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JEFKA
18 Jul 13 18:47
Joined:
Date Joined: 27 Jun 02
| Topic/replies: 668 | Blogger: JEFKA's blog
Brilliant or misguided in your opinion. Personally I like his analysis.
Pause Switch to Standard View James Willoughby
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Report tips July 18, 2013 6:48 PM BST
HeCry is a big fan of Spencer enough said
Report duffy July 18, 2013 6:48 PM BST
Disappears up his own ar5e too much for my liking.
Report bilbobaggins July 18, 2013 6:48 PM BST
Thinks he was the first person to spot James Doyle's potential. What an arrogant **** . All his guff can be disproved if you spent 30 seconds analysing it.
Report bilbobaggins July 18, 2013 6:50 PM BST
Oli Bell thinks he's talking nonsense - looks bored and bewildered.
Report tips July 18, 2013 6:50 PM BST
Matt Chapman was the first to see how good  Doyce was well the first" gravy train rider"
Report pauli July 18, 2013 6:52 PM BST
The problem I have with Willo is that he will take a relatively simple concept and proceed to over complicate it.  It's often a case of James "never say 20 words when 20,000 will do" Willoughby.  By the time he's finished I've forgotten what his initial premise was.
Report duffy July 18, 2013 6:52 PM BST
Did he say something earlier about a strong pace will negate the top weights superiority because he'll feel the weight more......what happens if the superiority was built on a diet of strong finishing off a fast pace?
Report starfish and coffee July 18, 2013 6:54 PM BST
Doesn't make money as a gambler as far as I'm aware but likes to tell everything how it is done.

A bluffing bore of the highest order
Report bilbobaggins July 18, 2013 6:55 PM BST
You can only take a pundit seriously if their entire income was based on betting. Therefore the amount of pundits you need to take notice of is ZERO.
Report duffy July 18, 2013 6:56 PM BST
He's at his worse when macneeeiigghh is teeing them up for him, which can be viewed at its excrutiating worst when they have to leave the dubai filth to go to a jumps meeting over here.
Report kjansch July 18, 2013 6:57 PM BST
i recommend his features/interviews on the RUK website

they are generally excellent-amongst the best i have seen
Report MadVlad July 18, 2013 7:08 PM BST
Willo is the daddy imo Cool
Report 1st time poster July 18, 2013 7:09 PM BST
the 2 we,ll never forget from the captain and willo aftertiming jumping on the back of their best wins
hawkwing lockinge never won another race

gladitorious in world cup never won another race
Report JEFKA July 18, 2013 7:11 PM BST
Well I'm taking his advice here and laid the Epsom fav.
Report duffy July 18, 2013 7:12 PM BST
Frankel won the sussex because it got an easy lead ...is right up with their finest
Report duffy July 18, 2013 7:14 PM BST
Oli bell wants to deck himLaugh
Report 1st time poster July 18, 2013 7:14 PM BST
only one thing certain with willo the winner wont be the ne to take out of the race, asonly a small % of the horse population win a race thats obviously pish, Wink
Report starfish and coffee July 18, 2013 7:14 PM BST
Oli sounds like he's had enough
Report JEFKA July 18, 2013 7:18 PM BST
Pretty much on the ball there was James . I  like reasoned analysis which he gives, right or wrong.Happy
Report silvergreaser July 18, 2013 7:32 PM BST
Pace beat Fame and Glory at Epsom not Sea the Stars ability another Silloughby pearler.
Report duffy July 18, 2013 7:36 PM BST
STS beat rip van winkle because RVW was infirmed was another one.
Report Mr Holmes July 18, 2013 7:42 PM BST
don't wish harm on many, but i do wish someone would give willowbee a continually beating until his jaw worked no-more Shocked
Report TRD.Racing July 18, 2013 7:43 PM BST
Anyone who rates Spencer as highly as he does is clueless
Report par July 18, 2013 7:47 PM BST
here we go
Report Rider July 18, 2013 7:50 PM BST
willo is different and original and in saying what he says he knows he wont score popularity points but give me that any day to the ones on there that just try to score brownie points and keep their comments safe
Report silvergreaser July 18, 2013 7:50 PM BST
I kinda miss his saturday and monday columns he use to have on the Racing Post described as "CHIEF" Correspondent, not that you gleaned any useful information from them but you'd swear you were reading a College Professors Thesis such was the glut of big words that nobody ever heard of that he crams into his articles to make himself sound more intelligent than he actually is.

