Reflections on the first month

Well that's it for month 1 of the 20k challenge and it certainly has been a month of highs and lows with my bank reaching a peak of £151 profit only to crash down to £20 the next day. My total profit for the month is £44.50 and to be honest i'm happy just to be in profit after the first month.

In terms of knowledge I think i've learnt a great deal over the past 31 days and i'm sure that the knowledge will be worth it's weight in gold, especially since i've firmed up my thoughts with regards to loss limitation (although this is something I will continually be looking to improve). I've also learnt the folly of becoming overconfident and that this tends to lead to risk-taking, which more often than not fails to return a profit.

Whilst my initial reasons for beginning this blog were to ensure that I stuck to my system as well as enabling me to keep a running record of it's profitability, i've come to realise that it's much more than that and, without being over sentimental, i'd like to thank everyone who has taken the time to post comments on my blog, all of which have been very helpful. I'm amazed by the willingness and the generosity of people who have taken the time to offer advice and support.

Well that's it for the night, i'm optimistic to see what February brings!

Best wishes with your betting!

Daily profit: +£5.50
Total profit: +£44.50

A note to myself...

...before you bet always, always, always check the odds of the races you plan to bet on. To be honest it's something that has never crossed my mind, until today when after placing my first bet - which resulted in a loser - I found that the following bets had ridiculous odds of 30/100. This meant I would have had to bet the best part of £50.00 to recoup my loss and make my daily profit. Thankfully I left well alone as the 'dead certs' didn't come in, but instead of walking away for the evening with a small loss I decided to have a go on the American tracks - which surprise, surprise all lost. As a result i'm £35.50 down, which I suppose serves me right for not sticking to my rules. So I guess there are 2 things I can learn from this:

1. Always check the odds of the races you plan to bet before committing any money...especially if there are only a few races running.
2. Do not bet on the American tracks.

On the bright side, i'm so pleased that I didn't stake £50.00 on the dead cert.

Daily profit: - £35.50
Total profit: +£39.00

A relaxing day

I've been feeling a bit under the weather today so have spent most of the day doing not very much. I was supposed to be visiting some family members, but didn't feel up to the journey so instead I spent the day relaxing; after curling up on the sofa with a book and a cuppa I decided to dust off the xbox (which i've concluded has been neglected for far too long) and lose myself in the world of Fable.

On the betting front, my fourth horse came in - thanks Pomme Tiepy - giving me £5.00 profit. I'm still transferring my profits out of my betting bank on a weekly basis, hence the reason that my daily targets aren't increasing. Once i've reclaimed my initial investment this will probably change.

Best of luck with your betting!


Daily profit: +£5.00
Total profit: +£74.50

A day of awful odds

The odds for today's horses were really low and after 2 losers I was left with the risk of having to recoup over £35.00 if my third horse lost. After seeing the way things were going I decided that if I had 4 losers I would call it a day and take a loss. Thankfully my third horse, Nevertika, came in, but the experience has made me realise the need to be flexible in my strategy so that I don't destroy my bank.

Hope you have a prosperous days betting!


Daily profit: + £4.50
Total profit: +£69.50

A super-speedy win!

My first horse, King of Charm, won today at Kempton which i'm happy about as it means I can turn my laptop off for the evening and not have to keep half-an-eye on the time. So what lies ahead for the evening? Well in true Friday night style we've just had a home-made pizza and are now vegging out in front of the tv, watching "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy ", followed by the Big Brother eviction - bliss! Have a good weekend!


Daily profit: +£6.00
Total profit: +£65.00

Another good day

Once again my second horse came in today. Mafaheem won the 19.20 at Wolverhampton giving me a profit of £4.50. I'm keeping it short tonight as it's been a hectic day. Happy betting!


Daily profit: +£4.50
Total profit: +£59.00

A quick update

The result from the first of this weeks evening races has been very positive with my second horse, Avoca Dancer, winning the 18.50 at Kempton. Slow and steady seems to be the way to go at the moment, which i'm comfortable with, and i'll continue to work on figuring out the best way to manage my betting bank to minimise huge losses.

It's been a long day so i'm signing off early tonight. Good luck with your betting endeavours!


