Some time ago I noticed that very seldom in hurdles does an outsider win and that they normally finish the proverbial mile from the winner. I assume because of the extreme rigour of the race that only the better and stronger horses win which is reflected in the market.

So I decided to test a Lay system (easier than backing the fancied horses) on the U.K. hurdles/chases. The rules are - they are general because on a few occasions I have relied on my opinion.

1) Minimum of 9 runners.
2) No maiden hurdles.
3) Selection to be between aprox $50 and $150 in the lay market.
4) Unplaced last three starts.
5) Only one selection per race.

It is a very dangerous method. Last night I had 5 bets which brought the total selections to 304. I wanted enough races to double the max bet of $150 to see if there was any merit in the system. Fortunately there have been no accidents, and needless to say my account has increased considerably.

Maybe I have just been lucky?