Trading software

Sunday, August 16, 2015

Sports Trading on Betfair now published by Raceform (£12.99)

Hi all,

I'm delighted to announce that my book 'Sports Trading on Betfair' is now published by Raceform.

It's been produced for the much cheaper price of £12.99 and is available on the Racing Post site (click on image below). It's also available as a Kindle on Amazon.

Click here for a review of the book.

Thanks for all your support with this project!

Wayne

http://shop1.racingpost.com/Sports-Trading-On-Betfair-by-Wayne-Bailey-p/sportbet.htm

Sunday, July 12, 2015

Standing still (and Conor McGregor)

Hi folks, a very quick update on my 'living dangerously' strategy which I've spoke of recently.

It's hit a lull at the moment and seems to be one step forward and one step back. I don't think it's anything to worry about too much and standing still is better than going backwards. But it's a little frustrating as it hasn't yet kicked off on the €3 stakes.

The bank's all time high was €1,352. It now stands at €1,128 having hit a few losers in a row which will happen from time to time.

As I say, I'm not going to panic but I would like to see it kick back into life again. Here's the stats:


Number of bets: 2473
Losing bets: 58
Strike Rate: 97.65%
Average stake: €2.13
Current stake: €3.00
Average price of bet: 43.23
Average price of losing bets: 31.01
Total profit: €1,128.64
**
In other news,  it was fantastic to see Conor McGregor win last night against Chad Mendes. At one stage, it looked like he was in trouble but he pulled it out of the bag and landed the killer blow. I know a lot of this is pure entertainment as some people can't warm to it but I'm starting to enjoy it more. Betting wise, McGregor was 4/7 but I'm not sure I'd be confident having a bet on that sport just yet. We get such a lob sided view of things here in Ireland and you barely hear much about McGregor's opponents. But it might be worth betting on in the future as it gets bigger and more exposure. Anyway, well done McGregor, you done the country proud.



 ***
http://shop1.racingpost.com/Sports-Trading-On-Betfair-by-Wayne-Bailey-p/sportbet.htm

Wayne Bailey's book 'Sports Trading on Betfair' now availble. Click on the above image for more.

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

A GRAND little system


Good morning folks, it's been a while since I put up a blog. I was away in Portugal last week so I haven't been doing much betting although I got back to it yesterday. Portugal was great craic - I went away with 12 lads from the local pub so it was plenty of fun and great weather too. It was a place called Albefeira (in the Algarve) and the weather was just perfect, around 25-30 degrees each day:



I'm not trading as much as I'd like due to time restrictions but I'll be back to it soon. I have automated some of my strategies and that's working out OK. Automation is a road I want to look into further - there's something great about heading out for the day, letting the computer do its thing according to your rules, and then (hopefully) coming home to a slightly bigger Betfair balance. But of course, automation comes with loads of extra risks and nothing comes easy. Plenty of stuff can't be automated and you can never account for those random events that happen when trading. But still, if you take the lead from the financial trading world (where there's a huge amount of automation), there are bound to be some opportunities with a bit of hard work. I'll keep working on it.

As regards the living dangerously strategy which I've posted about a few times before - it's going very well and I have the profit over the €1,000 mark at this stage. Basically, it involves rating horses, then laying the worst rated horses in the place market. It's risky though, as most horses are high prices although I do have a cut off at 100.0. Until very recently, I had been using €2 stakes but I've upped it to €3 since the bank hit one large (€1,000). Of course, I don't always get my money fully matched. Sometimes I will get a quid or two matched so the average stake has been €1.98. I'm leaving orders under the price a few minutes before the off and if it's not matched, that's fine. At this end of the market, you can't just take any old price just because it's an outsider. You have to be sensitive to getting the best price just as you would were it an odds on shot.
While I haven't withdrawn the money, that's enough to cover my holiday which is what it's all about. It makes the long hours, late nights and early mornings worth it.