Daily profit: +£5.50
Total profit: +£54.50

The inspiration behind the challenge

As I have more time on my hands today, I thought i'd blog a bit more about the reasons behind this challenge and what I hope to gain from it. Obviously an extra £20k in my bank account at the end of the year would be wonderful, who would turn that down? But in all honesty, if I end up in a reasonable amount of profit at the end of the year, say £2,000, I would be more than happy. As a novice gambler I have no idea whether these expectations are realistic or not, but as the famous saying goes "you've got to be in it to win it", and for the sake of £200 i'm willing to take that chance.

So what will I do with the money if I end up being successful? Well the answer to that question goes hand-in-hand with my reasons for beginning this venture. Just over a year ago, I bought my first house with my partner for an extortionate price. Anyone whose been half awake for the last few years will be aware of rising house prices right across the UK and the constant speculation about how much these would continue to rise (or possibly fall). So 14 months ago myself and my partner (shall we call him Mr 20k - yes for those of you who haven't read my profile I am a female ; ) ...) decided to bite the bullet and get our feet on the property ladder. We managed to get ourselves a modestly sized house, nothing fancy, but after years of renting, it was the first place that we felt we could really call home. As you can imagine this set us back a rather large amount of money and despite both being in relatively well paid jobs, we still had to take out a 35 year mortgage to ensure that we could manage the payments if the unexpected happened.

This is where the 20k Challenge comes in...I'm hoping to put any profits I make from this challenge towards our mortgage to drive down the amount that we owe. So fingers crossed that it will be a success, however big or small.

Just a very quick update on the weekend's racing results. Admiral Dundas brought me my first winner on Saturday and a nice profit of £6.50, while Mujamead won at Wolverhampton today bringing a profit of £6.00.


Weekend profit: +£12.50
Total profit: +£49.00

A good start to the weekend

The weekend got off to a positive start for me as my second horse Watchmaker came in. This week has been quite an eye opener due to my big loss on Monday and I feel I need to take some time to reflect and see if there's any further way to minimise my losses. I'm also unsure whether to continue taking out my winnings on a weekly basis until my initial investment has been returned or whether to build my betting bank back up to £200 first and then start reclaming my investment. I think it's fair to say that the week so far has definately given me a lot to think about.


Daily profit: +£6.50
Total profit: +£36.50

A Wolverhampton winner!

Well I continued with following the British tracks this evening and got my winner on my 3rd bet thanks to Alonso de Guzman in the 19.50 at Wolverhampton. Whilst I know there's still a likelihood of that rainy day wiping out the majority of my profits, I definately feel more comfortable focussing on the British and Irish tracks, probably due more to familiarity than anything else.

I've decided not to top-up my betting bank after my big loss so i'm currently operating from a bank of £100. Whilst i'm aware this may slow down my progress towards my goal, it will allow me to rebuild my confidence in the system i'm using without risking too much of my own cash. Anyway, Big Brother's just started so it's time to sign off. Good luck with your betting!


Daily profit: +£5.00
Total profit: +£30.00

Heading in the right direction

Today I had a much needed positive result, there were a few races at Kempton this evening so I decided to have a go and see if my luck had turned, it appears that it had and my second bet brought me the winner I needed. Although I didn't have a bet on the American tracks last night, I did check the results later in the evening and found that the first 6 favourites had come in. I couldn't believe it! It just brings home how much of a gamble this is, and the need for sensible management of any profits made. Well that's me signing of for the night, just 2 more days until the weekend.


Daily profit: +£5.00
Total profit: +25.00

How to lose £131 in just one day

Well the inevitable has happened...today I had my 6 losing runs, resulting in a loss of £131.00. I'm probably going to have a few days off to reflect on things but i'm sure i'll end up reaching the same conclusion that i'm at now - no more betting on American tracks. As we all know hindsight is a wonderful thing, but with the luck i've had on the American tracks recently I should have known it was coming.

I've been transferring my profits into my bank on a weekly basis to reclaim my initial investment, so at present i'm left with a betting bank of £100.00. At the moment i'm considering using this as my bank rather than re-transeferring any more money, but we'll see how things stand after a few days.

Anyway, it's been a long night so it's time to sign off. Hope your all having better luck than i've had today.


