The first racing service I ever launched was back in 2012 — it was called Steameralert, based on what I’d been doing for years on Oddschecker: chasing the money. Looking back, maybe I should’ve kept the real source under wraps and just pretended it was a standard tipster service where I did all the studying and form work myself. But I’ve always been too honest for that — and, truthfully, I wanted everyone to see exactly what I was doing so they could fleece the bookies too!

Unfortunately, it never quite lived up to how good it used to be in those early days. So, Steameralert didn’t last long. The first proper tipster service I launched came in July 2014 with the team at Betting School, and it was named Bookies Enemy No1 — simply because that’s who I genuinely thought I was at the time!

After a bit of moving around — from Tipstrr to Betting Gods — here I am, thirteen years later, still standing strong.

Why I Still Love It

There’s no bigger thrill for me than studying a race for hours, finding the winner, and watching it all come together. That’s probably why I’ve survived so long in the turbulent and often stressful world of horse racing tipping.

It’s such a buzz knowing you’ve outsmarted the bookies, that all your hard work and puzzle-solving has paid off. And there’s nothing better than when you’ve done the research, backed a horse, watched its price drift right out because no one else fancies it — yet it still bolts up.
Moments like that are special — when you’ve gone against the grain, swum upstream while everyone else drifts with the current. It gives you that pure “I told you so” feeling, especially when it’s one the bookies had written off. And it’s even sweeter for the members who took the early prices and landed the BOG bonus.

But even more than beating the bookies, what I find the most satisfying is knowing that I've won my members a whole bunch of money, the thrill that gives me is just immense! I think that's borne from hating the greedy bookies so much, and knowing that my winning selection(s) has cost them a good few 'hundred' grand in losses (depending on how many members I had at the time).

Riding the Highs and Lows

So here we are in 2025 — still going strong, and heading toward what could be our best year ever: currently +235pts with around six weeks to go.
But it could’ve been very different after a rough 2024 — a year that almost made me call it a day. The extreme ups and downs of racing (what we call variance — or more simply, luck) hit harder than ever.

To be fair, my attention was divided that year with other work commitments, but the variance we hit was unreal. Even though I knew that, and many long-time members did too, it still stung when some lost faith in the service — understandably so.

I’ll admit, it hit me personally. It might sound daft (or soft), but I really did let it get to me. When it’s your business — your baby — it’s hard to switch off.

Lessons Learned

The biggest lesson from that year? Don’t try to juggle multiple jobs.
You can’t give 100% to something that demands deep focus if your energy’s split.

I actually bought a book called In The Zone, which explained that doing two jobs means neither gets more than 50% of your best effort. It was spot on. You can’t spin all the plates forever — something will drop.

My other work back then was manual (DIY and building work), so naturally, the “sat at the PC” job suffered. Some days I’d be nodding off at my desk by 2PM!

But I’m still here — 55 (56 next month) — more motivated than ever and grateful for everything I’ve learned along the way.

Let’s just hope next year’s Budget doesn’t hit racing too hard. A bad call from the government could be catastrophic — not just for punters and tipsters, but for the entire racing industry and everyone connected to it.

Final Thoughts

It’s been a rollercoaster — but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Beating the bookies, helping my members win, and doing what I love every day — that’s what keeps me in the game.