A bluffing pseudo intellectual if ever there was one.
Report tomhunt July 18, 2013 8:04 PM BST
blinkin awful
Report YDNA_got_it_right_now July 18, 2013 8:05 PM BST
Willo's Logic summed up 

.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbVKWCpNFhY
Report barstool July 18, 2013 8:10 PM BST
I think he got Mickael Barzalona sussed out pretty quickly and he his spot on re Hanagan on the all weather.
Report JEFKA July 18, 2013 8:38 PM BST
Got luck again there at Epsom I suppose Grin
Report JEFKA July 19, 2013 9:57 AM BST
YDNA, funny clip that but what analogy are you drawing between that and JW's views on horseracing ? Which one in the clip is JW , my reading is that the guy who is sating his rev counter goes to 11 is representative of average punter and the pragmatic bearded one is representative of JW. Is this what you meant ?
Report GEORGE.B July 19, 2013 10:20 AM BST
The stick Willoughby gets on here never ceases to amaze me. He is arguably the best racing pundit there has ever been, imo. An innovative thinker who challenges / ridicules old concepts (eg "enterprising rides") and cliches; clearly puts an enormous amount of work in through watching videos, studying statistics and analyzing times; and the bonus is he's witty and entertaining with it.
Report silvergreaser July 19, 2013 10:29 AM BST
for a guy that supposedly puts so much work into it he's incredibly clueless, maybe if he just stops to think and says to himself horses run from A to B and usually the fastest horse wins he might actually back a few winners instead of over complicating what is really a simple enough sport to get your head around.

Now if we had every trainer in the land home telephone tapped there wouldn't be a bookmaker left alive.
The punters biggest enemy is the sleeveen (Irish slang for slippery individual) trainer not the dreaded bookmaker.
Report silvergreaser July 19, 2013 10:29 AM BST
for a guy that supposedly puts so much work into it he's incredibly clueless, maybe if he just stops to think and says to himself horses run from A to B and usually the fastest horse wins he might actually back a few winners instead of over complicating what is really a simple enough sport to get your head around.

Now if we had every trainer in the land home telephone tapped there wouldn't be a bookmaker left alive.
The punters biggest enemy is the sleeveen (Irish slang for slippery individual) trainer not the dreaded bookmaker.
Report pauli July 19, 2013 10:50 AM BST
In my view Willoughby is not an "innovative thinker" at all.  He is a waffler who uses abstractions and absurdly flowery language to describe and analyse really simple concepts.  In many ways his attitude to punters in rather condescending and extremely irritating.
Report TiptheOdds July 19, 2013 11:00 AM BST
Like many on here I used to think JW was mostly embarrassingly funny in a David Brent kind of way, but I have to say of late I´ve warmed to him. When you look at how many races in the UK over 7f+ are falsely run his analysis does actually explain some of the inconsistent results.

As a tipster he still stinks though. And with McNae together they are unwatchable.
Report flyingbolt July 19, 2013 11:12 AM BST
I fail to see what is "innovative" about claiming that virtually every result occurs because the pace was too slow/too fast. He is a one trick pony and possibly the worst judge of a horse ever to grace a tv screen.
Report dod July 19, 2013 11:22 AM BST
If you enjoy being bored by scientific analysis then he is your man.
Report jonjon July 19, 2013 11:25 AM BST
Seems like a good lad...good fun and what not.  Loves his flat racing.  Has an interesting personal view on things...

and although he rates spencer (which is unforgivable) he has grabbed everyone by the hair and screamed

'mickael barzalona IS A FOOL'

which levels out his spencer gushing ten fold.

he is so right about the godolphin jockey...so so so right.