I'd love to get it to €2,000 soon at which point I'll increase the stakes to €4 but it's one step at a time and I'm acutely aware that a couple of bad bets in a row will wipe out hundreds from the bank. I'll keep the blog updated with progress. Here's a snapshot and a chart of how it's been going so far:




Number of bets: 2081
Losing bets: 44
Strike Rate: 97.89%
Average stake: €1.98
Current stake: €3.00
Average price of bet: 44.17
Average price of losing bets: 34.39
Total profit: €1,090.55

***


Sunday, April 26, 2015

Living dangerously (part 3)

It's been a while since I updated progress on my 'Living Dangerously' strategy where I lay high priced horses in the place markets based on my ratings.


It took a bit of a nosedive but has recovered and is currently showing a profit of €672.46 to a €2 fixed lay stake.

The stats are:

Stake: €2 
Bets: 1511
 Unsuccessful bets:32
Strike rate: 97.88%
Total profit: €674.17

The chart:
Overall I'm quite happy with it and the profit of nearly 700 quid is nice to have although I've resisted the urge to up the stakes, especially since I went through a bad patch. It got off to a flyer and it's interesting to see it on a chart because had I started doing this at the beginning of the bad patch where it lost 200 quid, it's possible that I might have scrapped it. That's why it's important to let the data build and not to get too excited by a good start, or too downbeat about a poor run.

I might raise the stakes to €3 if or when I hit €1,000 profit. It's a slow burner but I'm happy to let it run in the background. A grand is the medium term target - it would be nice to reach that figure by the end of June but you can't really plan like that as a few losing bets in-a-row knocks you back quickly as you can see from the chart. I'll report back again soon on progress.

Wayne



Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Racing Post review of my book

The Racing Post reviewed my book Sports Trading on Betfair on Sunday and I'm delighted to say that they seemed to like it a lot.

The full text of the review is below. Don't forget that a free chapter is available to download on www.waynebaileyracing.com/book
 
 

The Racing Post, Sunday 19th April 2015

A comprehensive guide for both beginner and expert

Wayne Bailey has been busy. Although still only in his mid-30s, the Dublin resident has crammed plenty into his years. A librarian by trade, his is an accredited Betfair trainer (someone endorsed by the company to show others how the exchange works at events in the UK and Ireland) who graduated from university with a degree in social sciences and information studies before completing a diploma in financial trading.
More recently he had studied psychology and the behaviour of the human mind and also spent time as a professional gambler, as well as writing a betting column for the Irish Independent. Somehow he has also found time to pen the wonderful Sports Trading on Betfair.

Bailey's background makes him the perfect person to write a book on carving out a living trading the often frenetic markets on the betting exchanges and he does not disappoint.

In 190-odd pages of A4, Bailey manages to cover all you need to know. Starting with a history of the exchanges and the very basics, the author swiftly moves on to more complex ideas such as scalp trading and momentum swing trading in a manner which, refreshingly, somehow manages the neat trick of being accessible for the novice trader while not patronising those with more experience in the field.
While the early chapters may cover familiar ground for those who have spent plenty of hours slavishly watching the movements of markets, they are still well worth a read because - as the author points out early on - "sometimes even traders are unaware of how important [a series of] numbers are and the difference they can make to their bottom line".

An explanation of crossover points and resistance points, while invaluable to any budding trader, will also prove to be of use to anybody who is looking at using the exchanges just to place a straight back bet.
A chapter on the various software packages available to traders is for once worth a look and not just a glorified advert for the author's favoured tool, and the sections on financial spread trading actually offer something of substance as opposed to just being space fillers.

Laying the field and in-running markets are covered in sufficient detail and while Bailey can hardly lay claim to reinventing the wheel here, at least he does it in such a way that he sows the seeds of the concept in the mind of the reader rather than laying down a list of hard and fast rules. As he is quick to stress: "Selectivity is the key."

With an information-solid background, it is no surprise to learn that Bailey is a meticulous planner - "keeping good record of your trades is imperative" he says, and even the most slapdash of wannabe traders will surely come away from this book in agreement with that sentiment.

Sports trading on Betfair is no get-rich-quick scheme. Nor does it promise to be.
Whit it is, though, is a comprehensive guide that will prove invaluable to those wanting to make their first foray into trading while also proving to be a great reference to those who have already done so.

