Say Grace became my first ‘investment’ success when storming home at 4/1 yesterday; last week I gave you details of a personal systematic ‘professional special’ approach to betting with 3/1 being the lowest price acceptable on a daily basis with our three selections.

Two others Netywell and Kaariha were also qualifiers but two points profit put me level over an eight-day(s) period which is what regulated serious betting is all about. Often there is none, it’s a betting phenomenon capable of carrying you through every season, winter and summer, providing you stick rigidly to the rules mentioned.

One day, unfortunately long after I’ve gone, you will hopefully enjoy racing/sports punting when winning on a regular basis. Only negative is it might be necessary to rely on others tips!  

Guidance is so important; by investing on my ‘best-bets’ you are following someone who has stood the test of time over decades and experience is so vital; there are ‘favourite’ areas and they include set-weight races on all-weather tracks, and over hurdles under National Hunt rules, when I’m convinced decent ground is at issue.

When it comes down to sports betting my absolute ‘best-bets’ are taking on short-priced favourites in the English Premier Soccer League by laying them on Betfair and indeed the FA Cup which this year has been a revelation financially with staggering results for underdogs, boosting bank balances of those who listen to advice.

Other sports make little appeal apart from ‘Grand Slam’ tennis tournaments, a license to print money by taking on the first six seeds throughout.

I’ve played both games and know just how difficult winning becomes; nerves are a tremendous factor, temperament rules and it’s tremendous psychology watching the players and their idiosyncratic behaviour.

Where racing is concerned tremendous focus has to be on jockeyship and it came as no surprise when the Racing Research 2021 title race results showed three ‘dead-heating’ for the top spots; Oisin Murphy, Danny Tudhope and Jack Mitchell finished slightly ahead of sensational champion apprentice Marco Ghiani, heavily-chronicled in this column and a live challenger in the coming months, and years, with ordinary luck.

Incredibly ’50-something’ veteran Franny Norton remains in the top five just ahead Callum Rodriguez and our fantastic ‘pocket rocket’ Hollie Doyle whose exploits over the past three years have been remarkable to say the least. Her dedication to the ‘Sport Of Kings’ is mind-boggling!

Due to weight problems Adam Kirby is hard-pressed to be recognised as one of the best jockeys but I’m always keen to be with ‘the long fella’ and will not oppose him aboard Charlie Appleby-trained Epsom derby prospect, Parlando, in the Novice Stakes over a mile of Kempton polytrack tonight; winner of his only start six months ago, on pristine Leicester turf, this Dubawi colt, a late May foal, could be anything and so don’t oppose.

We’re approaching a great period for punting, stick with my selections and follow any losers!.

Selections, Fakenham, 2.52 Swinging London; Sedgefield, 1.37 Patient Dream; Kempton, 6.00 Parlando.

 Jeffrey Ross, horse-racing correspondent for WMN since 1983 when winning the most prestigious racing journalist award, Sporting Life Naps Table, before winning it a record number of six times collectively in the Racing Post, the current ‘trade’ paper, including 2019