and he was the one shouting from the rooftops about this kid.  10/10
Report JEFKA July 19, 2013 11:29 AM BST
Good point dod which begs the question whether racing is closer to Arts or Science. I like both but I do like JW's scientification of the sport as an alternative to the visual driven analysis you get from some of the other pundits. At the end of the day you do your own homework but I would certainly pay attention to what JW has to say faster than what Matt Chapman has to say and that's not to say I dislike Chapman as a presenter.
Report The Pinhooker July 19, 2013 12:52 PM BST
James is just another attention-seeker trying to earn a living off the back of the racing industry. Just like most other journalist/tv pundits. Sounds unkind, I know.
Report Steamship July 19, 2013 1:35 PM BST
I did likehis comment last night about RUK's stat of the day on A Balding horse he said "don't use stats like that we are a serious racing channel".

Liked the way he was talking about Kingman at the start of that day's racing.

Dislike his lack of regard for the NH game especially when Dubai is on.
Report MJK July 19, 2013 4:40 PM BST
Just like Chapman, both regard themselves too highly and their opinion is fact no matter what anyone else thinks.
Report The Pinhooker July 19, 2013 4:46 PM BST
MJK. You are not wrong but how else would they earn a living?
Report MJK July 19, 2013 4:53 PM BST
Fair point. Just unfortunate that paying customers have to listen to the crap spouted on the racing channels. Racing is the only business I know that gives it's customers the opposite to what they want.
Report Rider July 19, 2013 4:57 PM BST

Jul 19, 2013 -- 10:53AM, MJK wrote:


Fair point. Just unfortunate that paying customers have to listen to the crap spouted on the racing channels. Racing is the only business I know that gives it's customers the opposite to what they want.


unfortunately mjk you are right, but we live in a celebrity culture and people are manipulated

Report moondan July 19, 2013 5:15 PM BST
He is my ideal example of a educated idiot.

I can see why some are fooled by his nonsense because the world is full of people that love to complicate.
I had my first bet in 62, have heard it all and when it comes to advice I have only this to say,
" Stick to your own gut feelings and follow your own luck and leave others to theirs, at least then you wont miss your own.
I know a future winner when I see one and Willoughby is pure average with an absurd view of his own opinion.
Report Marcce July 19, 2013 5:31 PM BST
Before people like Willoughby were around there was very little heed paid to things like pace in the race.

You may not agree with everything that he says but there's no doubt he's provided a lot of useful alternative ways of looking at a race.
Report duffy July 19, 2013 5:31 PM BST
someone said something earlier like , he's a perfect example of a pseudo intellectual that's it in a nutshell for me
Report silvergreaser July 19, 2013 5:41 PM BST
MJK has it spot on both Silloughby and Chapman are fact and the rest of us a are fiction.
Report moondan July 19, 2013 5:43 PM BST
I have been a gambler since 62, watched lester and Cauthen the kings of pace and front riding and let me tell you this Willoughby has nothing to say that has not been done to death already.

Tell these amatuer racing channels to show the races of the day and lets see how a horse is behaving, that would be worth a million Willougbys and his mad hatter comments.
Report JEFKA July 19, 2013 5:55 PM BST
Moondan you've cracked it . Let's get 20 cameras to the racecourse every raceday and set it up so that you can follow your fancy through all the preliminaries, saddling, pre parade ring, going down, having a shoyte et al and no need to be paying presenters, no need for commentators either , they are just another distraction . You should set up a consortium and bid for the racing rights. By keeping the costs down you'd have great take up from Subsribers. You could do a Hitchcock and walk accross the screen each day. LaughLaughLaugh
Report The Pinhooker July 19, 2013 6:03 PM BST
MJK."racing is the only business that gives it's customers the opposite to what it wants"

In the case of RUK and ATR, however, most of it's customers are punters simply searching for winners. But as we all know, there is no Holygrail where punting is concerned = some of the cleverest individuals I've known over the years have done their utmost to it crack only to finish up with all manner of financial and personal problems.

