 2f at Newmarket, both courses, when the going was good or firmer between and including the months of April and September and where the forecast SP of the topweight was 5-1 or greater. In most years this system makes a profit, sometimes very handsome indeed. All the best, John."

From Les:

"Look at the first 2yo race at Ripon in April each year. Back the T Easterby horse.

2011 Queens Revenge won 11/2 2010 Cocktail Charlie won 10/3 2009 Saucy Girl 2nd 8/1 beaten by short odds on favourite 2008 Anglezarke won 10/3 2007 Cristal Clear won 12/1 2006 Kerrys Dream won 10/1

Some record i think you will agree!

Les"

From Gary:

I have used this for 2 1/2 years now and currently running at 79% ROI. Lay the current score at half time in every English Premier and Championship match, average price is approx 4.3 on Betfair.

Gary."

There are some great ideas there and I will certainly be checking out how they perform. I have to say though, my favourite is Gary's and he will win the £20 amazon voucher. I'll be in touch to get your details Gary!

However, I really like the other 2 so I will be sending consolation prizes of £10 Amazon vouchers to both John and Les.

Many thanks to everybody who took the time to take part!

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As is customary at this time of year, I've been casting my mind back over the last 12 months and thinking about the high and low points.

I'll list the lows first because I don't want the post to end with those!:

The Lows:

The losses of Michael Jarvis and  Ginger McCain, two of the true training greats.

The terrible incident in the paddock at Newbury in February, that resulted in the deaths of Fenix Two and Marching Song.

The highs:

My horse racing high was seeing Kauto Star roll back the years and win his fifth King George. A truly amazing horse who deserves to be ranked among the very best chasers of all time and some training feat by Nicholl's. (I'm not talking through my pocket here - my money was elsewhere.)

The biggest high in my personal life was, of course, marrying the girl of my dreams in January and enjoying my first (nearly) full year as a married man. Thank you Mrs MYBP for putting up with me - though I do occasionally see your eyes glazing over when I spend an entire evening regaling you with my latest punting disaster/triumph!

Arsenal's routing of Chelsea at the bBidge, which signalled a massive resurgence in form and fortune. We still love you, Arsene!

If you have time, please leave a comment and let everybody know about your own highs and lows from 2011.

Have a fantastic day and I'll be back tomorrow

Kieran