February Betting Update
FEBRUARY BETTING SUMMARY
Total bets 40
Winners 11
Strike rate 28%
Total units staked 40
Total units returned 51.14
Units profit/loss +11.14
40 bets in total for February (that treats each-way bets as 2 bets, one win and one place).
11 winners returning 11.14 points profit to level stakes of 1 point win 1 point each-way.
Individual bets can be viewed here.
February – a quiet betting month
February I often find is the worst betting month in terms of activity and opportunities. There are no festival meetings, Saturday cards can be impacted in terms of quality with the Cheltenham Festival on the horizon. A lot of the serious contenders have had their prep run are under wraps till March.
Add to this the awful weather and cancellations and opportunities can be limited.
4 weeks to the Lincoln though – roll on the flat racing season.
All of this, plus the wet weather and cancellations meant I made just 40 bets. I’d imagine, come to the end of the year February will have been the quietest month.
Nevertheless, a profit, which is always good. Not an outstanding number on the month with 11 points profit to level stakes.
February Betting Highlight
The highlight for me was Nordano winning a competitive handicap hurdle at Ascot at average odds of 10.4. Not so much because of the price but more the satisfaction of the selection process. I’ve believed that this 3-year-old (now 4-year-old) generation of hurdlers are being underestimated this year against older horses when they step into handicap company.
It’s been a good angle for me this jump season and I anticipated Nordano was particularly well treated on his handicap debut at Ascot. So it proved, as he dotted up by 18 lengths.
Additionally, I love an underdog and a fighter. Nordano is only small, he was dwarfed by most of the field, but he’s a real galloper and very enthusiastic. He raced from the front and just galloped away from them up the Ascot straight. it’s hard not to like a horse like that.
I was thinking we might see him next back against his generation in the Fred Winter at Cheltenham. But, looking through the entries he’s in 2 Festival races, the Coral Cup and the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Hurdle. Both are against his elders and both are up in trip. Judging on the way he galloped away from his rivals at Ascot then I’d think this could see a progression in the level of his form?
He could be interesting at Cheltenham, but one to consider nearer the time.
Betting more than one horse in a race
Looking over the month’s bets I tend to bet more than one horse in a race on quite a few occasions. I’m sure a lot would question this? I need to be cautious here and make sure I’m not over betting.
I’m quite happy to back more than one selection in a race as long as I believe I’m betting into value. By this, I mean value is created on more than one horse when I think the market has seriously overestimated the chance of a runner (or runners) – a poor favourite if you like. Finding horses that you believe are bad value means there is likely value prices to be found elsewhere in the runners – if you’ve read the market right that is.
There’ll probably be a bit of this at the Cheltenham Festival in a couple of weeks. I’m quite happy to have a couple of big prices running for me in the same race if the prices are right.
So, that’s February 2020 done, we move on.
Looking forward to Cheltenham, Sandown and the Doncaster Lincoln meeting
March is a big month, Cheltenham can make or break a season, it’s an opportunity to land a big priced winner or two (hopefully). Before Cheltenham, there’s the Imperial Cup meeting at Sandown with my second favourite race of the year the EBF Novices Hurdle Final. My favourite race being the Britannia at Royal Ascot (I love a 30 runner 3-year-old handicap!!!).
Then it’s Donny and the opportunities of the Lincoln and the promises of the upcoming flat racing season.