So with wall-to-wall racing coverage on for seven days a week,  tv ptoducers employ "knowledgable" pundits to  chatter away so that "dead air" is filled with something other than endless replays or bookmaker adverts.

My conclusion is the viewer is best off not listening to the likes of Willoughby and co by using the mute button between races.

Luckily for those employed in the industry,the tv organisations will continue to employ the services of "dead air fillers" because they have no other alternative.
Report Rider July 19, 2013 6:29 PM BST
when ruk have one meeting they still often fail to show horses going to post  usually because they are too busy showing  recorded paddock shots, the question you have to ask is is it poor time management or done deliberately to prevent viewers getting the same information that the bookmakers use ?

we are often told that the most important aspect of finding winners is the ground (after ability of course), you can study the pedigree, look at the form, but for 2yo and 3yo you often need a bit more and shots of them going to post is the best information on this subject ruk can give the viewer, however ruk's ability to deny its viewers this info in uncanny, the Gabrial The Duke race the other day was a great example of this and denied me the opportunity to bet as the shot to post was crucial imo this is just one of lots of examples i could quote

in ruks defence i'm not sure they have a clue, at the july meeting they did show horses to post on their track camera but unfortunately they had mellish who only seemed concerned about the horses demeanor to post and didnt make any mention of stride pattern or action of the horses cantering to post, so if you dont know what to look for why would you know how important it is to show, hoiles did make some references to stride pattern on the firm grd but wasnt doing this formally for ruk just as the commentator pre-race
Report moondan July 19, 2013 9:23 PM BST
jefka,

you obviously have not cracked it and unless I completely miss my guess you would be in trouble at christmas time with a wallnut.
A willoughby fan obviously.
Report moondan July 19, 2013 9:25 PM BST
I forgot to say, I am not laughing, even at your rank stupidity.
Report motley01 July 19, 2013 10:20 PM BST
The man has become an embarrassment, totally irreverent, over thinks, over anal ises almost everything, rambles
endlessly. A neo pseudo racing intellectual, an invention of the new plastic media age, who has found
a like minded fellow veneer audience.
Report the.mad.dog.man July 19, 2013 10:38 PM BST
when willoughby comes on I cant get to the mute button quick enough
Report the.mad.dog.man July 19, 2013 10:40 PM BST
they should let him go to prisons and talk to the inmates don't think they would want to go back again
Report motley01 July 19, 2013 10:54 PM BST
The only barometer, to which an of these so called pundits can be evaluated, is the ability
to read a race, and find a horse that will run a race, as your pre race read indicated, and hopefully
find the winner of said race. In most circumstances, will lough be, fails dismally. He spends hours
of valuable racing time talking, but saying nothing.
Report JEFKA July 19, 2013 11:37 PM BST
Hate walnuts so won't have any problem with them at Christmas moondan. Anyway I fully agree that we should see more of horses in the flesh and close up as if you were actually there yourself rather than relying on others to tell you their views , however I believe Willoughby brings something else to the equation for viewers which adds a lot of value IMO but each to their own as they say.
Report johnnyrant July 20, 2013 12:41 AM BST
I like him cos he's quirky & an original thinker. Would far rather have horse racing pundits who bring colour to the sport, like Willoughby & Matt Chapman than tedious gravy-trainers who talk in cliches all the time, & offer very little insight.
Report hello :-) July 20, 2013 1:35 AM BST
my heart goes out to anyone who reads a 60 plus post JW thread , your either in jail or mentally ill
Report rocky ttotal July 20, 2013 8:42 AM BST
When he's rambling on about The Carnival receiving priority "over hedge hopping at Carlisle", he's obviously forgotten the name of the channel he's working for.The UK bit is the clue JamesWink.
Report differentdrum July 20, 2013 9:52 AM BST
Hello is on the right lines. All those who see Willo as the most self-inflated waste of space around would do well to avoid these threads - it is all the same stuff churned out time and again which doesn't appear to change anyone's opinion. Willo's probably perched on his pedestal looking down on his disciples and thinking how interesting I must be another 60+ posts generated. Leave the Willo fans to have their own love-in.
Report pauli July 20, 2013 9:56 AM BST
The way Willoughby and McNae behaved during the Dubai Carnival with respect to NH racing was contemptible.  Give me a 3 mile handicap chase at Carlisle over the poxy Carnival any day of the week.
Report terry mccann July 20, 2013 10:38 AM BST
he remains me of a "dandy" from the 1960"s nicknamed "the butterfly". a man about town making a fine living from gambling, now wouldnt that be wonderful if only it could be done
Report Outpost July 20, 2013 11:14 AM BST
tbf both willo and chapman seem to know everything after the race has been run.
Report silvergreaser July 20, 2013 1:04 PM BST
The others might talk in clichés while Sillougby talks in riddles in other words mumbo jumbo, throw in the odd big word and some think he actually knows what he's talking about, yet we all know its one big bluff clueless guesser who fools some.
Report GEORGE.B July 20, 2013 1:40 PM BST
A lovely 5-star winning bet from James to get the day under way. He had more angles there you could shake a stick at. World class punditry!
Report barstool July 20, 2013 1:42 PM BST
A good analyses of the race. Nice to the 5* judgement rewarded.
Report silvergreaser July 20, 2013 1:45 PM BST
my grandmother use to stick a pin in once a year and often found a winner.
Report flyingbolt July 20, 2013 1:56 PM BST
Congratulations on finding the winner of a four horse race @5/4,James.

