WINNING WITH THE PPD CLUB

By Brian Blackwell
(Editor, PPD Club)
When we launched the Practical Punting Daily Club, back in 1999, we did so with one aim: To make money for our subscribers. Now, as we all know, that's a tough mission in the world of racing.

As the years have rolled by, we have maintained that key goal and, in most years, achieved it, sometimes with a flourish.

Our mission also was to provide a daily service to punters that was affordable, and we hit on the sum of 60 cents a day. Somewhat amazingly, we have maintained that fee to this day, despite all the associated price rises in everyday business life.

We've been able to do this because of the support we've received from the public. We now have a sizeable following for our Internet-based service, and many members have been with us since Day One. Some have become rich. Many have had enormous wins for small outlays, especially from our long-range betting service in which we target major Group 1 races many months ahead of their running, and back longshot selections.

Our greatest pickups were in 2002 and 2003. In 2002, we handed out the winners of the Stradbroke Hdcp and Brisbane Cup some 2 months before they were run, and our members were able to back the double of Show A Heart and Prized Gem at odds up to 1,500/1.

One member won enough to buy his first house. Another member, a suburban mum, won enough to head off to Spain for a family reunion. The same woman had another huge return a year or so later and this time was off to the United States.

Our second big strike of 2002 was to nail the Melbourne Cup winner Media Puzzle at 150/1. We tipped the Irish stayer a couple of months before the Cup and we also tipped him to win the Geelong Cup, which he did at around 7/1. It was an enormous result for PPD Club members.

We followed up by nabbing the Sydney Cup winner for 2003, Honor Babe at 100/1. We tipped her in JANUARY, some four months before the race.

The PPD Club is compromised of a variety of sections. They are as follows:

(1) Daily Specials
(2) Longshot Specials
(3) ImpactPro ratings
(4) Video View selections
(5) Statsman's system bets
(6) Daily Notebook
(7) RaceQuest Ratings (Saturdays only)
(8) Hong Kong tips
(9) Harold Park trots tips (Fridays only)
(10) Alan Jacobs' best bets

The Daily Specials are the tips that ALL our members turn to each day and this is because they have enjoyed so much success over the years. Only one or two selections, occasionally three, are handed out each day.

Each tip comes with a commentary section in which we explain WHY we are tipping the horse, and how we think the race will be run. Sometimes we will nominate a 'danger' runner. Much the same applies to our Longshot Specials. There is usually only one a day, and most weeks we tip on about 5 days on average.

You'll find examples of our Daily Specials coverage in the chapter which deals with this section of the website.

ImpactPro ratings have proven immensely popular with PPD Club members. We've found that members have their own, varied ways of making money from the ratings. Some back win and place, using staking plans, others go for the exotics, using a mixture of multiple approaches.

Bob, of Malabar NSW, one of our very first subscribers, uses the AB-AB-Field trifecta approach, and says he's hit a large number of high-paying dividends.

Bob says he waits for the VALUE pairings, and that's when he strikes on the trifectas. We have examples of Bob C's approach under the ImpactPro chapter.

One of the key jobs as editor of the PPD Club is to look at video replays. These can take many hours to assess, and sometimes I'll replay a race a dozen times to ensure every horse receives some attention.

The results of these long viewing sessions are the horses we list in the Video View and Daily Notebook sections. I know these are really popular sections simply because of the great feedback we receive.

Both sections fall into a 'horses to follow' category. The winners they have produced over the years are too many to mention here, but they have included Caulfi eld and Melbourne Cup winners!

Statsman's section of the PPD Club is limited to his marvelously consistent HotpotsPlus system selections. This system has been running for years and continues to land good, solid winners. It is based on last start winners, and the rules that Statsman has brought into play are ingenious, and particularly effective inweeding out potential non-winners.

Because the system operates solely on metropolitan meetings, there are usually only a couple of bets a week. Believe me, they are GOOD BETS.

RaceQuest Ratings fall into much the same category. They are availab le only for city meetings on Saturdays and usually there are just one or two selections. A strict set of rules are applied to a powerful ratings approach to determine the final selections.

I lived in Hong Kong for some 5 years in the late 60s and early 70s and got to know a lot of longtime HK residents who were mad on horse racing. The chap who now provides the Hong Kong tips for the PPD Club is one of those old pals of mine. In fact, he went to HK with me aboard the P and O liner, the ss Chusan.

