The adrenalin and excitement of watching my first ever bet storm down the outside to win in a photo finish at Rosehill one day, set off an irresistible desire to become a successful punter. My first step in that journey came 10 years ago when I purchased a second hand copy of Rem Plante’s Australian Horse Racing and Punter’s Guide, published in 1974.

In the very first paragraph of this book I came across the following statement:

Further down the page, Plante went on to say:

It was not through any great design that I purchased this particular book so I was unaware that its advice was the most important a novice punter could receive. Plante was a famous Australian punter who had been there and done that himself. He certainly knew what he was talking about.

I quickly dispelled the belief that success could be achieved through a combination of fixed rules that some ingenious person had uncovered. I was not going to be tempted by the deceitful advertising of those who would try to sell me such methods, regardless of how convincing their evidence seemed. I took it upon myself to learn everything I could about racing and what I really needed to do win.

I bought all the books I could find on handicapping from both from Australia and overseas, and stayed up all hours of the night studying the methods of the world's most famous punters. I took detailed notes on their advice and spent every spare minute researching how their concepts applied to Australian racing.

I had a passion for discovering first hand what the winners were doing that I wasn’t, and spent week in, week out at the racetracks of Sydney. I would strike up conversations with punters, bookmakers and other industry professionals just to get their perspective on things. Soon enough it became clear to me who the most knowledgeable were and I took every opportunity I could to talk with them, and learn what it was they did that enabled them to win. I asked for advice, put it into practice and observed the results. I would win some times and think I had found the answers, but then lose at other times, enough to see me finish behind for the year.

I made mistakes, but I learnt from them. I adjusted not only my approach, but also my attitude. After three years of study and punting education in the betting rings of Sydney, the pieces of the puzzle finally came together.

I confirmed that Plante was correct in saying that racing cannot be solved through any combination of fixed rules or methods. As he recommended, I had developed a thorough knowledge of the racing business and the principles of a sound and logical approach. I had learnt what it was that made the professionals successful and what it was that made the large majority of punters lose.

Through The Form-Pro website I hope to make available to you some of the knowledge and experience I have gained as a form analyst and punter over the past 10 years. My ideas and thoughts will help you to select the ‘right’ races to tackle and assess the factors that affect horse performance and race outcomes. You will learn about the value of today’s handicapping & rating methods and discover how to utilise their strengths while allowing for their weaknesses. I will reveal to you important facts and features of today’s betting markets and how you can use them to your own profitable advantage.

I hope that by sharing my ideas, philosophies and techniques that you will develop your own thorough knowledge of racing and the skills to implement a successful knowledge-based approach. I wish you luck on your journey to becoming a successful punter and welcome your feedback or questions at any time.

GOOD PUNTING

Daniel O'Sullivan

(The Form-Pro)