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Agree with your list Drone except the most important word of all is missing, although it is implied – discipline.
Yes indeed, discipline. Should simply have written the word in Bold Uppercase Arial 22 rather than rattle on about long unwinding roads, tunnel vision and distant horizons, but hey I like metaphorical imagery
‘Aim’ would have been more apt than ‘target’ in that I meant when starting a punting year/season/method/strategy it’s a wise ploy to set yourself a goal you believe you might/can/could/should achieve over a pre-defined period of time; be that turnover, % profit on that turnover, number of bets, type of race bet on, or in your case a monthly stop-profit.
Personally I’m with DJ, in that if I exceed expectations I just carry on in the same manner, knowing full well that expectations will not be met sometime in the future. So in my case I set an annual aim/target and if that’s met or exceeded all well and good, pat myself on the back and treat myself to something from the wedge earnt. If not – as last year – never mind, but reflect on it all the same.
CR has it spot on. Personally it took many years of trial and error to find a method of working at the punting game that I was comfortable with, and to some extent I’m still searching. Though in truth punting isn’t meant to be a comfortable pastime; it’s tough and annoying but at the same time character-building and rewarding
This niggling discomfort is the reason I can foresee me packing in punting – one day, when, dunno
– and simply enjoy racing for its own sake; the horse and the race did come first after all, as mentionedThat’s an interesting one, Drone – to say that a particular method of punting can be ‘character building’. Presumably, you mean that it could have it’s benefits outside of the betting world?
- Total Posts 17716
Good question regarding love of horses or love of money.
Considering some people make next to nothing out of training horses.
Some will spend their life savings on buying their dream (a race horse), kids work for poor wages and live in inferior accommodation to be involved with horses. I’d say the love of horses is alive and well.
Pretty hard to split the two if your lucky enough to buy a horse and it turns out to be a group horse. Then it becomes a business to a degree and obviously money has a completely different meaning and takes over to an extent.
A far as punting is concerned…..I only bet on racing. I had 2 bets today in the first two races but I have heard every race and watched some in between times….just love it.
However I must be honest and say splitting the 2 does take away a lot of the buzz. If Kauto won this season’s the Gold Cup I would be hip hipping away and probably emotionally drained by the end of the race….if he won and I had won 10K there would be no probably about it.
That’s an interesting one, Drone – to say that a particular method of punting can be ‘character building’. Presumably, you mean that it could have it’s benefits outside of the betting world?
Yep, I believe the ‘serious’ serial punting experience is beneficial, to mind and soul if not body. It teaches, aids or promotes self-control, self-belief, scepticism, level-headedness, steadfastness, a thick skin, concentration, mental acuity/agilty, decision-making, standing on your own two feet, ease at spending hours working alone, and a taste of what self-employment entails
Virtues valuable out there in the real world too IMO
Should perhaps add that if some or all of those traits already exist within your psyche then it’s a damn sight easier to hone them than it is to develop them if non-existant. Again IMO
if you can meet with triumph and disaster
and treat those two impostors just the samewhether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
or to take arms against a sea of trouble and, by opposing, end themPaul Nicholls has been recently talking in the press about his relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson, explaining how he takes advice from him on the fact that its winners that is important. Of course, he is right, however, this is horse racing not football, so one must be left wondering if in this instance, is it for the love of the horse, the game or winning? Bigger prize money and chasing championships and training horses as a ‘business’ must inevitably result in horses being more of a product now than they were for the trainers of old, who only had small strings. This is a very interesting question and it was touched upon by Choc Thornton in the Horse & Hound in his weekly article only a few weeks ago. For myself it is for the love of the horse, the game, but not for gain.
Horses come and horses go
What do they leave ?
Memories.I suppose you cannot put a price on that,
however where you remember them
is also importantA two up two down with a one bar electric
and flies for companyor
A hot cruise, the captain’s table
ingratiating waitress service,
vol au vents, pink gins, pimms a plenty,
a filly or two applying oils
when the sun comes out,
then back to your cabin
with its standard
rather unusual
trouser press.- Total Posts 17716
Horse do leave memories but I’m not one for crying over them when they go. Don’t understand it to be honest as I watched Dirty Dancing and cried after Patrck Swayze died so I’m not a heartless person.
I was involved directly with horses a while back and very close to them, one died of a heart attack a week after I sold her which didn’t really have me rushing for a tissue. The others I sold on and don’t know what happened to them and don’t want to know. I think somehow you just learn to live with it, something a trainer pointed out to me many years ago and I know he used to cry at lassie (no names mentioned).
