Bloggers / Jack Houghton / 04 August 2010 / Leave a comment Free £25 Bet View Market

He's been a jack of all trades for for 51 weeks in an attempt to turn a profit but with a betting bank reduced to mere shekels, Jack Houghton returns to the sport closest to his heart - racing - for a final crack of the whip

There is a truth professional gamblers hold to be self-evident: to be profitable, you must specialise. Losers gorge themselves of all that the great buffet of betting has to offer; winners only ever eat the cheese and pineapple sticks. Who knows what might be lurking in that couscous salad? Therein lies uncertainty, and winners have no truck with uncertainty.

Jack Houghton was a long-time follower of the specialisation theory. Many learned academics credit him with its invention. But now he's turned his back. August 2009. Armed with a £1,000 bank and oodles of likely misplaced confidence, he sets out to prove that, in a year, betting on everything Betfair has to offer, he can turn a profit.

* * *

Lesser men would have admitted defeat by now. Okay, with only £7 remaining of the betting bank - and a need to turn that into more than a £1,000 in one hit - things aren't looking great, but I didn't get to where I am today by quitting and, by god, I ain't going to quit now.

Luck has been against me. Take the last instalment. Those editorial hellions at betting.betfair, realising I was about to strike back into profitability, decided it would be wise to hold back my blog until after the event - in order, no doubt, to be able to void the bet as part of some sanctimonious ruling should it win.

As it happens, it didn't win. Solicitor, the first leg of my unbeatable treble, was beaten into last place. Age Of Aquarius broke down, never to run again. And Flying Cloud was nowhere. So with everything conspiring against me - the editors, the horses and Saint Cajetan himself - I'm faced with having to find a 150-1 winner to achieve the stated aim of this column, set down in August of last year.

I feel that Betfair Multiples - and an enthralling Thursday racing card - offers my only real hope, so here we go...

At times like this, form study has to play second fiddle to instinct. After all, it was form study that got us into this mess, so there's no reason to think it can help us out of it. Take the 14:40 at Haydock. An old incarnation of me would be attracted by that last run of Sweetie Time's, but not this one, oh no. Think about it. If you were playing jockey top trumps and had Jamie Spencer, you'd be papping yourself in case your opponent called you on resolve, toughness, or gumption - the very qualities required right now. No, Spencer's no good to us; step up Robert Winston on Turn The Tide: the first leg of our multiple.

I once tried to chat up Hayley Turner in De Niro's in Newmarket. It was the day she'd tied for the Apprentice title and some friends I was with reckoned I couldn't maintain a conversation with her for more than five minutes without talking about racing. The five minutes - it turned out - was overly generous. Anyway, for old times' sake Hayley, Activate in Haydock's 16:10 becomes the second leg of this rescue multiple.

I grew up in Norfolk, so it only seems fitting that Norfolk's only flat track - Yarmouth - will provide the glorious third-, final- and winning-leg of this tremendous treble. In a race full of over-raced crocks and maidens, Mr Harmoosh has at least shown he knows how to get his head in front (with a statement like that, a TV tipping gig must surely be coming my way) and, so I'm told, this young buck Beschizza can ride. I'm also fairly sure in was a Mr Harmoosh who used to own LazerQuest in Yarmouth - where I had my first snog - so that has to be a good omen.

I reckon these three combined should be able to turn that £7 into something north of a grand. If they can't, I'll be having whatever is required on Profound Beauty in the Ballyroan Stakes at Leopardstown in the evening to make it happen.

So that's it - the last bet of the Betting Challenge. I'll be back in a few days to review how (or should that be where) it's all gone.

This week's bets:
£7 BACK Turn The Tide, Activate & Mr Harmoosh in treble using Betfair Multiples.

Tags: Activate, Betfair Multiples, Haydock, Hayley Turner, Jamie Spencer, Mr Harmoosh, Robert Winston, Sweetie Time, Turn The Tide, Yarmouth