This is not the first book on the subject and it probably won't be the last. But it does collect a wealth of material for which other books and courses have charged much more. If you can't make back the cover price by using the ideas found here, then trading on the exchanges is probably not for you. The best book of its type so far. 

Paul Eacott

***


http://shop1.racingpost.com/Sports-Trading-On-Betfair-by-Wayne-Bailey-p/sportbet.htm

Friday, April 17, 2015

Getting banned by bookmakers

Sorry folks, time for a little rant.

Some gamblers think the idea of getting their account closed down or severely limited by a bookmaker is a badge of honour but for me, it simply highlights how unfair this game actually is.

For those of you that haven't been banned, it's pretty simple. If your account shows a decent profit, it will end up on the bookmaker's radar. Once that happens, they will check you out and monitor your bets. If you continue to win money, they will no longer accept bets from you or else 'limit your account' which means the size of the bets you can place are, say, less than a fiver or tenner on the favourite.

Some friends of mine which I'd describe as 'casual punters' are often astonished at this. They are the type of punter the bookmaker loves - a tenner here on a horse, a fiver there on a match. Fun punters who are never really up in the long term, bar the odd lucky win. But if you happen to put in a bit of graft and earn a few quid, watch out. 

Bet365 are the latest bookie to knock me back - or Bet €3.65 I should say as that's about as much as I can get on with them these days. Here's an email they sent me a couple of weeks ago:



When they say that their services are still available to me, that's actually a joke. They didn't want to say I was banned I guess as it's bad for the image but as an example, here's what happens when I try to back a horse at 50/1:

When you put in your stake - say a tenner, the Bet Max box changes it for you. As you can see, Bet365 will let me have a whopping €0.27 on that horse. Any more and it just won't go through.

Call themselves layers? I say they should grow a pair.

On a horse priced 5/4, they'll let me have as much as €10.80



I miss the old style layers who used to bet their opinion (rather than following the exchanges) and would take a risk. Not too many of them left sadly. The good ones would use their winning customers to mark their cards so in some parts, such customers were welcome.

I'm singling out Bet365 here as they are the latest to limit my account but it's across the board as anyone who tries to get more than a hundred quid on anything will tell you. Again, if anyone thinks that this is some kind of boast, it's certainly not. I've had long term losing accounts which were limited after a string of wins over the space of a week.

Fair enough, bookmakers are businesses and they have to limit risk. I understand all that. But I hate when I hear them try to justify this behaviour by telling us that they simply like to have casual punters which like to have a fun bet. That's their market, they say. Oh really? Well, I know a man who lost over €30K with an Irish bookmaker and never got a tap on the shoulder to tell him to stop. It's pretty much ruined his life. If it were a level playing field, both the big winners plus the big losers would get their stakes limited.

It's the double standards that annoy me. If they are only interested in fun punters who bet a fiver or a tenner on a Saturday, that's fair enough but that's not the case. They also want the poor ba***rd that loses his wages every week and goes home to the missus empty handed. In short, they want it both ways and they have it both ways.

By the way, the total I won with Bet365 was in the region of €950 (over the space of one month). While just under a grand is a lot of money in any man's language, it's hardly JP McManus stuff now is it?

As I say, it's not just Bet365, they all do it. I've had accounts shut down over a few hundred euro, it's not always big money. And yet these same firms go and complain that the exchanges have ruined the industry! A funny bunch, the lot of them.

Anyway, life's too short to complain too much so I'll leave it there. Have a good weekend everyone.

Wayne

***

Wayne's book Sports Trading on Betfair is out now:

Sports Trading on Betfair




Saturday, April 11, 2015

Aintree Grand National 2015

Now, keep in mind that I haven't picked the Grand National winner since 1990 when I won £8 backing Mr Frisk at 16/1 with my lucky millennium fifty pence. Minus the price of a pint for me da, God rest him, who placed the bet for me on the Kim Bailey trained gelding. Anyway, as Johnny Logan would say, what's another year? Here goes:


http://www.independent.ie/sport/horse-racing/mccoy-win-would-be-a-dream-but-call-on-soll-for-a-value-bet-31133896.html




Wayne's book Sports Trading on Betfair is out now:

Friday, April 3, 2015

Sports Trading on Betfair (book): Kindle version now available

Good morning folks,

I'm pleased to announce that my book 'Sports Trading on Betfair' is now available on Kindle as well as in physical format.