Using the byline Sir Conduit, he provides us with two or three selections a week for the HK meetings that are covered by the Australian TABs and, so far, he's been most successful. He knows all the intrigues of racing in HK and has contacts on a personal and professional basis with jockeys, trainers and owners.

I really trust his expertise as far as Hong Kong racing is concerned and I'm delighted he is now helping our subscribers to cash in on his many years of experience.

Finally, for harness racing fans, we have Rick Roberts, the longtime PPM trots analyst, providing his 'best bet' selections for Harold Park meetings on Friday nights. Rick is always close to the mark with his tips. Once again, he's a man who has been around the traps for a long time. He has experience on his side.

I have listed Alan Jacobs' best bets as #10 on our list of PPD Club sections, but, believe me, this is no refl ection at all on the fantastic input Alan has had in the last year or two.

His best bets in 2005 proved the SENSATION of the Club. You can read more about them under the chaptger dedicated to this section of the service. Suffice for me to say that AJ's best bets were a fabulous success, continue to be a success, and look as if they are heading for yet another glorious year (as at January 29, Alan's 2006 performance stood at 4 winners and two 2nds from 7 selections!).

We'll tell you how PPD Club members made money from them in 2005, and how this success has continued into 2006, and through the season to season stats (from August 1 to the current date).

YES, YOU CAN MAKE MONEY FROM
THE ALAN JACOBS' BEST BETS.
HE'S PROVEN THAT YOU CAN. HE'S
SUPREMELY CONFIDENT HE CAN DO
IT AGAIN. SO AM I.

This, then, is an introduction to the PPD Club. I'd like to say we win every day, but I can't do that. You know as well as I do that no-one wins every day! But...we do win enough times to make it all worthwhile.

Follow the ideas in this booklet and I'm sure that once you have joined the PPD Cl,ub you will begin to make a profit on your betting. We'll do all we can to make it happen for you.

MAKING MONEY FROM BEST BETS

By Alan Jacob
I make money with my best bet selections by the use of creative staking techniques. I LOVE to dabble in race to race win doubles, and in PLACE race to race trebles (all-ups).

If this is a manner of betting which appeals to you, then I recommend that when you back my selections, don't just back them for a win only.

Back them in as creative a manner as you. Go for the all-ups race to race, and as far as place betting goes, shoot for those all-up trebles.

In the current season, to the end of December, I hit 16 winners from 37 selections, a strike rate of 43.24%, while the place strike was 75.67%. Level stakes showed a profit for the win of 20.5%.

This on its own is good enough to make any punter feel very happy. If you can get 20% on your money in racing you are doing better than most other punters. That's a fact.

In the whole year's betting there were 33 place trebles achieved following my best bets. As far as win all-ups were concerned, there were 36 doubles returning a profit of 93.08%.

These results were achieved simply by starting a new all-up with each selection into the next selection. However, leap-frogging also presented followers with opportunities to make big money.

By leap-frogging I mean, betting Horse A into both B and C (the following 2 races).

I put this idea forward for your perusal as I think it has long-term potential.

As things stand, though, I believe the WIN ALL-Ups in DOUBLES and the all-up PLACE TREBLES (3 linked races) offer you a fantastic opportunity to make signifi cant gains.

The actual streaks of the best bets achieving 1st, 2nd or 3rd placings were as follows:

2-3-7-2-7-2-3-7-3-3-3-11-4-4-2-3

As you can see from these statistics, the PLACE horses can be sensational. At one stage, there were ELEVEN successful bets in a row. Imagine how you would have fared had to you bet all those in an all-up!

On three occasions, there were 7 placed bets in a row.

What other advantages are there as far as selective best bets backing is concerned? Well, for a start, because I can pick and choose, and am not under pressure to produce a best bet every day, I can put forward only the very best tips, and this means the prospect of long losing runs is cut right down.

The worst run I had in 2005 was 5 losers in a row. This is an easy streak to overcome.

The year 2006 is now well underway as I write this, which is in the third week of January, and my record stands at 7 selections for 4 winners and two 2nds, and as 24% level stakes profit.

By the time you read this booklet, I will have added a handful more best bet selections to the tally.

I'm very confi dent that I can make 2006 as successful a year as 2005. I'm putting in the hard work.

I am maintaining the pillars of winnability that I used in 2005. The key factors remain the same. The good results will flow.

