It HappensNow and again a day comes up when you wish you'd never bought the form guides, never even got out of bed. This happened to me on May 9.If a raw novice looked at the results, he'd probably say, "But there were plenty of good winners and they weren't real outsiders"... or something like that. And I'd have to agree.But a hardened and serious punter was in big trouble early at Doomben, where the big meeting was being held. And it didn't improve.I sensed after the the third race (
It Happens
Now and again a day comes up when you wish you'd never bought the form guides, never even got out of bed. This happened to me on May 9.
If a raw novice looked at the results, he'd probably say, "But there were plenty of good winners and they weren't real outsiders"... or something like that. And I'd have to agree.
But a hardened and serious punter was in big trouble early at Doomben, where the big meeting was being held. And it didn't improve.
I sensed after the the third race (with horses having won at $11, $47 and $22 on my local TAB), that things were not looking good. At this point I still had my selections to run and I couldn't see the writing on the wall.
At $6, $10, $20, $16 and $6 (again local tote, the Brisbane bookies are usually hopelessly under) the remainder of the meeting doesn't look to present an impossible job on paper. Hard yes, but not impossible. But the wide draws (those horrendously large fields!!!) and the riders' persistence in looking for rails runs or fanning fifteen wide on the quite savage home turn, meant some horses were stuffed. Totally, irrevocably stuffed.
It happens. Time to pull up stumps. You just know. I was keen on a mare in Melbourne that finally had her best distance, best track, reliable rider, etc etc... wide barrier but she'd go back anyway... and she ran on again, as she always does, as she would in the Bridge to Bondi race in Sydney.
After a day like this, what do you do? Tear up all your guides? Take up bowls? Send the Pay TV back?
Here are my suggestions for what WILL HAPPEN to every punter every so often in his punting career:
1. Stop betting when you sense that it's heading for "one of those days".
2. Save your guides and the results etc, but find something else to occupy you for the next 72 hours. Go for walks. Read. Watch telly.
3. If you must remember the racing, remember the LONG TERM and that it is the ONLY term that matters.
And live on, refreshed, to fight another day. Tomorrow or the next day. Not today though. Even horses need a rest!
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