It's a game of two halves

After hours of continually switching it on and off, my laptop eventually booted up on Sunday lunchtime.

And by 4.30, I was glad that it had. I had either traded or laid in running with 100% success. My profits per race weren’t big (I have cut my stakes when trading), ranging from 47p to £8. But I was still sitting there £60 for two hours’ “work”.

Then trouble struck. I have been receiving unsolicited email tips from a couple of websites for a few days. And they have been providing some good-priced winners – none of which I have backed. So I thought it was time I filled my boots and had £10 on a well-backed favourite. It finished nearer last than first.

For some reason, I decided that I had to chase that one loss – even though I was still £50 ahead. So I had £22 on the favourite in the next race, with the intention of laying it off in running for a profit of about a fiver. Unfortunately, it hit the first fence so hard that AP McCoy dropped his whip. The horse never recovered, the price shout out – and I was £22 down.

I turned the TV over and a race at Southwell was approaching the last couple of furlongs. I picked out a horse near the front that looked as if it was running on the spot, and laid it for a tenner at 4.75. It suddenly sprouted wings and won easily. And I had lost another £37.50.

To top it all, a bet on more than three goals in the Stoke v Spurs game lost. The match finished 2-1, with a missed penalty and the woodwork struck three times.
So after a couple of hours when I was seriously considering giving up work to lay three-legged donkeys full time, a crazy 20 minutes had cost me £90. And there was no one to blame but myself.

Running total: I think there are a few coppers down the back of the sofa