ALAN JACOBS AND HIS BEST BETS

The following is a special article about the Alan Jacobs' phenomenon:
By JON HUDSON
Since January, 2005, members of the PPD Club have been witnessing what has turned out to be a phenomenal tipping performance by form analyst Alan Jacobs.

I think any punter who has gone through the rigours of this great but frustrating gambling sport will agree with me when I say that for anyone to achieve a win strike rate in excess of 46% over a year, and 104 selections, is remarkable.

Well, this is what Alan Jacobs has achieved. His record for 2005 stood at 48 winners from 104 selections. That, my friends, is a strike rate of 46.15%. Alan's strike rate is close to a winner every 2 selections.

Had you bet $100 for the win on each selection you would now be in front by $2,400, which is 23.07% profit on turnover. Even a $50 bet would have had you $1,200 in front.

And, I can tell you (and as members of the PPD Club will attest) your bank was never in danger. In fact, Alan's longest losing run was 5.

The full details of his achievement are in the results chart at the foot of this article. These are the exact bets he gave in his PPD Club 'best bets' section. No other selections in other races.

Just the one bet on the given day and nothing else, so these statistics are not fiddled with in any way at all.

For those of you who would like to know a little more, Alan's 'best bets' are featured on the Today's Tips section of the PPD Club. As you can see from the results, he does not offer a selection every day. His approach is to be very selective, so sometimes there is a gap of 3 or 4 days, sometimes a week or so, between selections.

PPD Club members don't seem to mind this, and why would they? They know that they are receiving the advice of a true professional and a man who takes his form analysis very seriously indeed.

Let's look at Alan's record since the beginning of the 2005/06 season on August 1, 2005 to the end of December, 2005. There were 37 selections for 16 winners, a strike rate of 43.24%. The total return was 44.6 units for a profit of 7.6 units, which is a profit on turnover of 20.5%. This is excellent stuff.

You can see from the results that even the place strike rate (more than 75.6%) is enough to give cautious place bettors cause to break out into giggles. With placegetters arriving on a platter like this, there are numerous ways to cash in on the good news.

Many letters have been received from PPD Club members during the course of the year praising Alan's tipping performance. Jack, from Liverpool NSW, wrote: 'I have to admit I didn't believe it could go on, so I didn't start betting on the tips until July but I haven't had a moment's worry since then. In October, there were 5 bets and I collected 3 times, and September was mind-boggling because there were 8 selections for 3 winners and 4 placegetters, and I kept going all-up for the place.'

Between August 15 and September 14, Alan handed out a total of 11 selections and not one of them finished out of the first two. He hit 6 winners and five 2nds.

How does Alan Jacobs work out his bets and decide when to release a best bet selection?

He says: 'It's a matter of sticking to very good horses as much as you can. If you look at my results you'll notice that a high percentage of the horses I have tipped have been really classy types, like Makybe Diva, Pendragon, Kosi Bay, Publicity Stunt, Collate, and so on, though during some months of the year we have to go a bit below these sort of gallopers because the champagne types are not around.

'But the same credo holds true. Go for the best class you can at the time, whether it's spring, summer, autumn or winter. Horses with class on their side are more likely to be reliable.

'So that's the main point about finding a best bet. The other is that a horse needs to have form behind it, and the more recent the good form the better. It also needs to have a good rider, and it needs to have things in its favour in the race; usually this means a nice barrier draw, form at the track and over the distance, and it needs to be well in the market.

'You can't really go looking for extra-special good things with horses at prob ably longer than 8/1. The winners are going to come, for the most part, from those runners at 6/1 or under. This is a fact of racing life and we can't just ignore it.'

Alan says that he mulls over a race for some time after narrowing the chances down to about three, sometimes only two.

'The horse has to stand out on many factors, and it's experience to know when you can have a go,' he says. 'I like to think I can get least evens about a best bet but obviously I look for more than that. Sometimes, you get surprised because a horse you feel is a 6/4 chance starts at longer, while another one you feel is a 3/1 chance ends upo odds-on! But that's racing all over, isn't it?'

