Daft Reasons for Betting a Horse - And They Won !

My first ever bet was on a horse called Master Smudge who had form figures something like P402F303, so I thought, "It's due a win."

It won at 10/1.

Grand Paradis is entered in the Ultima, the Plate and the Kim Muir. GL OP.

At the age 0f 11 my dad took me to Newmarket for the 1958 Cambridgeshire handicap and allowed me a 1/- each way bet. He had said that a low number draw was best so I backed London Cry at 20/1 because I thought he was drawn one. I had read the racecard wrong as the horse was actually number 1 on the card and top weight but Scobie booted him home anyway.

My Mrs backed a 50/1 winner once because in the paddock "it had a kind face".

My Gran's 1st name and maiden name was Molly Carew (pretty rare surname and coincidence imo). I didn't say anything or back it on its debut Nov 16, but did see enough that day to know they would win a race with her.

3 runs later boots in @ 33/1 SP and has 6x wins and 6x paid places from a further 28 hurdle/chase runs. Quids in and won the other week at 8/11 3 runners.

Me mam wants to buy the first female offspring.

Well Davros, that is quite extraordinary.

I was at Newmarket watching the parade with Mrs.Blue and she put £2.50 e.w. on Hunting Lion trained by Channon with Aussie jock Craig Williams on board.

It duly obliged also @ 50/1 and when I asked afterwards why that one she said looking at him walking around he had "the happiest face".

following the victory of kris kin in the derby guy on radio was asked why he backed it he answered my name is michael its the only horse in the race with 7 letters in the name

Slippy - we were at Newmarket too.  A great system is born!

On a sad day today , was off to NZ in spring 1987 - enough said .

My first bet was in 1986. I was at work and attempted to phone a customer but got a crossed line (remember those?) I could hear these 2 people speaking, but they were unable to hear me. Anyway they were discussing the best price available for 'Sneak Preview'  I had no idea what they were on about, but the price quoted was 8/1 and I assumed it was a horse or greyhound. Looking in the paper I discovered it was a horse running that afternoon.  I had never considered betting in the past, but told the guys in the office and we each agreed to put a quid on since we had had a 'sneak preview'. I went into a bookie at lunch time, had absolutely no idea what I was doing, but placed the bet with some assistance, and hey presto it won (can't remember the price), but the event sticks in my mind as clear as if it were yesterday.

My third ever bet. Grundy to win the Derby, I think I got about 7/1 on it in the morning. I put the bet on for several people in the office and was asked to back Lester Piggott's mount which I think was the favourite. Somehow I got confused by the cashier who then wrote the slip out for me after assuming it was Grundy I was backing. I cleaned up as everybody thought the bet had lost.