David is a senior manager working in the area of agriculture research and infrastructure management. In this interview, he talks about his experience with Elite Racing as his horse racing tipping service and what he has done with the profits.
How did you approach your racing betting before you started using Elite Racing?
I was a mug punter. With a couple of friends, I used to punt a bit together on a Saturday. I was connected with Elite Racing years ago, along with a number of other systems. I bundled all bets together and was losing more than winning. I got disillusioned and didn’t have a bet for 10 years except on Melbourne Cups. Then a couple of years ago, Larry sent me an email to see if I wanted to re-subscribe to Elite Racing. I got the punting urge back, but this time I wanted to set myself some rules. So I did, I actually wrote them down, and I stick to them as a strategy religiously and don’t waver. I treat it like an investment, and I stay disciplined.
What made you try Elite Racing for a more professional approach to horse race tipping?
I had confidence in their approach.
I did a lot of research and settled on Elite. There are some criteria I’ve got around average dividends, win/loss ratio, and the number of average winning betting days. Importantly, you need to reconcile that you can’t win every race. You need to reconcile that you can’t win every weekend. It’s just unrealistic. So I’ve set these rules, and I stick to them, and I use Elite selections virtually to the T. I follow what Elite Racing recommend and am making a punting profit.
How can you describe the sign-up process? Was it easy for you?
Very simple. Their system is excellent. I think one of the great things about Elite Racing is its communication and willingness to communicate with its clients.
What’s changed for you since you started using Elite Racing as your tipping service?
I’m making a profit. I keep absolutely immaculate records, and I recommend anyone who does punt does that. I’m happy to share the spreadsheets that I have. Elite has its own spreadsheet, and it’s a lot of information. So I’ve got one that’s quite simplistic. I keep track of all the bets. I keep track of it just to have a look at trends and things. I record daily bets and keep stats on monthly and yearly averages. All with win ratios, average dividends, track wins, profit/loss on turnover etc.
It’s a consistent winning ratio with Elite Racing, so the proof is in the pudding.
So I’m running separate accounts for their different systems. Well, I was, when they had multiple systems. They’ve consolidated one called the E-4 Suite. But prior to that, I was backing the various systems, Platinum, Melbourne and Sydney etc., but I was using separate betting agencies and not all in one account, which I used to do a decade ago. I separated my accounts, and I ran three or four different bookies accounts. So It was actually completely keeping it autonomous. That was one of the rules that I’d set for myself, and that’s the key.
Larry recommends that you should separate your banks. If you’re going to have side bets, don’t use your main bank. I don’t do that anymore since I got back into it.
I know I’m not ever going to win every race, and I know the selections are not going to win every weekend. I’m very comfortable with that. It’s just unrealistic to think otherwise. But the strategy, if you stick to it over a long-term period, it exponentially grows your bank.
What do you think is Elite Racing’s point of difference from other professional horse race tipping services available in Australia?
They have been around for a long time in the industry. I suspect they have a high retention rate of their disciplined clients who apply the approach they recommend. I’ve disciplined myself, and I know I will stay with them long-term. I think the other aspect that sets them apart is that they’re constantly looking for ways to improve their selection processes.
Can you describe how the information fits into your weekly routine? How do you go about using their tipping service?
I don’t use the midweek selections Wednesday. There’s a reason for that. I’ve got such a busy job, and I travel a lot, and I’m not always in a position where I can put the bets on.
I only use the Saturday selections and sometimes Friday nights, particularly in Spring Carnival. Saturday morning, they come in early, before 10 o’clock. I place all my bets well before lunch on a Saturday. It frees up the afternoon.
Do you recommend Elite Racing as a horse race tipping service to your friends?
Yes.
What reasons do you give to them?
A consistent winning approach with good service from an organisation that communicates regularly with its clientele.
Can you comment on their ethics as an organisation?
I think ethics are important. I suspect they wouldn’t have been in business for 30 years unless they took an ethical approach. They wouldn’t be there if they weren’t continuously improving and providing a service to clients.
They’ve got a professional interface with their clients. They communicate by email. The information that is provided on race day is simple and easy to follow. Just by reading the newsletters which come out every week as a wrap-up from a previous race meeting, it’s pretty clear from some of the commentaries in the newsletters that there are a number of clients who are virtually semi-professionals, if not professional.
They obviously use some of the data that’s available online through the spreadsheets, probably in a different one. Many clients do that. I tend not to. I’ve dumbed it down for me. I just use the systems that they provide in the email, and I find that works for me.
What do you get out of it?
I actually enjoy it. I enjoy watching the racehorses. I enjoy having a punt. I enjoy it when I’ve got a system that I know with confidence that I’m going to make some money out of it. From the profits that I’ve made out of it in the last two years, I’ve been able to buy a share in a racehorse.
Read Lochy’s “Rules and Learnings” to attempt a successful punting life!