Results of Alan Jacobs' best bets, 2005
Jan 12 SHE LAGO WON $5.70
Jan 13 Diva Gold Lost
Jan 21 Skewiff Lost
Jan 23 MIKAN WON $3.50
Jan 24 PRINCE RAHEED WON $1.50
Jan 25 Misura Lost
Jan 31 BEYOOSHI WON $2.20
Feb 3 DELICATE SNIP WON $1.90
Feb 5 ROLL ME WON $2.40
Feb 9 Saachi Lost
Feb 12 Pentelikon Lost
Feb 15 STAKEOUT WON $2.30
Feb 17 Pindarri Gold 2nd
Feb 20 Abbasinga 2nd
Feb 24 MISS DEBONAIR WON $1.70
Feb 26 RADETZKI MARCH WON $2.10
Feb 27 NENG RAIN WON $2.20
Mar 3 REGAL SYSTEM WON $5.50
Mar 5 Lotteria Lost
Mar 8 ROSE OF KINGS WON $2.00
Mar 12 Radetzky March 3rd
Mar 13 Star of Florida Lost
Mar 16 Mesmerising Lost
Mar 19 IKE'S DREAM WON $2.90
Mar 23 Streets of Fire 2nd
Mar 26 Cool & Composed 3rd
Mar 28 PERSONAL IMAGE WON $4.50
Apr 2 MANGO DAIQUIRI WON $3.10
Apr 4 ROYAL IDA WON $1.90
Apr 7 LONG RED STEM WON $2.40
Apr 9 Honalee Lost
Apr 13 Assafa 2nd
Apr 15 Dawn Almighty Lost
Apr 16 AQUA DIAMOND WON $2.60
Apr 20 Amelienborg 2nd
Apr 23 Mummify Lost
Apr 25 Sojustrememberthis 3rd
Apr 26 DAI ICHI WON $2.00
Apr 30 PERLIN WON $1.80
May 4 Constellation Lost
May 6 LAGO'S PEAK WON $5.10
May 7 Tagine Lost
May 9 ANOTHER ARCHIE WON $1.30
May 12 NAYIREZI WON $1.40
May 14 DELVECCHIO WON $3.60
May 16 KINGIFY WON $2.50
May 18 BIPOLAR WON $2.80
May 21 PINUP WON $2.30
May 24 SUPER SEREN WON $1.70
May 28 Road to Damascus Lost
Jun 1 Satin Spin Lost
Jun 4 Pinup Lost
Jun 11 Edgy Affair Lost
Jun 15 TACTFULLY WON $2.10
Jun 18 Sunnay Lost
Jun 22 Dance Clear 3rd
Jun 25 Malcolm 3rd
Jul 5 Sequester 2nd
Jul 7 Salaam Dubai Lost
Jul 9 RACING TO WIN WON $1.80
Jul 12 Mindsky Lost
Jul 13 Flying Formality 2nd
Jul 20 TEMPLE OF ISIS WON $1.90
Jul 23 PRINCESS MARGARET WON $2.60
Jul 27 Presto Vite Lost
Jul 31 Point Made 3rd
Aug 2 LOFTILY WON $2.80
Aug 6 Countess Bathory 2nd
Aug 10 Rum Dum Lost
Aug 13 Run Rita Run 3rd
Aug 14 El Segundo Lost
Aug 15 ECUMENICAL WON $2.30
Aug 17 Countess Bathory 2nd
Aug 20 Stratum 2nd
Aug 24 KOSI BAY WON $2.20
Aug 26 MATRAS WON $1.60
Aug 27 MAKYBE DIVA WON $7.60
Aug 30 PUBLICITY STUNT WON $5.80
Sep 3 Media 2nd
Sep 7 Kosi Bay 2nd
Sep 10 Makybe Diva 2nd
Sep 14 COLLATE WON $3.20
Sep 17 Media Lost
Sep 21 D Major 3rd
Sep 24 DREAM BALLAD WON $1.80
Sep 27 ZINGAM WON $1.80
Oct 1 MAKYBE DIVA WON $2.60
Oct 8 Perlin Lost
Oct 15 PENDRAGON WON $2.90
Oct 19 Power of Destiny Lost
Oct 22 MAKYBE DIVA WON $2.20
Oct 29 Astronomia 2nd
Nov 1 PUBLICITY STUNT WON $2.90
Nov 5 Hit The Road 3rd
Nov 12 Testafi able Lost
Nov 19 Butten Shaw Lost
Nov 25 CROWN POWER WON $2.10
Nov 26 CALIFORNIA DANE WON $1.30
Dec 3 Willy Leica Lost
Dec 10 MALCOLM WON $1.50
Dec 17 Mel 2nd
Dec 21 Radetzky March 3rd
Dec 23 Mighty Bean Lost
Dec 24 Zago 2nd

Total selections: 104
Wins: 48
Place: 74
Win Strike: 46.15%
Place Strike: 71.15%
Win profit: 24 units
profit On Turnover: +23.07%

THE BLOCK OF FOUR APPROACH

By JON HUDSON
Any examination of the year 2005 results for Alan Jacobs will prove what a great year it was for him.