Daily profit: -£131.00
Total profit: +£20.00

Another good day

Well today I was a bit dubious about my chances as there were only 2 tracks open, Carlisle had been called off - i'm guessing it was due to the weather, so it left just Kempton and Leopardstown. However, I was pleasantly surprised when my first horse, Psycho, came in, meaning that I could pack my laptop away for the day and enjoy the rest of the weekend.

I'm back at work tomorrow so it'll be back to the evening races. I've not decided yet whether i'm going to use the American tracks or focus purely on the British evening races, i've been keeping records on some of the American tracks for a while so I may participate in those that have the highest strike rate, but i'll decide tomorrow once I see what's on offer.


Daily profit: +£11.00
Total profit: +£151.00

Hooray for the weekend!

After a week at work i've really appreciated having today off and tying up a few loose ends. It's been a really productive day and i've managed to get a few bits of preparation done ready for the week ahead. I've also enjoyed being able to follow the days races right from the beginning, rather than just catching the final races at the end of the day. As for today's results, they too have been positive and once again i'm £10.00 up thanks to Sawwaah at Lingfield. Anyway, it's the weekend so just another short one for today. Have a good weekend!


Daily profit: +£10.00
Total profit: +£140.00

A bit of light relief

After yesterday's tough running at the Amercian tracks, I was pleased to have the opportunity to follow this evening's races at Kempton...and I was even more pleased when my second horse, Sion Hill, came in. Once again, I think the odds are slowly stacking up in favour of focussing on British races (no pun intended).

Right, it's Friday night and there's some serious Big Brother eviction watching to be done, so i'm keeping it short tonight! Good luck with your betting ventures!


Daily profit: +£10.00
Total profit: +£130.00

A daunting day

Well today was hard. Once again I was focussing on the American tracks and once again I watched my bank decrease as I backed loser after loser (can you see a pattern emerging here?). After just over an hour I was onto my 6th race and I was trying to recoup over £90.00...as you can see I was in serious risk of wiping out any profits i'd made. My system is based on backing favourites so it's easy to rack up quite a deficit within just a few races, hence my reason for stopping after 6 losing races.

As race 6 arrived I prepared myself for the worst, I checked the favourite and placed my bet, despite checking the odds within a minute of the race starting, there was a delay at the track which resulted in the favourite changing, I couldn't believe it! I contemplated laying my original bet to try and rectify the situation but I decided that it was a potential no-win situation and I could end up kicking myself whatever choice I made, so I left it. I half heartedly watched the race as I prepared myself for defeat, and I couldn't believe my eyes as my non-favourite came in! I felt very lucky and extrmely relieved that I didn't change my bet, but once again I feel the need to carefully consider my future participation at these tracks.


Daily profit: +£21.00
Total profit: +£120.00

A positive result

Well after yesterday's performance my confidence had been knocked, to say the least. However, today things seemed back to 'normal' and despite starting with a loser at Turfway Park, Dodaa romped home at Wolverhampton and gave me my winner for the day.

This win has brought my grand total to £99.00 and considering that I only began my venture just over a week ago it seems to be a very positive start.


Daily profit: +£11.00
Total profit: +£99.00

The day the bubble nearly burst

Well today nearly saw the end of my winning streak. As I mentioned yesterday, due to work commitments i'm shifting my focus to the American tracks on an evening. Today almost left me regretting this decision as I sat watched my betting account slowly diminsh, it was when I realised that i'd be over £60 down if my next horse didn't come in that the reality of my precarious situation hit me. Just to recap, i'm using a betting bank of just £200 and i'm withdrawing my 'winnings' on a weekly basis until I recoup my initial investment, so in this situation £60 is a lot of money.

No doubt the professional or more seasoned gambler's out there will find this highly amusing, but to the novice it can be a real test of mental strength as you sit and contemplate whether to get out now and salvage what's left of your bank or carry on and attempt to recoup your losses. This is why i've set a limit of 6 losing races before I switch off for the day - to prevent my bank from being damaged beyond repair (hopefully). Today I was lucky as my 5th horse came in (thanks Grand Canal) but it was still an unsettling situation and one that I hope not to repeat too often - although I know it's the chance I take every time I place a bet.

By the way, i'd be interested in hearing anyone else's opinion on this or any of the other posts i've submitted - it can get a bit lonely over here on this side of the blogosphere.