I have clearly underestimated you.
Report differentdrum July 20, 2013 1:57 PM BST
Didn't hear all of the five star analysis but I did catch the bit about it being a virtual toss up between the first two in the betting.
Report nineteen points July 20, 2013 2:04 PM BST
a blind squirrel finds a nut every now and then
Report onlooker July 20, 2013 2:37 PM BST
Willoughby - " As WE call it in AMERICA - first time off the plane."
----------

'Off his Rocker' - more like.
Report MullahOmar July 20, 2013 4:19 PM BST
He is excellent. The tips are completely irrelevant whoever is on.

He makes important points that no other pundits make. The rest just tell you `this may not stay', `this may not like the grnd', `this has a chance'. He says meaningful comments like
I make it a pure match so 11/8 looks cracking value. 5 mins latter it has been backed into evens and wins (irrelevant). Then he discussed that it would be impossible for any UK racing punter to make 110% ROI (Probably should have said 105%) long term.

His pace comments are hugely important and before he came on the scene were criminaly neglected by every racing pundit on tv/racing post.

If you had blank volume and just pictures of horses all day the channel would be shut in days because nobody would subscribe.
Report MullahOmar July 20, 2013 4:22 PM BST
He also talks about how the bf market is far more accurate in establishing possible winners compared to looking at form.

Again, he is spot on and no other analyst would dare say it cos it basically makes their jobs redundant unless they discuss the market etc and nit just horses form which is of most value to anything nowadays.
Report MullahOmar July 20, 2013 4:25 PM BST
`almost no value'
Report brigust1 July 20, 2013 4:29 PM BST
Mull when you are on as a racing pundit for many hours is it not likely a few 'gems' will be found? The very fact you have to point them out is deafening.
I actually like Willo but mainly because he talks about racing, I certainly have never followed his advice.
Report brigust1 July 20, 2013 4:30 PM BST
* I like
Report starfish and coffee July 20, 2013 4:30 PM BST
Before the race

"Music master should see them all off from the front over the trip"

After the race, when Music Master gets beat

"I've said it twice now, Music master needs the 6f"


No lose bet basically
Report starfish and coffee July 20, 2013 4:33 PM BST
He never admits to being wrong and when he does get it wrong he makes up excuses as to how his choice never won.
Report duffy July 20, 2013 4:35 PM BST
I always like to add my sid james quote from "carry on at your convenience" to these willo threads

When questioned by Hattie Jacques as to why he doesn't find the occasional winner whilst he pours over the sporting life, Sid James retorts...I work the form out scientifically, is it my fault they don't run scientifically!!!, that's willoughby to a teeHappy
Report duncan idaho July 20, 2013 4:53 PM BST
MullahOmar
20 Jul 13 16:22

no other analyst would dare say it cos it basically makes their jobs redundant unless they discuss the market etc and not just horses form which is of most value to anything nowadays.