There are, of course, no absolute guarantees that a year as good, or better, will follow, but there is a guarantee that Alan, or AJ as we all know him at the PPD Club, will apply his usually tenacity and understanding of form to produce the best bet selections.

A novel way of using the recommended all-up approach on AJ's selection is what I call The Block of Four Plan. You simply divide the selections into sets of four and 'box' the four selections into all-up doubles.

In 2005, there were 26 sets of four selections. With each foursome converted into all-up doubles that makes an outlay for the year of $156 (assuming $1 all-ups).

Four horses means 6 doubles (A-B, A-C, A-D, B-C, B-D, C-D). So each set of four requires an outlay of $6. These all-ups are spread over a number of days, depending on when the best bets are given.

The A horse, the first bet in the sequence, will be bet for $3 as it has to cover 3 doubles. The B horse is bet for $2 and the C horse is bet for $1.

Any returns from a winner is spread over the required doubles. For example, if A wins and pays $4 the return is $12. This is now split into three bets of $4 each going on to B-C-D. Get the idea?

Applying this formujla through 2005 on AJ's best bets the return was $226.95, giving a profit of $70.95 on the $156 outlay.

This is 64% on outlay. An enormous profit by any standards, and so easily achieved. A total of 30 all-up doubles were struck from the 156 that were bet.

One enthusiastic follower of the best bets used the all-up approach for much of 2005 and reports that he had a great year, though he also 'mixed and matched' many of his own selections in other races with the best bets from AJ.

'I got some excellent results,' wrote Paddy of Chadstone, Victoria. 'Whenever Alan has a best bet I look at around three or four other races and make my own picks and then bet them all in allups with Alan's selection, so usually I'd have three or four all-ups going, and whenever Alan struck a winner, which was almost half the time, I had a leg in and all I needed was to be on the ball myself and I had a great day.'

Paddy says he usually tried to find 'good value' horses with which to link with the best bet.

'If Alan's selection was short, I'd always look for horses on the third and fourth lines of betting, so the prices would usually be 5/1 or better. So, when an all-up was achieved, the result was enough to score a profit.'

STATSMAN'S SYSTEM HOTPOTS

By BRIAN Blackwell
The one section of the PPD Club devoted to systems is the work of Statsman, the creator of a host of excellent systems over the last 30 years.

The system he operates is called The HotpotsPlus and it is based around last start winners. It is a MODEL OF CONSISTENCY. Week in, week out, month in, month out, the system churns out solid selections that produce an enviable record of winners and placegetters.

An astute punter who ensures he gets TOP DIVIDENDS will be able to make a nice profit following Statsman's system bets.

From January 1, 2005 until January 21, 2006, there were 94 selections for 35 winners and 65 placegetters.

Now, examine those results: THIRTY FIVE WINNERS means a win strike rate of 37.2% has been maintained over more than 12 months. SIXTY FIVE PLACEGETTERS means that a place strike rate of 69.1% has been maintained over more than 12 months.

Frankly, that's about as good as it gets in this tough world of betting on horse racing.

Check the strike rate with the newspaper tipsters, or the guys on radio and TV. Check the results against your own in the same period? It'll be hard for anyone to match such a record.

A subscriber from Penrith, William H, wrote to us late in 2005, saying: 'I just wanted to write to you to thank Statsman for his system tips. They are just what I need for my own betting purposes. I am a man who dislikes long losing streaks and I am happy with a small profit over the year. Statsman has helped me do this, but I have also used his selections as banker bets in my trifectas.

'I link several other runners with the selection and this has enabled me to strike a great many goiodpaying trifectas this year. The good thing is that Statsman's system is such a regular producer of placegetters.

'I used to bet for a place and I could never achieve a strike effort of almost 70%. That is extraordinary.'

