With a run of bets like these, you have to take it philosophically: The finishing
post is in sight.
FROM HIS MEDIEVAL vantage point, it’s unlikely that Rome-born philosopher Boethius
could have envisaged a world of internet betting exchanges, tipping lines and
everyday citizens supplementing their investment portfolios with the paid-for
selections of professional gamblers.
Nevertheless, I’ve had cause to ponder his wise words during the interminable
twists and turns of my year-long investigation into the subscription betting
services of Steve Lewis Hamilton, Sport 4 Profit and The Mathematician. Boethius
pithily observed that: ‘The worst of times, like the best, are always passing
away’ and that ‘Mutability is our tragedy, but it’s also our hope’, and these
sentiments have certainly chimed with me during 10 rollercoaster months of betting
on horses and sports.
In that time I’ve seen my initial pot of £ 200 (invested in the tipsters’ selections
and my own football bets) swell to an impressive £ 1,210.06, with the aid of
a little initiative and the pro-active pursuit of good betting value. I’ve also
seen the kind of unequivocal results that belie the homespun philosophy that
‘there’s just no way to beat the bookies’. Since the turn of year, it’s been
very much a tale of dramatic peaks and troughs, with losing blips being followed
by spectacular peaks.
As my confidence wavered, with a rash of more than 20 losers across the services
in February, I certainly did not envisage that within the next month I’d be
recording my highest personal profits so far but, as I’ve learnt already, betting
at these value prices, it only takes a couple of winners to erase a long losing
run. Steve Lewis Hamilton highlights such as Royal Emperor 12/1, Dorney’s Well
16/1 and Silver Sedge 7/1 have helped to all but double my pot since mid-December,
giving him 10-month profits of £ 11,522.05.
As he did in summer, The Mathematician has also hit a purple patch, miraculously
transforming his fortunes with a cluster of high-priced winners – including
Overstrand 8/1, Billyandi 8/1 and Hedgehunter 22/1 each way – that have grown
his meagre December bottom line of £ 105 to an impressive £ 5,466.25.
While spring has sprung early for the racing experts, Sport 4 Profit’s Trevor
Oakland, however, will be clutching Boethius’ words to his bosom and hoping
for a similar transformation come May. Oakland’s rugby service is currently
£ 932.61 up after an attritional winter period of handicap backing. With winning
returns from 28/1 David Toms in Hawaii among others, Oakland’s under par golf
service is exhibiting the green shoots of recovery. However, he’s still recording
a deficit of £ 2,010.83 – which is £ 11 worse than my former bar boss, Eamonn
The Amateur McCloskey, who’s been shadowing the tipsters’ efforts picking horses
from his morning paper.
With two months to go, both Oakland and McCloskey will be hoping that the consolations
of philosophy will be augmented with a welcome change of fortune.
Published in The Observer Newspaper March 2006