Kindle version

Print version

Don't forget, there is a free chapter on my website available to give you a flavour of the book:

www.waynebaileyracing.com/book

Happy Easter to all readers.

Wayne

Saturday, March 14, 2015

Lingfield Winter Derby



WITH hoof marks still fresh in the ground at Prestbury Park after a hugely enjoyable Cheltenham Festival, it's a little hard to think about flat racing, especially with Aintree and Punchestown still to come. But the Winter Derby (3.05) Lingfield is the first Group race of the British season and it's a signal that we must, as my sat nav would say, recalibrate. The flat season proper kicks off with the Lincoln at Doncaster in just a couple of weeks so the Winter Derby acts as a warm up act as we try to take our mind off hurdles and fences. Regular readers will have had to put up with me moaning about how I lost a fortune backing Jeremy Noseda's Grandeur in the trial for this last month, although I also said I'd consider backing him again. But having checked the betting, I've decided to oppose him this afternoon as I was looking for something a bit bigger than 5/1.  Of course if he goes on to win, I'll be left pulling my hair out in frustrating - but when I priced up this race when the declarations came out, I had him down as a 7/1. In the long term, I have to trust that such underpriced bets are best avoided. The one that beat him in the Derby Trial was Grendisar, and Marco Botti's five-year-old gets the nod to complete the double today priced in the region of 4/1. Botti has said that he came out of his last race in great form and he comes here with every chance - although it must be said that he's a quirky sort and he usually idles mid-race. What he really needs is a strong gallop and a somewhat aggressive ride so I hope to see jockey Martin Harley stay up with the pace and give him a shake as soon as he starts to relax. That Winter Derby trial was his third Listed win in the space of a year and he hasn't finished outside the top two in nine races and his record on the all-weather is certainly impressive. All considered, 4/1 is a fair price. Along with Grandeur, Tryster has a good chance of troubling the selection. Charlie Appleby's gelding has beaten some useful sorts to complete a hat-trick of wins in all-weather handicaps and the assessor always seems to be one step behind. He's progressive, that's for sure, although this will be the biggest test he's faced in some time. 


Wayne's book Sports Trading on Betfair is out now:


Friday, March 13, 2015

Cheltenham Festival day four (Friday)

Nothing spectacular yesterday but a profitable day overall with a 9/1 winner. Here's today's race-by-race guide which I wrote for the Irish Independent.

1.30
Peace And Co will be popular in the betting but the trial he won for this race was weak and the pace was very slow. At 9/4, he’s too short for me. Preference is for BELTOR at 6/1. A son of Derby winner Authorized, he won a Grade Two at Kempton on soft ground.
2.05
A tricky race to decipher, SORT IT OUT gets the each-way vote at 14/1 or thereabouts. Edward Harty’s gelding flew home at my local track Leopardstown in an 18-runner handicap last month and is taken to progress even further.
2.40
The Nick Williams-trained TEA FOR TWO was beaten in a novices’ hurdle at Ascot last time but is best judged on his previous handicap win at Kempton. Priced as high as 25/1, he’s another one to take each-way.
3.20
Both Holywell and Djakadam are ones for the shortlist but I reckon
SILVINIACO CONTI’s time has come. A faller in this in 2013 and fourth in a messy renewal last year, he has perked up in his latest two races wearing cheekpieces. He’s definitely the one they have to beat.
4.0
Just two 11-year-olds have won this race since 1987 so older horses are usually best avoided. One of the best hunter chasers around, the Warren Greatrex-trained PAINT THE CLOUDS stands out as a horse which is laid out for this.
4.40
Willie Mullins has had a great festival and a chance is taken on
MCKINLEY to add to his tally. He was disappointing in a Grade One at Leopardstown last time but the handicapper has given him a break here and he’s entitled to go well off a rating of 136. Should be thereabouts.
5.15
The final race has been renamed this year in honour of the soon to be retired Tony McCoy, and his mount Ned Buntline is bound to be popular. But he’s a little short at 5/1 and BELLENOS makes appeal at a decent each-way price. I’ll also keep TURN OVER SIVOLA onside in the place-only markets on the exchanges.