William is correct. In fact, Statsman's worst losing runs in the period we have mentioned were 8 in March 2005 and 6 in late July and early August.

Otherwise, the winners just flowed on a regular basis. As did the placegetters.

Take January 2005 as an example. The system bets performed as follows:

2-1-1-2-2-0-1-3-1-2

Just one loser in that month. Five placegetters in a row, and then four placegetters in a row. What a way to start the year.

This was followed by another great run in February, as follows:

1-1-0-1-1

Four winners from 5 selections, at 3/1, 2/1, 4/5 and 5/4.

So, what is this system all about? Well, we're not about to give away the details but a broad outline is as follows:

LAST START WINNERS
FITNESS LEVEL
CONSISTENCY
LINE OF BETTING

In a nutshell, that's it. Four basic factors combined to produce a system that can pick almost 4 winners in every 10 races, and just on 7 placegetters every 10 races.

The most recent results from HotpotsPlus? Okay, in January, so far:

Old Mystique 3rd 2/1
Jeune's Edge Lost 7/2
ARTISTIQUE 1st 9/4
Scission 2nd 7/2
December
BAHIA 1st 7/4
Readyforcatherine 2nd 1/2
MURRAY DOWNS 1st 9/4
Ruling Interest Lost 11/2
TACTFULLY 1ST 1/2 ST
1/2 By Delicious 2nd 7/4
Stratton Place 3rd 5/1
KEPOLA 1st 5/2
Geigeron 3rd 12/1

Five winners from 13 bets, and 11 placegetters from 13 bets. Strike rate for the win: 38.46%. Place strike rate: 84.6%.

THE AMAZING DAILY SPECIALS

By JON HUDSON
Without a doubt, the PPD Club Daily Specials are the 'staple diet' of just about every subscriber to the PPD Club. I know that I turn to Brian Blackwell's tips immediately I log onto the Club.

Over a long period of time, getting on for 10 years, Brian has maintained a tremendous consistency.

He attributes his success to a lot of hard work, especially when it comes to studying video replays.

'These days when so much information is around for everyone to access, you need to look for an edge and look long and hard form it,' says Brian. 'I find that I can pluck some good value winners by really making an intensive study of replays.

'It's a laborious task, especially when you have to watch one race half a dozen times! But it's the only way to find out the unlucky runners, which are usually those just behind the placegetters.'

Another key point Brian looks for is a horse that can produce a sharp sprint at the finish of a race.

'Some horses will secure a late gap and just sort of battle to the line,' he says. 'Others, though, show a swift turn of foot, a strong acceleration power, and it's these horses I look for. Find an unlucky runner who flashes home, and more times than not you will find a future winner.'

Brian's record stands as testament to his incredible ability to pick good winners.

Here are some of his recent winning previews. Judge for yourself the quality of his analysis.

Sandown, January 26, 2006

POWER AND FAITH 2nd
O'CANARVASS 1st $3.90
Quinella $20.60 Exacta $34.00
Trifecta $721.20 (for $22 bet linking Field for 3rd)

With a useful apprentice claiming 3kgs, (4) Power And Faith 8/1 gets his chance to land a first-up win for the Danny O'Brien stable in race 6, the 1MW Silvan Cup 1400m at Sandown Hillside.

The 6yo is having his first start since running 8th to Show Barry at Moonee Valley 1500m last Sep 10. He ran some handy races last campaign but was hampered by wet tracks. The base formline is his first-up 4th over the Sandown Hillside 1400m trip last April, in which (2) O'Canarvass 3/1f finished just ahead of him in 3rd place. In that race, Power And Faith gave O'Canarvass 1kg while in today's race he receives 2kgs from that horse. II think this pair holds the key to the race. I'll be surprised if O'Brien does not have Power And Faith ready to run well after his break.

Randwick, January 26

RESPECT 1st $5.00

Paul Cave is a master-blaster when it comes to stayers and I'm happy to put my trust in his skills with (5) Respect 9/1 in race 2, the 2400m Australia Day Cup at Randwick on Thursday. The tough Zabeel 7yo had no luck at all last start when 4th over the 2400m at Warwick Farm on Jan 13. His jockey James Innes told stewards he was forced wide near the 700m and then tried to improve his position closer to the fence. Near the home turn he attempted to obtain a run between other horses but both shifted ground, causing Respect to move wider to obtain clear running. Respect wound up 5 lens from the winner but I suggest we can ignore that margin. Respect loves the Randwick track (4 starts, 1 win, two 2nds, one 3rd) and, of course, he has the Paul Cave polish.