(presuming i understand what you're trying to say) the one thing people on here dont seem to realise is that a lot of the market moves ARE form based, just not the bare form that everyone can see
Report MullahOmar July 20, 2013 5:12 PM BST
No they are not.

The majority of market moves are based on what substances have been given to which horse, which horses have been run into the ground on the morning of a race and which horses are going to be stopped by which jockeys.
Report duncan idaho July 20, 2013 5:17 PM BST
ok, mate...have it your way
Report fawwon July 20, 2013 6:17 PM BST
Chapter 1

They don't want you to win
Report flyingbolt July 20, 2013 6:25 PM BST
MullahOmar

LaughLaughLaughLaughLaugh

Give up yfsc
Report deadbrain59 April 13, 2014 9:49 AM BST
greenham winners that went on to win, 2000 gns,wollow 76, frankel .sir henry cecil.MischiefMischief
Report MJK April 13, 2014 4:34 PM BST
A 3M hurdler wins the listed race at the Curragh. Shove that up your arse Willoughby :-D
Report comingupthehill April 13, 2014 5:22 PM BST
mullah/dunc - the market moves are like this, in this order.

1)tipsters/paper tipped horses are backed
2)obvious chance horses ,strong easy to see form ,well liked horses are backed
3)horses with the best form overall are backed.

this is how the market moves(caveat,odd horses with inside info or the very odd dodgey laying/backing ).
Report GEORGE.B April 13, 2014 6:54 PM BST

Apr 13, 2014 -- 10:34AM, MJK wrote:


A 3M hurdler wins the listed race at the Curragh. Shove that up your arse Willoughby :-D


Let me guess, is he by King's Theatre out of a Deep Run mare? By Old Vic out a Roseleier mare?

Oh hang on, an American-bred by Bernstein out of a Runaway Groom mare Shocked

I think we can all agree, a Flat-bred horse who just happens to have the class to beat up slow coaches over hurdles Mischief

Report GEORGE.B April 13, 2014 6:55 PM BST
Why hasn't my post showed up? Angry
Report sparrow April 13, 2014 6:58 PM BST
I was not allowed to post his name the other day.
Report GEORGE.B April 13, 2014 7:03 PM BST
I quoted MJK, sparrow. I didn't use his name.

I was gonna ask about this "3 mile hurdler" nonsense.

Is the horse by King's Theatre out of a Deep Run mare? By Old Vic out a Roselier mare?

Oh hang on, he's by that renowned NH sire Bernstein out of a Runaway Groom mare Shocked

American Flat breeding through-and-through. I think we can all agree, he's a class Flat horse who's been beating up slow coaches over sticks.
Report sparrow April 13, 2014 7:14 PM BST
How long before they remove this thread.
Report onlooker April 13, 2014 7:17 PM BST
jonjon    : 333 19 Jul 13 11:25 

' he has grabbed everyone by the hair and screamed

'mickael barzalona IS A FOOL'

he is so right about the godolphin jockey...so so so right.

and he was the one shouting from the rooftops about this kid.  10/10
----------------

So, then - NOBODY ELSE, apparently, saw the said "FOOL" Barzalona ...
Put himself in a perilous position when waving to the crowd, early, and consequently, nearly throwing away the Epsom Derby on Pour Moi.

Mr Wil low - must have better eyesight than everybody else, and exceptional powers of perception = seeing that the rest of racing followers all must have, presumably, missed this midemeanour.
Report metro john April 13, 2014 7:28 PM BST
James is fantastic,a breath of fresh air,he gives his own dimension and interesting analysis.
Report 1st time poster April 13, 2014 7:29 PM BST
he,s one to get your head around
nick robson valuescope in the racing plus when discussing the scottish national

ive long had the belief that giving weight away in these long distance chasers is easier than in shorter races,always thought it was common knowledge it was the complete opposite
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