Marcus I'm a ratings guy, and that's how I do the form, I price them using my ratings and punt thusly.

HOWEVER, I love systems. Always have. In my opinion, you can love both ways (and I'm still talking about horse racing here...!), because the ratings give you the intellectual stimulation and challenge required, and as Crash said you treat each race on its merits, do the form, and pit yourself against the bookie.

Problem is, there's a big burnout factor with that. You can't do the form for every race every day.... but a system CAN! That's why systems are so appealing, because theoretically with a system you could have 100 or more bets a week, make a profit, and therefore make a fortune. It takes ages to make good money punting the overs because realistically the most races you'll price (if you're doing it PROPERLY) is 25 or so per week, and even then you're in danger of burnout long term. Trust me on these things, I know.

However, the system doesn't burn you out. It happily spits out selections for you, heaps or few depending on how you've designed it, and you happily back them without any fear of mental breakdown or anguish, you no longer agonise over the right figure to give a horse and whether you should take the $5.50 when you've priced it $5.00, you no longer "pull the wrong rein" and miss a winner - because a systems rules are set in stone! They are Moses from the Hill (SCG), "If this, then this" etc - there's no interpretation or chance to f**k it up - a horse is a bet, or it's not!

So, systems give the appeal of surety - sure selections, sure profits (because you've tested them over thousands of races), and sureness of sanity.

That's the appeal.