Paddy last posted here on the 17th. April, 2005. He made over 30 posts that day and there was not the slightest hint that it would be his last day posting or visiting this site. A couple of e-mail communications some months after Paddy's last post here were not returned.

that doesnt sound good...
I hope paddy is all right. top bloke.

Good thread Ed,
Havnt posted for a while had a contract to take care of in the country. I'm a roof plumber by trade and have worked for myself since I was 19. Luv2bet sums it up for me, whether its footy, horses, poker, or two flies.... im in. It all started for me when I moved to Darwin as a 19 year old and lived in parap, which backed on to the fannie bay race track, the rest is history. I've made nice profits from racing and that is mainly due to tips from a couple of mates, one is a pro and gives me a couple of tips a week which i back heavily. The rest of my bets are made up from form study and ratings, something I havnt had any time to do for a while. I am 31 years old, married with 3 kids, 2 boys (9 and 2 months) and a 6 year old girl. Love my fishing and golf but finding time is hard. Am an absolute sports fanatic, will watch any competive sport but especially love soccer. Broke into a premier league team in s.a at 15 years old and have had some great experiences on a few trips overseas playing. (playing against rio ferdinand while he was at west ham is my claim to fame). Had a friendly against all the old boys at newcastle which was huge as well. As a defender I had kevin keegan in my ear the whole game, a few others that played that day were terry mcdermott, peter beardsley, barry vennison.
I am in shares on a few horses, 1 which will be running in a couple of weeks and a nice looking 2 year old gearing up for its first crack.
Get over to melbourne every year for some racing, been to 2 caulfied guines, 2 caulfield cups, 3 cox plates a few derbies and a melbourne cup. Wont go to flemington for the big ones any more, its getting too crowded.
Well, thats enough dribble from me, back to the form...

Will join in if I may fellas. this is the best read on here for a good while.

Was introduced to the punt by my maternal grandfather at about age 7. (he used to drag me to the tracks of a Saturday in central Qld where I would play tackle football wth the other kids of about the same age and get lost and generally make a nusiance of myself).
Started off betting in 50cent units on the local tote, of course when I lost I would go crying and whinging to Pop and he would fix me up with a new $2 bank, dont really know if that was a good or a bad thing.
Reasonably happily married, pigeon pair of kiddies, both just into thier teens, plumber by trade, golf handicap 21 (would like play a bit more often but back will not allow)

Got the bug really bad when at age 16 or so I had $5 eachway on a thing called Red Bream in Sydney, it saluted @33/1. I have been hooked ever since.

Biggest wins on punt were a trifecta on the Melb Cup when good old Skybeau ran 3rd (paid $5400 from memory) also had $100 each way Skybeau @50's. A freind and I actually had the same 5 horses picked for the Cup but were too losy to take a first four between us, yes it got up of course and paid something like $50,000

Another one was a $100 all-up Alcove @12's (in the oaks I think) into Espinosa @ 15/2.
Actually, it has been a while since I had a real good win, I had better get into Saturdays form.
God only knows I must be due.

good thread mr ed..

well my real name is Nikolas and am 21. i used to dj and dluzion was my name so i use it for every forum i register for

i use to play soccer professionally and when i was 18 shifted my efforts from school to soccer as i had a few euro clubs interested(livingstone in scotland, bolton and a few serie b clubs) but at 18 i suffered a bad knee injury which resulted in a knee reco. then a year later had an athroscope, a year after that did my hernia while trying to recover. so three years later ive left with no education no soccer career and no clkue what to do.

then one day at the slipper i had a bet on a horse called freemason(god bless his soul) and he won beating northerly giving me a 5 figure return and ever since i have been punting full time. i dont really punt on the horses but sports is my speciality. i use the weekdays to study and research and then plunge on the weekdays. i specialise in soccer and footy with a dash of tennis. ive been able to do this for a year and a bit now but will go back to study next year as this lifestyle can be tough and tedious and also would like some sort of cushion if i go bust. ]

anyways that me best of luck to all

Time to step up to the plate i guess.

First name Andrew, 22 yo Graphic Designer from Melbourne.

Starting with the name-My mate ordered the Tyson v Holyfield Pay per view quite a few years back and i remember hearing Evandfer "The Real Deal" Holyfield being called out. Since then i have started my own nickname for all forums and even among mates i am known as "deal".

My first winner i ever remember picking was Juene in the 1994 Melb Cup. My dad used to act as SP bookie while we were at a Melb Cup gathering and it was always $1 each way and he would pay tote odds. But once old enough to "really" gamble i remember my first ever winner was not all that long ago, I remember watching a horse ruinning in the bush somewhere and notching up its 5th or 6th race win in a row. It finally came to melb and happened to be running at Flemington. Its name "Starcraft", Paying $35 it was last around the home turn-even went out of camera. But sure enough, on cue put in a massive finishing burst and left me cheering and the local TAB stunned.

Keen sportsman, AFL my main go but love my golf(Been as low as 4 but off 5-6 during footy season) Gave cricket up after juniors finished as i hated fielding with a passion.

Member at Flemington so attend every meeting throughout spring and autumn and try my best during footy season but very tough as Saturdays is game day.

Currently single and trying with a bit of luck with Melbournies finnest fillies.

I probably forgot to mention the main reason I am into racing now and that is my father he used to be a Harness Racing Driver drove against the likes of Peter Greig and Alan Donahue when the trots were big here in rocky I even got named after a horse he part owned and drove named Hal Peterson won a Green Brothers cup on him which was the biggest race in rocky at that time, Ofcourse these days the harness racing here has pretty much fallen right away around here they still do it bust just no croud at all remember it used to be packed every saturday night when I was a kid.

They may not quite be Flemington, but I don't think Doomben and Eagle Farm qualify as "the bush". :D

LOL very true Sportz to my knowledge he never ran in the bush did he not unless you count NZ :)

Also regarding Paddy I seem to recall a post saying that he was finished here because of a few people who were causing dramas at the time and he never did return after that there was someone else at the sametime that was leaving who I can't seem to recall but they were both people who had been here long before I showed up here.