Rule 1: Last-start winner <=18 days ago.
Rule 3: Now ridden by a senior jockey.
Rule 4: Distance change = 0 (i.e., same distance as last start).
Rule 5: Pre-post price <$5.
Rule 6: Do not bet on odds-on horses.

Glenno,
Where did you get these five golden rules from?
regards
Lin

I believ most punters should/or have their OWN 5 Golden rules of betting.
Glenno has given his, and Below are mine.
I hope everyone on this forum has something to contribute, as it would help anyone/everyone contemplating having a flutter.

YUCKMAN's 5 golden rulesin ranking order)
1)- NEVER bet on rain affected tracks- Rated Slow or Heavy(those of you who bet On Alinghi yesterday would testify this was a major contributing factor to her Failure)

2)- Avoid betting on Maiden, Hurdles, 2yo races before March, and 3yo races until Feb. There are some 150 OTHER races each week to bet on- don't bother with these fickle performing events.

3)- Unless it's ABSOLUTELY necessary- avoid betting On Sundays and Fridays(unless it's a feature races meet(ie Cup meeting)).
Many of my connections in the racing game- Jockeys and trainers- have their minds focused on Saturday's meeting- especially at carnival time- and prefer to be doing "other" things on a Sunday- Wouldn't you?

4)- Never bet on an odds-on prospect. Keep your money in your pocket for later. Each week there about 2000 other horses you can bet on. Odds on- LOOK ON!

5)- Before you put that bet on make sure YOU BELIEVE YOURSELF that this nag can/will win- Don't bet just because of a tip/ratings/psychic/tipster unless you've looked at the horse's form and it has the "runs on the board"
You'll get much more pleasure having had that input yourself.

__________________
why gobble with the turkeys, when you may soar with the eagles!!

Yuckman your rules are fair enough and I would think most punters have their own rules even if they are'nt carved in stone, even subconsciously.


What I would like to ask forumites is about Yuckmans rule 5. Believe yourself that the horse you are backing can win.
Now the question for "systems" followers is do you adhere to this rule, or do you just place the bet because it falls into the rules you have applied to your method/system of selection, despite the fact you are'nt particularly confident of its chances.

I would think this rule poses the greatest test for most system followers, that and the career ending losing streak.

Ima dope I have in the past rigidly stuck to the rules - System purchase from certain monthly magazine - The dream - Yuckman is right, one has to believe that the horse can win otherwise throwing good money after bad. NO MORE

Systems as a guide , form and ratings as the decideing factor. Im getting much benefit from a Rem Plante book - suggestion is that we should look more at lengths away from the winner rather than its position

ciao for now

LENGTHS FROM THE WINNER.
Every bit of research I have ever seen from REM PLANTE onwards (apart from 1 done by Paul Segar) have exactly the same advice .
1000 - 1600 = within 2 lengths
1650 - 3200 = within 3 lengths.
Cheers.
darky.

Systems as a guide , form and ratings as the decideing factor. Im getting much benefit from a Rem Plante book - suggestion is that we should look more at lengths away from the winner rather than its position

You've hit the nail on the head!!

So many systems rely on finishing position, rather than how far from the winner the horse finished.
In a blanket finish, a horse can finish 7th or 8th, yet be only 2 or 3 lengths from the finish.
Yet, many systems will eliminate a horse who hasn't finished in the top 4.

Conversely, a horse may have finished 2nd , yet was beaten by 4 lengths.

Out of the two above examples-which was the better run?

below is the first 12 placings in the AJC Doncaster of 2005.

Which horses were failures, and which ran well?
you be the judge.

PL SP No Horse (Trainer) Bar Kg O/A Jockey Margin
1 9.50 7 PEKALAN (Albert Stapleford) 7 53.0 R S Dye
2 8.00 11 SILVER FUN (Gwenda Markwell) 14 53.0 D Beadman 1.3
3 61.00 13 FULL ON MAGIC (Louise Munce) 18 53.0 D Beasley 1.4
4 26.00 8 VALADEZ (Gwenda Markwell) 17 53.0 L Cassidy 2.0
5 21.00 1 PRECISE TIMING (Ross Stitt) 12 58.5 L Beasley 2.2
6 (F) 5.00 3 FIRE AT WILL (Barbara Joseph) 10 57.0 G Boss 3.9
7 26.00 14 RAMINCO (Paul Perry) 4 53.0 3.0 T Uchiyama (a) 4.1
8 10.00 4 RED ROBERT (Gratz Vella) 6 54.0 M A Cahill 4.2
9 31.00 9 MARFOO STAR (NZ) (Debbie Prosser) 11 53.0 D Nikolic 5.6
10 31.00 6 SERPENTINE (Robert Murrell) 9 53.5 J Ford 6.8
11 19.00 16 NORTHFIELD DRIVE (Alan Scorse) 15 53.0 B Stanley 7.2
12 8.00 2 DIAMOND SUN (NZ) (Darren Smith) 13 57.5 C Brown 7.3

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why gobble with the turkeys, when you may soar with the eagles!!

Ummm, that was actually the Country Cup, the race before the Doncaster.

I'm not sure where the word "Golden" comes from, but there are five rules in the system.

DR RONS two major rules.

1. The hardest rule of all, come to terms with the fact you cant pick every winner.

2. Follows on from rule 1, dont get despondant when your selection loses, When coming up with a selection being from weight time class or any other ratings method, they all rely on the fact that the selection you come up with SHOULD win the race if all runners get a clear run. If you study the video replays you could probably make a case for why most losing horses lost. At the end of the day its not about backing a winner but about backing enough over a period of time at good enough odds to make a profit.

I never eliminate races to bet on because I think they are too difficult to choose a winner. No matter what sort of race it is, there WILL be a winner to it, some days I find others I dont. Its about getting value whatever your selection. Remember every horse has a chance, the rest might have to fall over but there is still a chance, youjust have to get theodds that you think relate to that chance happening. Remember Steven Bradbury at the winter olympics, you dont always have to be the best horse in the race to win it.

I think Ive prattled on long enough now.