Randwick, January 21

COODER 1st $21.50

The engagement of Allan Robinson may give (5) Cooder 15/1 the 'oomph' required to win race 6, a Cl 6 1200m hdcp at Randwick on Saturday. The 7yo raced in Listed class at his latest run when 9th in the Carrington at Randwick on Jan 2. He was slowly away, settled well back on the rails, got a lovely split on the rails into the straight and went to the line gamely to finish 3.3 lens from Bold Matador. He was sent out at 50s and raced well above market expectations. The Michael Clouttrained sprinter gets an extra 100m in today's race. The pace is likely to be slick so he will have his chance to sit well back and then finish off powerfully. Robbo is riding in great form and he will give him every chance.

Ararat, January 24

INGLEWOOD DOC 1st $4.50

We face a really lacklustre day's racing on Tuesday, and I'm going for just the one bet. It's the Darren Weir-trained (7) Inglewood Doc 9/2 in race 8, a Cl 2 1310m Hdcp at Ararat. The 3yo colt looks the best of an ordinary bunch. Weir has engaged his useful apprentice Seb Murphy for the ride. He claims 3kgs so Inglewood Doc slips in with 53kgs, which is 2kgs below the Limit. Last time out, he ran on nicely without getting much room to finish 4th in a Cl 1 1200m at Warrnambool on Jan 13. Murphy had him trailing the field to the turn and then urged him along in the final stages. He made up good ground to finish 6.2 lens from the winner Sera Cielo (who was 5 lengths ahead of the 2nd horse). On debut, Inglewood Doc won at Penshurst 1000m on Dec 26. He goes over 1310m today and I think this will suit.

Flemington, January 20

IRIS IN THE GLEN 1st $7.60

We were 'on' when (4) Iris In The Glen 8/1 scored last start, so I suggest we move in for another helping when she tackles race 7, a Cl 6 2000m hdcp at Flemington. The Danny O'Brien-trained 4yo mare is a progressive type who is likely to be up to the task of rising from a Cl 2 to a Cl 6 race. Her last start victory in Cl 2 over 1959m at Yarra Valley on Jan 5 was a particularly impressive effort. She meets tougher company in today's race but with the in-form Stephen Baster aboard, and the magic of the equally in-form trainer O'Brien, I rate her very highly.

Cranbourne, January 18

SURPRISE IMPACT 1st $5.10

We backed (1) Surprise Impact 4/1 when he was run down in the final strides and finished 2nd at Moonee Valley on Dec 23 and I'm happy to throw in again with him in race 6, a Cl 6 1200m at Cranbourne. Surprise Impact went to the front from a wide gate at MV (Cl 6, 1200m) but was worried for a long way by Dance At Ascot on his inside. He accelerated on the turn and beat off that horse and looked the winner, only to have Can Lago sweep down the outside to nab him and score by almost a length. Surprise Impact has a stronger and far more experienced jockey aboard today, Craig Williams, and he's riding in tip-top form. The jockey switch is significant.

Warwick Farm, January 13

CATCH THE BID 1st $6.90

After a luckless run last start, (4) Catch The Bird 5/1 appeals as a prime prospect for race 6, a Cl 3 fillies & mares hdcp at Warwick Farm on Friday. The Clarry Conners-trained 3yo filly was btn 2 lens into 8th place (in a field of 9) in a Cl 3 3YO Fillies 1400m at Randwick on Dec 26. But the form figure fails to tell the real story. Darren Beadman had her nicely positioned in 5th place, one out, rounding the turn but that's when it all went pear-shaped. He found himself locked up behind 4 other runners over the final 250m with no way to find a gap. Catch The Bird was travelling strongly with nowhere to go. To add insult to injury, the filly copped a check off heels around the 50m mark causing Beadman to ease up. She coasted to the line untouched. Craig Agnew takes over the reins and while he's not a jockey in Beadman's class, surely he couldn't get Catch The Bird into such strife again?

