12/10/2001 edition

Horse Racing
Betting Strategy

TAB does not reward loyalty

At Flemington last Saturday, October 6, two races were won by interstate visitors from New South Wales.

Defier paid $5.00 on SuperTab but only $4.30 on the New South Wales tote.
Belle Du Jour paid $7.70 on SuperTab but only $6.40 on the New South Wales tote.
The previous Thursday at the Moonee Valley night meeting New South Wales colt Viscount paid $1.80 on SuperTab but an even more paltry $1.60 on the New South Wales tote.

Tote punters can now get the best tote odds in the country. If you don't do that but still rely on your local tote then long term it does not pay to support horses that usually race in your state when they race interstate. You will consistently get tote unders which means you will lose money. When your home state horse loses interstate your local tote won't be so kind as to refund some of your bet as a patriotic loyalty bonus, so why consistently take unders when the horse wins?

TAB "good things"

Viscount paid a very poor $1.60 on the New South Wales tote when he won at Moonee Valley racetrack. Yet his starting price in the bookmakers' betting ring was $2.10. Punters backing the horse at top odds with bookmakers won nearly double what those tote punters won.

It is examples like that which show why bbomaker odds are usually far superior to tote odds for well supported horses, particularly on Saturdays in Melbourne and Sydney.

Next pages
Future winners at big odds
Follow the money?
Trainer watch
Class horses
Racing media myths
Spring Carnival favourites
And more...

Warning
Short Priced Tote Favourites
These are losing bets.

Look at the table below and see the percentages lost backing short priced tote favourites compared with bookmaker betting ring prices.