I think it’s actually harder on racing fans that haven’t got close up experience…it’s always sadder when a Desert Orchid dies so it’s very much a mind thing where fans have made an attachment.
Fans often show they care as much as any owner would. I can remember more than few getting angry on here when PN ran Kauto Star at Aintree after his gruelling race Gold Cup…..that’s because fans have built up a bond with the horse and feel he belongs to them.
So in my very humble opinion there’s still lots of love for horses without and financial attachment in racing.
The smell of the game
dirty money clean money
stolen money theft
twenty four torn tickets
served up in a beef olive vest
punters all washed out
all gone and left
but wanting some pudding
When’s the next race ?Definately the love of that beautiful and noble creature, the horse, for me. Jumpers preferably.
I used to be a small time punter but, the combined effects of the contempt and condescension on the bookie’s faces when taking my fiver, eventually caused me to wonder why on earth I was keeping these parasites in cigars.
There was also the small matter of a stake not being returned by the Tote at Newmarket a few years ago. Caprichio, trained by John Akehurst, went to post in monsoon conditions in the Bunbury Cup without his weight cloth. He was invloved in a three way dead heat photo finish and was rightly disqualified by the Clerk of the Scales for not carrying the correct weight.
What rankled was that the sponsor, Paddy Power, immediately announced that due to the circumstances they would be refunding all losing stakes. Ladbroke’s followed suit but not the Nanny!.
Oddly enough, since I’ve stopped betting, I seem to have more time to make a mental selection from watching the horses in the paddock and also seem to pick more winners than losers.
That would, doubtless, change the moment I started betting again though!.
For me it is the love of horses which began as a small child. I rode till my twenties & watched all horse based sports. The thoroughbred has the most fascination for me; it’s history, breeding, performance & beauty. What can be better than watching top class thoroughbreds walk around the paddock before a race in the summer sun, their coats gleaming? Or hardened steeple-chasers fighting it out over the last fence?
I never bet myself, I just love to see the horses.As for people caring less for horses these days? I do not think things have changed that much, true there maybe less horsemen who are trainers & less small owner breeders who know about stock. However there will always be bad apples & true horse lovers. I remember watching more people training their binoculars on the injured horse than watched the finish, this was not voyeurism…there was such a cheer when that horse rose to it’s feet uninjured.
THE HORSE FOR ME IT ALWAYS HAS BEEN & ALWAYS WILL BE THE HORSE I FELL IN LOVE WITH DESSIE WHEN I WAS 12 YEARS OLD. I DIDN’T HAVE A BET UNTIL I WAS 26 YEARS OLD £3 EACH WAY SOVIET SONG MEON VALLEY STUD FILLIES MILES ASCOT 28TH SEPTEMBER 2002. I NOW ONLY BET WHEN I’M ON THE COURSE I HAVE A SET BUDGET FOR THE DAY & WHEN IT’S GONE IT’S GONE MORE OFTEN THAN NOT I LEAVE THE COURSE IN THE BLACK. I’M A MEMBER OF ELITE RACING CLUB & ONE OF THE BIGGEST THRILLS IN MY LIFE WAS CHEERING "MY HORSE" PENZANCE UP THE CHELTENHAM HILL TO WIN THE TRIUMPH HURDLE. I ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER AS THE TAPES GO UP OR THE STALLS SPRING OPEN FOR EVERYONE TO COME HOME SAFE & SOUND. I CRIED BUCKETS WHEN ONEMAN WAS KILLED. I CURSE COMMENTATORS FOR NOT TELLING US NEWS OF FALLERS GOOD OR BAD. THE HORSES ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF OUR SPORT WE OWE THEM OUR LOVE , RESPECT & THANKS SO ALWAYS REMEMBER THE NOBLE HORSE.
I Love the Game, The Horse the 5ft jockey- The Sot on Race caller–The Whole Spectacle-I Love Ca$h too-
When I was Healthy I Loved to ride- I was Very Close to Being an Equine Police–A Cop on a Horse. But.
There are Bettors-Punters out there whom are into the action–The Game gives them some–Football does too.
Now I play cards-I love the games-I love to win Money–
As is Everything I do I like to do very well–This is a trap question like—50 years ago football was pure there wasn’t all this money in it–now its big business–same with horse racing on a smaller scale–
– and simply enjoy racing for its own sake; the horse and the race did come first after all, as mentioned
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