July - Sports

Bit misleading that title. The only sports service in action in July was the newly rejoined On The Oche. The final figures were...

On The Oche: Staked 14.81pts, -1.577pts, roi -10.65%.

It must be noted that these figures are a little unfair to the service as having only rejoined at the beginning of the month, I was only able to take 7/4 on a winning antepost bet originally advised at 9/4.


It has been interesting following On The Oche this month. Never before have I stopped following a service only to rejoin at a later date. I was curious to see if any changes had been made. The answer to this is ostensibly no there haven't; the write ups are familiar, the timings of the emails the same. Scratch below the surface though, and I think there are a number of changes that have occurred and my belief is that the service is the better for it.

Thinking back to 2010 when I decided to stop following, I remember that there were two concerns that I had. One was that short term performance levels had suffered, and second that the number of bets seemed to be decreasing. I know Rich had previously played successfully in the smaller events but with liquidity in these markets being low and the minor events being covered by only a very small handful of bookmakers, he very reasonably decided that he couldn't make these plays official bets. Certainly it felt at the time as if turnover was decreasing.

I believe that when I made the mistake of not renewing my subs, I was perhaps influenced unduly by the SBC's decision to drop the service from their Hall of Fame. It was a decision I came to regret. Rich (the tipster) obviously had a big edge within his speciality. An email from Matt (the service administrator) at the end of the Football Elite season contained some facts and figures (non-promotional and not limited to On The Oche) that pointed out how the vagaries of variance had struck during a part of 2010, and made me look at On The Oche's performance in a wider context. I concluded that I needed to swallow my pride and ask nicely if I could rejoin.

So what are my impressions of the service now I've been following again? Firstly, that there is a distinctly different "feel" to On The Oche now. It feels more dynamic and as if Rich has benefited from a creative spark. A couple of new markets were played in in the first July tournament covered, successfully as it happens, that made me wonder if such bets were being sought back in 2010. Perhaps they were and no suitable opportunities found, but as the guy who just gets the email detailing selections, I have no idea whether that was the case or not. Matt too is utilising his experience at system development and in creating an edge to add to the potential for profit making. As a recent email explained though, this is merely to supplement Rich's expertise, not usurp it. The consequence of course should be more bets, thus countering one of my reservations from last year. Naturally Sod's Law dictated that Matt's selections contributed significantly to this month's loss, but I'm sensible enough to know that judging anything on such a short term basis is ridiculous. I have faith in Matt - I have been a member of Football Elite now for quite some time - and so believe it is only a matter of time before his angle produces solid dividends.

The communication from OTO has been excellent. From their missives it is quite obvious that they know where their edge is at it's strongest, and the areas they need to work on to improve. The impression I get is that the unique skills possessed by Rich and Matt are coming together very nicely, that they complement each other very well, and that the result is a strong and improving service. I could be wrong of course - it could be that whilst we're seeing the graceful motion of the swan, behind the scenes are a pair of furiously kicking legs. I'd be surprised though if OTO became another Horse Betting Index/Mr T scenario, where for whatever reasons, two associates couldn't work together.

A losing month for On The Oche, but a huge amount to like. I'm excited by it's potential.


Today's Betting

A nearly day today. Of eight horses backed there was one winner and no less than five that finished second!

A return to the battleground for ProBandit and their first race played in saw the winner picked (Blown It - Catterick - 9/4). There was also an each way selection that finished in the frame (Shakespeare's Excel - Southwell - 4/1) and a loser too.

Winning Racing Tips had two in the opener at Catterick, one finishing unplaced and the other finishing, yep, you've guessed it, second (Flombard House - 8/1).

No joy for Northern Monkey (0/1) or On The Nose (0/1).

Northern Monkey: Staked 0.25pts, -0.25pts.
ProBandit: Staked 3pts, +0.337pts.
On The Nose: Staked 0.5pts, -0.5pts.
Winning Racing Tips: Staked 1.4pts, -0.62pts.

Tuesday 2nd August: Staked £207, -£40.05.
August to date: Staked £322, -£8.45, roi -2.62%.
Running total: -£317.25 (roi -4.18%).