. . . . . . . . . . . I’ve owned shares in racehorses on and off for most of my adult life, but it wasn’t until 2006 that I began to buy on the back of my own analysis. Assisted by Mick Stone, I started out looking at the Horse in training sales at Newmarket, and also …

After a break of some fifteen years I decided this year that I would start playing bridge again, but in a more serious fashion than previously and targeting the main competitions around the world. My core team has been me, Willie Whittaker, Derek Patterson and Gunnar Hallberg – earlier this year we went out to Tokyo and competed in the …

I love the Ryder Cup – it represents some of the best viewing and general sports and betting banter to be had anywhere in the year. There’s something special about a tournament where a load of guys who spend their sporting lives ploughing lone furrows are asked to act as a team; and where they draw their inspiration and strength …

It feels like an age ago that we launched Betfair and it’s hard to remember everything that happened back then – it’s a shame that I didn’t start blogging earlier. I still have a few memories from the early days that make me smile. When we launched the website we were operating out of a converted house in Russell Square …

I’m getting a few Winker Watson progeny coming through now, my fourth Winker foal of this season having been born last week. I have four free nominations to Winker each year, and I try to take them all. Year 1 was disappointing as two of the four foals failed to materialise – one went very early and the other miscarried …

1:30 The Triumph Hurdle In searching for statistical pointers that may govern this specialist race, there is one that holds strong in recent times; the winner will likely come from a large commercial stable in the UK. In the last eight years this race has been shared by Henderson, Nicholls, King and Hobbs, each winning it twice. This is perhaps …

It’s been a very long time since my last blog. My life has changed so much in recent times and I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the future – the horses have taken a back seat. I’ve had a few winners lately. Present Danger won tonight which was nice – she’s very capable but is still very green …

A poor tipping performance on Saturday – I’m not quite firing at the moment. Maybe today will be better. I’ve had a hard look at the 3:35 at Ripon – the sharp early turn on the mile course has played into the hands of low drawn front runners in the past. In the Great St. Wilfrid on similar ground the …

A big week just gone as my stud farm finally got moving after a three year wait. Paul Coombe started as stud manager last Friday and the first horses came down. Three more mares came down today, all in foal. In total I now have nine mares, all in foal, in my biggest paddock (Baldovina, Bea Menace, Lilac Moon, Park …

A long week. On Friday I went into hospital for an operation on my toe – it’s been crooked for my whole life but this year it’s irritated me more than ever, particularly when I climbed Kilimanjaro. I now have a pin sticking out of my toe with a blue bead on the end of it – it will be …