The Factor 8 System

Over the past months I have written more than once about the Racing Post being a great source of racing information of all kinds. And so it is. But the ordinary daily national press is also a rich supplier of data and help for the punter, and I thought that over the next month or two I would take a look at the different approaches and material they provide; with, perhaps, some additional personal stuff thrown in. For this month we'll start with the Daily Express. My very first recollection of any newspaper is of the Express, differently shaped then, being in broadsheet format back in those days. Looking back with hindsight I can only assume that my father took it every day for some reason other than its blatant Conservative politics which would not have suited him at all. It could well be that he favoured it because of its racing information. I think it was generally recognised then that the Express was the best national daily for racing with the Scout (at that time the great Clive Graham), Peter O'Sullevan, not just a great tipster but later to become the voice of racing with his marvellous commentaries (and still going strong as I write this) and Bendex, who then was Charles Benson. They also had a Scottish tipster called Scotia which completed a really impressive team. As I recall it, the Scout, Peter O'Sullevan and Scotia gave each day their three main tips indicated by 3 stars, 2 stars and 1 star. Many were the systems then that relied simply on the number of stars a selection received from the Express tipsters. And if there was one that received 9 stars, then that was something to bet on! Another memory is that in those war-time years when paper was scarce, the Express, in its large format, consisted of very few pages, sometimes I believe, only four. How different from nowadays when a paper has so many pages and supplements that a paper delivery boy is lucky to survive puberty without suffering from round shoulders and a hernia. The Express was owned then in the 1940s by the Canadian Lord Beaverbrook, a war-time friend and colleague of Winston Churchill. Beaverbrook has told a true story I enjoy about another great war-time Prime Minister, Lloyd George in the First World War. Lloyd George was returning late one night from campaigning in rural Wales when his car broke down. His driver decided to search for help and found a big house nearby where he knocked on the door for assistance. It just happened to be the local asylum or mental hospital. The driver told the night porter who answered the door that he had Lloyd George outside in the car. "Bring him in," said the porter wearily. "I've got another seven of him in here already." I've hardly seen the Express since those far-off days, but bought one the other day to check up on it now. I was glad to see the Scout and Scotia are still there, though not tipping in every race, but the new big-name tipsters came as a shock - Computerman and Rottweiller.

However, I noted that Computerman on the previous day, the 1st November, had napped a 14/1 winner, Sir Desmond, so that impressed me. There is a section called Gossip From The Gallops and on that day it gave 4 selections which provided 3 winners at 14/1, 10/11 and 3/1. Again pretty impressive. Another section called Analyser gives details of hot trainers and jockeys, best races for favourites, outsiders, trainers and jockeys and also horses with biggest ratings drop from winning mark. Two of these were given and one of them won at 12-1. These exceptional results on that random day are probably fortuitous, but I'm tempted to take a further longer look at the Express. Now, something completely different. Here's a little gag to try in the pub or wherever and I can assure you it works for I did it the other day to great effect. Choose your subject (I hesitate to use the word victim) carefully. Success depends on this. He should be extrovert and not quite Mensa material; then explain that this is a test of intelligence and acting ability. A dumb man goes into a chemist's shop and wants a toothbrush. How would he be able to get it? Our subject, after a second's thought, should start to mime brushing his teeth. You agree and applaud him. Then you ask how a blind man would be able in the same shop to get a packet of condoms. Again after a second or two he should start his mime. He gets a packet, opens it and produces something that he begins to apply in his groin area with a roll-on motion. Just before he is finished you interrupt and say, "No, the blind man would simply say 'A packet of condoms, please'. For this month's system I can simply say Factor 8. It has proved successful on both the Flat and NH with big-priced winners at 20/1, 16/1, 14/1, 12/1, 11/1, 10/1 etc. It has proven level stake profits on both codes over more than one season, and furthermore it is extremely easy to operate. There is a popular recent system on the market that I'm sure you'll know called Factor 4, the brain-child of Colin Davey. Let's hope that Factor 8 turns out to be twice as good as Davey's. Factor 8 System The phase "Fit and Fancied is often used in the racing pages of your morning newspaper, when allied to winning form it can be used as an important weapon in your betting armoury. When a horse suddenly hits top form most trainers, barring those foolish enough not to try, like to strike again whilst the iron is still hot. Many racehorse trainers have very few purple patches during a season, and not knowing when the going may change or sickness strike their string, they have to take full advantage of any good spells that are available. We too can benefit when these horses suddenly "Spring to life" by using this simple method. By using the DAILY MAIL (All results are based on this paper) note at the days principle meeting in any race, barring Foxhunters chases, the sole horse that won a .race in the last eight days.

Do NOT bet if there is more than one selection in a race. In the Daily Mail, printed after the horses name, is the number of days since a horse last ran and Sundays are included in this total, so, we are actually looking for the horse that won in seven racing days. I began checking this system on the first day of the 1984 Flat season and for that whole period I followed ALL qualifiers at ALL meetings and had these winners:Concert Pitch 14/1 Highham Grey 8/1 Hizpah 7/1 Free Range 10/1 First Bout 8/1 Shellman 10/1 Eastform 16/1 Widd 15/2 Gunfighter 8/1 Bold Realm 11/1 Mels Choice 11/1 Cap DAzure 12/1 Kiowa 7/1 Humberside L. 8/1 Leysh 20/1 Secret V. 12/1 Karens Star 8/1 Maumann 9/1

During the course of the season I amassed 109 WINNERS for a level stake profit to 10 of 961.13. Like most punters I Iike to keep my bets to a daily minimum and that is why I now restrict all selections to the main card. Anyone with a reasonable memory though will note that many of the winners listed came from the time when the selections were in their respective seasons major races. It is unlikely that there will be more than two bets a day, though the rare case of three selections in a day will occur. The 1905 Flat Season did not disappoint either with great winners such as MAYOR at 20/1 and VERBARIUM at 14/1. Many fine doubles and trebles were also found :Incestuous Harry H. Top That 7/2 3/1 1/1 Ardrox Lad K Battery Bassenthwait Lobbit Video .R. Skyboot Park -Par. 13/2 4/1 5/6 4/7 L 11/2 9/4 Gunfighter Lucky 0 Nile E 8/1 5/1 L Laysh Hilton B Free Go Jacks L. Rahash Brampton I Chaplins C Sir Bless Dee Jay E 20/1 9/4 6/5 L L 8/1 9/2 1/1 L

Mel's C. Karens S . Mums Bay B.

11/1 8/1 6/4 L

Chaplins C Nonsense Si Signor

7/1 5/1 5/2

Even better news though was that the system worked just as well under N.H. rules. 1984-85 N.H. Out Of The Gloom 7/1 Edwards Corner 16/1 WARGAMB 7/1 CELTIC CRACKER Coxmore K. 7/1 Grundy Glow 8/1 5/1

Amongst many winners from all meetings. And a good each way was had in the 1985 2000 Guineas supreme Leader 3rd at 50/1.

Latest News:1985-86 N.H. so far:- I6 WINNERS 30 Losers Level stake profit to 10 stakes 88.79. This includes three winners from last four bets. On I6th Feb Irish Champion Hurdle HERBERT TOUTED WON 8/1. This was not included in the profit mentioned. STOP PRESS. VERY LATEST BLIND BURN 5/2. INHERIT 9/1. SUPER REGAL 9/2.