Wayne's book Sports Trading on Betfair is out now:

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Cheltenham Festival day three (Thursday)

Another great day yesterday with a 25/1 winner and a 9/2 winner, although I wish I had more on the big priced one. Never happy are we? !

Anyway, we push on with day three. Here's today's race by race guide for the Irish Independent.  Best of luck with your Festival bets.

1.30
Willie Mullins’ Vautour (15/8) will be all the rage for this but might be a bit on the short side so PTIT
ZIG is nominated at 100/30. Paul Nicholls’ gelding normally jumps very soundly but made a rare error and fell in the Ascot Chase. Worth another chance at a fair price.
2.05
Just one horse aged five (Pragada in 1988) has won the Pertemps Network Final since it was established in 1974 so Dawalan and Aqalim have their work cut out. At 7/1, CALL THE COPS gets the vote following a recent three-mile victory at Doncaster. Second in the 2013 Champion Bumper, Regal Encore is the Danger Horse under champion jockey Tony McCoy.
2.40
A good race for punters, just one Ryanair Chase winner in the last ten years was priced in double figures. Ma Filleule is popular in the betting but her recent Grade One second place was weak and preference is for DON COSSACK, which is shaping up to be a seriously talented chaser.
3.20
Both Zarkandar and Saphir Du Rheu are ones for the shortlist but don’t overlook DEDIGOUT each-way from Tony Martin’s yard. He’s in great form and will have no problem with the distance. He prefers the ground a little soft so a bit of rain overnight would help. Overpriced at 20/1.
4.00
One of the hardest races of the Festival for punters, Salut Flo (2012) was the only winner priced in single figures in the latest 14 renewals. I won’t spend too much on this but I’ll have a small each-way punt on DE BOITRON (50/1), which is said to have perked up following a breathing operation.
4.40
A tricky handicap for amateur riders, Sue Smith’s VINTAGE STAR looks generous at 16/1. He likes to race prominently so his jockey is best advised to get up ahead of the traffic early. He looked tired when third in the Grade Two Peter Marsh Chase but he’s had a nice break and may bounce back here.

Wayne's book Sports Trading on Betfair is out now:
 

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Cheltenham Festival day two (Wednesday)

Morning folks, a cracker of a day yesterday with two 8/1 winners and an 11/1 winner. Hope it's not all downhill from here!

Here's today's race-by-race guide for the Irish Independent:

1.30
Willie Mullins’ yard provides the market leaders in Nichols Canyon and OUTLANDER and it’s the last named of the two which makes the most appeal at 7/2. A fivetime winner, he progressed enough to turn the tables on Martello Tower in a Grade Two at Leopardstown. Keep Vyta Du Roc onside in the place-only markets at 2/1.
2.05
Six-year-olds often struggle in the RSA Chase so today’s favourite Don Poli is opposed for that reason. David Pipe’s KINGS PALACE looks a good alternative at carpet (3/1) and the sevenyear-old made an impressive recovery to put Vivaldi Collonges to the sword at Newbury last time, having landed badly three fences out.
2.40
Favourites have a poor record in the Coral Cup so don’t give the bookmakers too much money here. MIJHAAR is a big outsider at 33/1 but gets a token each-way vote to get back to form and improve on a disappointing showing in a graded handicap at Sandown.
3.20
The 2013 winner Sprinter Sacre was not himself when losing his comeback race at Ascot but connections are keeping the faith in the horse. However, SIRE DE GRUGY can take advantage of any weakness and win this for the second year running for Gary and Jamie Moore.
4.00
Enda Bolger has a good record in this race, although he’s drawn a blank since 2009. The race’s most successful jockey, Nina Carberry, teams up with QUANTITATIVEEASING which has a good chance now back over his preferred distance.
4.40
Paul Nicholls’ QUALANDO gets a tentative vote at 14/1 following a recent novices’ hurdle success at Exeter but it’s not a race for heavy punting.
5.15
Willie Mullins’ horses are bound to be popular given his record in this race but a chance is taken today on David Pipe’s MOON RACER at 7/1 which showed very smart form to win two bumpers in 2014.