Warrnambool, January 15

POST CODE 1st $5.50

On Sunday we should secure a nice price about (7) Postcode 6/1 in race 7, the Cl 5 Inglis Classic at Warrnambool. This is a wide open race, make no mistake about it. Much will depend on who gets the cosiest passage. Postcode has to be respected after a slashing effort for 3rd to Gibernau in a 1MW Hdcp 1410m at Flemington on Dec 26. The 5yo, from the Tony Noonan team, was buried rearwards to ther turn, came wide into the straight, got held up at the 400m, was pulled to the outside and then motored home over the final 200m. He'd won his previous 2 starts at Ballarat 1600m and Cranbourne 1600m in Cl 2 and 4, so he's a horse right at peak form.

These are just a handful of examples of the PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE you get when you pay your 60 cents a day to become a member of the PPD Club.

Members simply click on to the 'TODAY'S TIPS' page to find Brian's Daily Special selection/s for the day. There are IFS or BUTS. The selection is clearly revealed and there is always an explanation as to why it has been chosen (as you can see from the above examples of recent winners).

FOOTNOTE: At time of writing, the Daily Specials were showing a LEVEL STAKES PROFIT of 27.2 units since January 1. In other words, a $100 win bet would have had you $2,720 ahead of the game.

Even a $10 win bet would give you a level stakes profit of $272.

The PPD Club's Daily Specials give you a great chance to win. Bet them for a win, use them as bankers in trifectas and exactas, and in doubles... The evenues are there for the enterprising punter to cash in big-time.

THE DAILY NOTEBOOK
Each day, PPD Club editor Brian Blackwell and form analyst Alan Jacobs share the task of looking at video race replays.

The result of their analysis is our Daily Notebook comments.

Only two or three horses are carefully chosen at some meetings held on each day of the week. Brian usually concentrates on Victorian meetings, Alan looks at NSW meetings.

Brian explains: 'The aim of the Notebook is to keep our subscribers informed about horses who impress, those who race without luck, and those who simply put in good, solid efforts without winning.

'We're always on the lookout for the horse that others might miss in the race. A lot of the winners we've had in the Notebook section are horses who finished back in the pack, but who we noticed ran into trouble and lost any chance, while at the same time doing enough to show that if they had secured a clear passage they'd have been right in the money.

'I hear from mmany subscribers who over the years have found a lot of great value winners and placegetters from the Notebook comments. They either back them straightout next start, or use them as part of their attack on the trifectas and doubles.

'It's as important to nail a future placegetter as it is to nail a future winner, because our people are betting them to run placings in the exotics, and it sometimes doesn't matter if they don't win, as long as they run a placing.'

For your information, here are some of the most recent segments from the Daily Notebook comments.

THE DAILY NOTEBOOK COMMENTS

On Friday, at Moonee Valley, the jockey on CELTIC BLOOM took off 200m too early in the 1600m Mares race and the mare had had enough on entering the straight but battled on gamely very wide out; give her another chance. FREE THE ROBBER finished nicely for 2nd in the 1MW 1514m; just needs some luck.

At Geelong on Thursday, there were several good efforts in the 1525m Maiden Plate. SILVER NINJA ran home strongly into 2nd, BALLYGORAN had trouble early in the straight and wen to the line well, while HAZARDOUS HARMONY finished well down the outside.

THE PPD CLUB QUESTION AND ANSWER

Q: When is each day's information made available?

A: Usually, all information is posted by 10.15am, often earlier.

Q: How many days a week does the Club operate?

A: It's a 7 days a week service, every racing day of the year. The only days we miss are Good Friday and Christmas Day.

Q: How many Daily Specials are given every day?

A: Normally, one or two, very occasionally three.

Q: How many selections does Alan Jacobs give every week?

A: In 2005, there were 104 selections, so on average it will be 2 best bets a week.

Q: Do you have New Zealand coverage?

A: Yes. Our man in Auckland, Neil Franklyn, provides two horses to follow every week, plus a Superbet for the Saturday racing in NZ.

Q: Do you cover international racing?

A: Yes. We provide best bets for Hong Kong meetings. We have a special representative in HK, known as Sir Conduit, and he has built up a big following in the last 12 months.

Q: Is there any coverage of harness racing?

A: We have Rick Roberts providing his best bets, usually two, for Friday night meetings at Harold Park.

Q: Do you have any other services?

A: Our latest innovation is a Weight & Class handicapping approach, which operates a couple of times week. We select one race on the card and apply weight and class ratings based on the work of the late Don Scott. This is on top of our Video View and RaceQuest Ratings sections.