Blog posting

You may have noticed I've not got a huge amount to say about betting (or indeed anything else) via the blog these days. Have little use for the blog since closing the free six-year long betting advice service back in November 2015.

Still having the occasional bet and public thought though. You'll find these on Twitter @Mikedq.

Staying focused in Galway

Article on latest track visits in Ireland: Leopardstown and Galway, including exploitation of the draw bias in the 7-f races at the latter:

Leopardstown and Galway July 2016

The 2020 video:

May day

Bets landed on Theresa May at 20/1 and 12/1.

William Hill bet paid out @ 20/1 and Paddy Power bet paid out @ 12/1.

Accumulative profit from December 2009 moves up to 1,622 points (21.5%)

Full details here:

ante-post portfolio

May-be

I seem to be doing better with my selections since the blog betting closed last November! At least in percentage terms. We are now in a very strong position with the two advised bets on Theresa May. They were placed/advised in 2011 (@ 20/1) and 2013 (@ 12/1). There is a potential profit on the two bets of 78 points (less two points lost on George). Full details here:

ante-post portfolio

Rather like the situation with the Trump bet, for the Republican nomination, there is an opportunity to lock in some profits as May is trading at odds-on for the Con gig. She is priced @ 1.73 to lay as I write. I don't intend to advise you, I just thought you should be aware of the situation when dusting down those ante-post slips!

As for the Trump bet advised @ 20/1, it was placed with Betfred who paid out earlier this month - even though the result is not 100% certain.

Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1

Extraordinary playing and, indeed, player:

Leicester

Many of you have heard about my (small) bets on Leicester to win the Premier League. Word gets around. Here are some answers to questions that have been asked.

Why did you back Leicester, are you a supporter?

I have never supported a particular football team. I have never spoken about a team as a fan would. So, for instance, I have never used the word 'we' when referring to a team. I think part of the reason for this is that I was brought up in a county that does not have a top flight team: Devon. Plus I was hopeless at football at school.

This position does have its advantages though as it means I am totally unbiased when having a football bet.

At the time of my Leicester bets there seemed to be doubts developing about the consistency of Arsenal, Man U, Man City and Chelsea. I also backed Liverpool for the Premiership in November. .

Why were your Leicester bets not advised on your blog? 

For reasons given elsewhere the betting blog closed on 1st November 2015. My Leicester bets were placed on 8th/23rd November. In any event only a small percentage of my bets appeared on the blog. I tried to recommend what I thought were the the best of my daily wagers on the blog and to a large extent this policy was successful. The blog achieved 20% profit over six years. My long term % profit is just under 9%.

Why were the bets so small - I thought you were a big punter?

Well I've never been a really big punter. I've never bet in thousands (bookmakers would certainly not allow it!) but these bets were particularly tiny. However each of the bets represents the maximum stake these bookmakers would allow me at the time. Actually the win liability (the same for each bet) is about 15 times what these firms would normally lay me on an early-price horse racing single. (My most profitable medium).

Would you have had bigger bets if allowed by these firms?

The answer is of course yes. But you have to remember that this is the case with more than 95% of all bets I place with bookmakers at prices. That's the way it is these days with restricted accounts and you just have to live with it or not bet at all.

Even though this is not a particularly big win it's strangely satisfying to feel part of what (for once) has been a very interesting Premier League season. Here are the winning wagers:

Great fun: 150/1 and 500/1 

Disturbed

This video has been watched 38 million times in just over four months. Which could mean you've already seen it. If you haven't you're in for a treat. Even Paul Simon likes it:

Being Irish

This is what it feels like to be Irish at this time. I'm only half-Irish. But it has always felt like the bigger half. My father was from Blackrock. His godfather was Michael Collins. Yes, really.

This is a real choker:

Time running out

"And the high ideals and the promise
You once dressed the future in
Are dancing in the embers with the wind"

Rock and baroque

You may have heard that Jimi Hendrix's flat - where he lived during '68 and '69 - has been restored and is now open to the public. It's well worth a visit if you are in central London. What's more you can visit Handel's former residence next door on the same ticket. Here's Jimi sitting in his bedroom and then me sitting in the same place nearly 50 years later...

Visiting details can be found on this link: Handel and Hendrix

Trumped up

"Everyone, deep in their hearts, is waiting for the end of the world to come." - Haruki Murakami 

The election of POTUS gets properly underway tomorrow with the Iowa caucus. The last meaningful poll for this Republican caucus showed Trump in the lead on 28% (+6) with Cruz next on 23% (-2). The bookmakers generally bet 4/9 the Toupee, 7/4 Cruz, 10/1 bar.

For the Republican nomination Trump is now odds on with some firms.

If you took some 20/1 Trump for the nomination, as suggested on this blog last July, you are in a good position as you can lay him for a few quid at around 2.08 on betfair as I write. You will have to decide whether to do that or not. Betting recommendations on the blog closed on 1st November 2015 as you know! It's a timely point at which to consider your position though with everything kicking off tomorrow.

Racing Post article 17 January 2016

WHY I’M A RACING FAN- MIKE QUIGLEY 

The retired betting industry veteran, 67, with his memories of the sport

"Irish racing is my real passion – and I’ve visited all 27 tracks"

A SCHOOL FRIEND introduced me to horseracing, after which my father, who had little interest in the sport, indulged me sufficiently to take my bets to the local bookmaker.

“That’s another gallon of petrol for the bookie’s car!” he’d say to me.

It wasn’t until university that I visited a racecourse: Newmarket, 1967, 2,000 Guineas day when Royal Palace won. From a betting perspective it wasn’t successful. I’d been sold a ‘marked’ racecard in the car park at three times its face value. None of the selections won.

After racing it was rather fortunate I’d no money left and couldn’t be coerced by card tricksters into finding the lady. Nevertheless, I was hooked.

Not knowing what to do with my physics degree but still harbouring the racing bug, I joined Ladbrokes as a trainee manager. Later I worked for William Hill, the Tote and Betfair before retiring in 2008. My most memorable racing days have been outside Britain, including four trips to the Breeders’ Cup, plus places like Sha Tin, Pardubice, Longchamp and Chantilly.

My real passion, though, is Irish racing. In 2004 I completed visits to all 27 Irish tracks when I went to Tralee. For nearly 20 years I’ve written about my Irish trips on my website, and most articles have appeared in the London Racing Club magazine.

We live in Ludlow now which has a picturesque track – but you’re just as likely to find me at Leopardstown or the Galway festival.

‘My most memorable racing days have been outside Britain, including four trips to the Breeders’ Cup’