Wayne's book Sports Trading on Betfair is out now:
 

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Cheltenham Festival day one (Tuesday)

Hi folks, here's my race-by-race guide for day one which I've wrote for the Irish Independent:



1.30
L'ami Serge has won all three races for Nicky Henderson and beat the talented Jolly's Cracked It by fourteen lengths in the Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown. The form from his Newbury Handicap has worked out well with a couple of those going on to win since, and 3/1 looks generous enough considering he's only 2lbs behind Douvan on official ratings.

2.05
This should be a straight-forward penalty kick for Un De Sceaux although at 8/13, it's not worth the risk. He beat Clarcam with ease in a Grade One at Leopardstown last time but Vibrato Valtat has plenty of talent too and has already won a number of Graded races for Paul Nicholls. At 11/10, Vibrato Valtat is a confident selection in the place only markets on the exchanges.

2.40
I don't like betting big in the handicaps but The Druids Nephew might be the one to side with now back over fences. He was out of his depth in the Cleeve Hurdle last time but he's smarter over fences and this race has been his target for some time.

3.20
Faugheen is clearly something special which you have to be to win a Champion Hurdle but he's never faced rivals of this calibre and his price is a little short. Last year's winner Jezki is a fair price at 4/1 and can get the better of regular sparring partner Hurricane Fly.

4.00
Annie Power is far superior to any of these but that's reflected in her short price. She hasn't raced since May which is a slight concern. As an each-way alternative, consider Carole's Spirit, a tough enough sort that never gives up.

4.40
Gordon Elliott's Cause Of Causes certainly wasn't disgraced when second in the Kim Muir last year and gets a tentative vote at 8/1 to trouble the likely favourite Very Wood. Alan King's Sego Success will love the trip and won't be too far off.

5.15
A tricky handicap in which stakes should be kept to a minimum. Generous Ransom is a progressive sort and deserves his place at the head of the market but Irish Cavalier makes more appeal each-way at 12/1. Rebecca Curtis' gelding was second to the favourite in a handicap here in January but first time cheekpieces may just sharpen her up.

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Winter Derby Trial at Lingfield

I quite like this race - it usually attracts the same sort of horses each year and the form usually stands up. It's been one for the punters with the last seven favourites all winning. It could be close, but I fancy Grandeur to win this for the second year in-a-row. Today's column:

http://www.independent.ie/sport/horse-racing/grandeur-to-punish-bookies-for-second-time-at-lingfield-31009894.html


Wayne's book Sports Trading on Betfair is out now:
 

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Living dangerously (part two)

Hi folks, just an update on the 'Living Dangerously' post I made a while back.

In short, it's a strategy whereby I lay big priced horses in the place markets based on my ratings. It's a risky strategy as it involves laying at prices of up to 100.0. You can read more by clicking on the link above.

Anyhow, here's a quick review. It's still in the black although I have hit a rough patch at the moment. Despite this, I still think it has plenty of potential and am happy with how it is going. I've earned just over a monkey (€500) from 787 bets to a €2 stake (I began in November) but as I say, it's been a little tricky lately. Still, I'll keep at it and if I earn another monkey in that space of time again, I'll be well pleased.

The stats:

Bets: 787
Unsuccessful bets: 15
Strike rate: 98.09%
Total profit: €501.75
The chart:



I'll keep going with it anyhow and update the blog now and again.

Wayne


Wayne's book Sports Trading on Betfair is out now:

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Sports Trading on Betfair book: Free sample chapter

Hi all,

As most of you know, I published a book a few months ago called Sports Trading on Betfair. Thankfully, it's selling well and the response has been good. For those thinking about buying it, I've put up a sneak preview on my site.

To download this free sample chapter, click here:

FREE SAMPLE CHAPTER FROM 'SPORTS TRADING ON BETFAIR' BOOK

 Once again, thanks to those who have been in touch by email and best wishes for 2015.

