OK I've created a monster here.

Thing is, what I was TRYING to say - and I think zorro was alluding to - was that mechanical systems can never take the place of common sense, and no matter how much you put in rules like "don't bet against odds on favourites" etc, they are nothing more than polyfilla to fill the gaps left by virtue of the fact that rules cannot think for themselves.

There are a BILLION systems which post the event could come up with Makybe Diva, like third letter K for example, or back the horse in the race who has two names, both with even numbers of letters. Not disputing that systems could come up with it, what I was really trying to say is that the capacity for the human mind to be creative and think creatively far outweighs the capacity of a set of rules to do same.

Mind you, with that in mind I started this thread because I do love systems, and I seem to have found one with a werribee sewerage farm's worth of promise, and since I began putting money down the other day it has had six bets for three winners, POT of 95%. So, at this point, I am rapt, and don't go anywhere I may just be a system convert if this keeps up.

Mind you, I know it won't, am expecting it to fall over at any point, systems can't win, touch wood, salt over the shoulder, cross myself.

Duritz.