Daily profit: +£12.00
Total profit: +£88.00

Back to work today

Well that's it, the end of my holiday has finally arrived and today was my first day back at work. I finished early and managed to have a bet on a few of the afternoon races. The first couple of races at Southwell and Ludlow yielded no results, but Taunton gave me my winner and Treasulier crossed the line unchallenged.

As i'm not going to have access to the internet while at work, during weekday evenings i'll be shifting my focus to the American horse races. I'm not completely unfamilar with the American tracks but I certainly feel more comfortable with the British tracks, probably due to familiarity rather than anything else. It will be interesting to see if my system has the same success on the American tracks - fingers crossed!


Daily profit: +£9.00
Total profit: +£76.00

This weekend's results

I didn't get around to updating my results yesterday, but i'm pleased to say that I ended the day with a profit of £13.50, bringing my grand total to £57.00 and meaning that i'm now one quarter of the way towards my first goal of reclaiming my £200 investment.

I had another successful day today, Dickie La Davoir won the 12.40 at Southwell meaning that i'm up by £10.00.


Weekend profit: +£23.50
Total profit: +£67.00

Keeping it simple

Turning £200 into £20,000 is a huge goal, so i've decided to break it down into a series of smaller goals in order to keep myself interested and motivated. So my first goal is to reclaim my initial investment of £200. I'm hoping that luck will be on my side i'll get this done by the end of the month.

As for today's progress, i've just had another win, although I had to reclaim a loss I made by backing Ice And Fire in the 12.10 at Southwell, thankfully Cragganmore Creek came to the rescue so i'm £11.50 up for the day.


Daily profit: + £11.50
Total profit: + £43.50

Today's goal achieved

Art Man won the 12.35 at Lingfield so i'm up by another £11.00. I was slightly dubious about backing him as his odds on Befair were below 2, I think I managed to scrape 1.93, but after seeing the result i'm pleased I did. I'm always wary of odds where you risk losing more than you win because i've seen many races where the so called 'sure bet' just didn't come in. Anyway, enough rambling, it's been a profitable day and that's all that matters.


Daily profit: +£11.00
Total profit: + £32.00

A cautious gambler

There are a couple of rules which i've decided to lay out for myself in an effort to stop myself from completely destroying my bank...well at least attempt to limit the damage. Firstly, as i've funded my betting bank with £200, I intend to withdraw my winnings each week (yep, i'm thinking positively here) until I have reclaimed my initial investment. Then at least if this whole thing takes a turn for the worse it will only be time that i've lost. Secondly, once i've reclaimed my initial investment, I plan to draw out half of my profit on a weekly basis and put it aside in case of a rainy 'betting' day. As i'm using a staking plan in order to regain any losses, I also hope to limit too much damage to my bank by allowing no more than 6 consecutive unsuccessful bets - if horse number 6 loses then it's time to turn the computer off and start afresh the next day. To put this all into perspective, i'm aiming to increase my bank by 5% each day hence the reason i'm trying to limit any losses.

As for today's results, Bayonyx did me proud leaving me with a profit of £11.00, and as i've achieved my 5% goal it's time to switch off the computer and enjoy the rest of my holiday.


Daily Profit: + £11.00
Total profit: + £21.00

First success...

Thought this deserved a post of it's own. Andytown won at Catterick today meaning that my total profit at the end of day 1 is £10.00, not a bad start.


Total profit: + £10.00

So what's this all about?

Well the title says it all really, this blog will record my attempt to turn £200 into £20,000 over the course of just one year. As mentioned above, I consider myself a novice to gambling, although I must admit I have experimented with a few 'gambling systems', most of which have shown promise to begin with but have eventually resulted in me breaking even over the long term. Despite this brief flirtation with a handful of the many systems on the market, I have no understanding of 'form' in racing and if you showed me a racecard I wouldn't have a clue what I was looking at, i'm not into football, cricket, tennis, or any of the other multitude of sports you can gamble on these days, and despite being a Big Brother addict i've never gambled on the outcome. What i'm hoping to do through this blog is chart my gambling progress primarily for my own interest but also for those (if any) who want to tag along for the ride. So let it begin, here's the journey of one novice gambler, one horse racing system and a betting bank of £200.