Wayne

Thursday, January 1, 2015

New Year 2015: thoughts and ideas

Happy New Year folks, hope 2014 was a profitable one.


I’ve often said that I’m not one for new year resolutions – January is just another month and I believe new goals and ideas should be set all the way through the year. In fact, people usually set themselves too many goals all at once every January, so much so that the changes become overwhelming, and thus they fail to continue with their resolutions.


But I suppose us humans like to compartmentalise our time on this earth, and January is as good a time as any to review the year just gone and look ahead so here’s a few thoughts about where I’m at and what I’d like to do. As I say, all of this won’t start on the 1st January, rather, I’ll come back to this list throughout the year and add changes over time.


Book and newspaper column
I published my first book in 2014 ‘Sports Trading on Betfair’ which was a huge achievement. As a librarian by profession, I suppose I’ve always wanted to write a book but it was a hell of a lot harder than I anticipated. For 2015, I want to keep promoting it as the sales have been good. I’m toying with the idea of writing a less specialised book along the lines of ‘how to pick winners’ or ‘how to profit from horseracing’. I think a less technical, less graphic-heavy book would be much easier to write but I’ll hold off for now and concentrate on selling the one I have out already. Something to ponder though.
As always, I want to keep my Irish Independent column in the black for the upcoming year. Writing is something I enjoy doing and would like to do more of it. I'm very lucky to have a piece in a national newspaper each week so fingers crossed I get some good winners in 2015.

Financial trading
I went to cash some time back and have put this on the backburner. No big reason and I was showing a modest profit – it’s just time. As always, time is limited so I’m concentrating on making money on the exchanges, rather than trying to spread myself too thinly. It’s definitely something I continue to have an interest in though, and it’s definitely something I’ll come back to. I may look at some strategies which don’t take up a lot of time later on this year and build again from there.

Betfair trading and betting
Once again, getting time is the key but I hope to do as much as possible, especially in the summer months. I’ve been working on some automated trading setups which have proved slightly profitable so far so I’m keen to work on those in 2015. Ironically, I didn’t get a huge amount of trading done in 2014 as I was writing the book about it but I hope that can change in 2015.

Wayne Bailey Racing
It’s been a very good year for my tipping website www.waynebaileyracing.com with a profit of around €1888 to a €10 stake. I’ve quite a few loyal subscribers and you always get the odd few each month that only hang around for a while. But each subscription is a few quid so I’m hoping to continue to build the figures. I've been the top lay tipster for over a year now on Racing Index (a tipster proofing site) which helps a lot so I want to maintain my position at the head of the table.

New betting strategies
Alongside my traditional betting and trading, I came up with some new betting strategies in 2014. I want to continue to try these out and improve on them in 2015. If I can automate them, all the better. One that has potential is the laying certain outsiders in the place markets if they match my criteria (explained HERE). I’ve only been doing it for about a month but I’ve the best part of a monkey earned using a €2 stake. That was over 357 bets. Of course, all it takes is a couple of bad bets to knock me back down but as you can see, the graph is going in the right direction and I’m building a bit of a buffer for when the bad times come:

 
Health and fitness
Two major goals were ticked off in 2014. I completed the Insanity workout which was a damn hard few weeks. I also ran the Dublin marathon which was a good achievement too. People often say they get addicted to marathons but for me, it was very tough on the legs which always seem to pain once I run past 15K. I’ll never say never but I’m not in any rush to do another marathon and you have to listen to the body or else you will do it damage. That said, the feeling crossing the finish line was fantastic and you never know. For 2015, I will continue to keep fit and tone up using some light dumbbell work and running 5K two or three times a week. Last year, I found out I had high cholesterol so I had to change my diet to get it down. This means eating a lot healthier which is no bad thing and I’ll continue to improve my diet and watch the alcohol intake too in 2015.

That’s about it really – as I say, it’s not a good idea to start a load of goals in the first week in January. Too much change is overwhelming and unsustainable. If you are making any changes this year, do it gradually and add something new every month or so.

Thanks for all the comments, emails and well wishes in 2014, I hope all readers have an even better year in 2015.

Wayne




Wayne's book Sports Trading on Betfair is out now: