The one selection yesterday put paid to his own chances, with No Return taking the firmest of holds in the early stages under Callum Shepherd, who was clinging on for dear life at one stage. That meant when Shepherd asked for an effort in the closing stages, the horse had nothing to give.
Most frustrating, as the race would’ve unfolded as predicted with an uncontested lead, which would’ve been a considerable advantage. This can happen, but he is one who clearly remains well handicapped and is one worth keeping on side, so we’ll keep tabs.
Onto today…
Another quiet day of racing and precious little to get excited about. I was on the cusp of letting it go until I looked twice at a rare Charlie Longsdon runner on the All Weather. They don’t tilt many on the artificial, when they do they go trying and are often seen outrunning their odds.
Parramount 8/1 | 2pt Win
19:30 Chelmsford City
19:30 Chelmsford CityT: Charlie Longsdon
J: Jack Doughty
Result: unplaced – 7/7 -2pt
Taken down early, in touch with leaders, weakened from 2f out (SP 13/2)
One of only three who the yard have ran on the All Weather over the last year or so, Parramount has ran consistently well when doing so, notching a record reading 2322301347. They have all been off of marks between 73 and 78 and only three of them have been in this low a grade (they read 221), so going off of 72 today, the 10-year-old has to be going with a serious chance.
Jack Doughty rides, who rode him to his last success in November 2024, when slapping up in a similar race from a mark of 74, winning by 3¼ lengths to some decent yardsticks.
This is no penalty kick by any means, and James Owen’s Carlton looks a very worthy danger, but at 8/1 in a small enough field, I think he looks wildly overpriced as a very obviously well handicapped type.
Best of luck with your punting today,
Why no advised bet some days?
Because there isn't one. The cards don't always offer value, and the worst thing a tipster can do is force a selection just to fill a slot.
A "No Bet" day is the system working — it's the same discipline that produces the winners on the days the bets are right. Better to sit out a card cleanly than to bleed the bank on filler. The best days are usually the ones I've been patient before.
What do the stake points mean?
Stakes are sized in points, not pounds — that way the same plan works on any size of bankroll.
The Daily Dial uses a simple scale: 1pt is the minimum bet (or 0.5pt each-way), 2pt is a standard bet (or 1pt each-way), and 5pt is the maximum on the strongest fancies (or 2.5pt each-way). The whole thing runs off a 100pt bankroll, so a £100 bank means a point is £1 and a 2pt bet is £2; a £1,000 bank means a point is £10 and a 2pt bet is £20. Scale to whatever feels comfortable.
What's a sensible bankroll?
Whatever you can genuinely afford to lose, full stop. Don't play with rent money. Don't chase last week.
For new starters, a sensible starting point is a £100 bank at £1 per point. From there, scale the unit up by 0.5pt for every 50% the bankroll grows — £150 bank → £1.50/pt, £200 → £2/pt, £250 → £2.50/pt, and so on. The inverse — cutting the unit when the bank drops — is good practice but personal preference; I don't do it myself but it's sound advice for most.
What does "each-way" mean?
An each-way bet is two bets in one — a Win bet and a Place bet, each for the same stake. So 1pt each-way means 1pt to win plus 1pt to place: 2pt total out of the bank.
The Place part pays out at a fraction of the win odds (usually 1/4 or 1/5) if the horse finishes in the places — typically the first 3 or 4 depending on the race. Each-way is the right call when the price is generous enough that the place return alone covers the stake. Full guide here.
New to this? Read up on: Handicap Races · Betting Odds · Going Descriptions
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