For a bit of "fun" over this Spring Carnival I decided to pick 5 Trainers to follow at the main meetings and to support their horses based on the horse's opening price (as shown on Betchoice). All bets were placed on Sportbet's Citybest Plus.

The 5 Trainers I chose were:-

1. Bart Cummings
2. Mark Kavanagh
3. Peter Moody
4. Mick Price
5. Peter Snowden

Based on the horse's opening price I bet in the following manner:-

1. <= $4.00 bet 4 units
2. >$4.00 to <= $7.00 bet 3 units
3. >$7.00 to <=$10.00 bet 2 units
4. >$10.00 to <=$21.00 bet 1 unit
5. Any horse opening >$21.00 was not supported

The results were quite acceptable and would have been more than acceptable if Mick Price had had a better Spring Carnival!

Results were:-

1. BC - 40 runners 33 bets 7 winners -4.4 units LOT -6.2%
2. MK - 42 runners 42 bets 5 winners -6.9 units LOT -6.8%
3. PM - 64 runners 57 bets 18 winners +136.8 units POT 93.1%
4. MP - 33 runners 27 bets 2 winners -54.4 units LOT -77.7%
5. PS - 54 runners 49 bets 8 winners +4.3 units POT 3.4%
6. Overall 233 runners 208 bets 40 winners +75.4 units POT 14.6%

There were 17 times where the horses ran 2nd without the winner also being backed - so with a little more luck the figures could have been better. Obviously, this doesn't take into account the reverse side where winners were backed because of a "little good luck"!

Seven odds-on winners were backed, mainly due to So You Think (4) and Black Caviar (2). Six winners > $10.00 were also backed with Shocking and Sound Journey both paying $18.70 being the highest dividends.

It certainly was an interesting project and thanks to Peter Moody a profitable one.