What a Birthday for the Defending BetPTC Handicapper of the Year
John F., defending BetPTC Handicapper of the Year (2017), celebrated his birthday in horseracing style. John overcame an almost insurmountable lead from Day One leader Scott C. ($5,875; +2250%) to win the 2018 BetPTC Cash is King X Finals.
Besides retaining his Handicapper of the Year title by finishing first for the second consecutive year, John garnered the coveted $12,000 Pegasus entry. That event is held Jan 25-26, 2019 at Gulfstream Park (and Santa Anita). John also keeps the $9,007 in cash he won plus receives travel reimbursement ($500) and perks at the Pegasus Cup.
Although John was a respectable 2nd after Day One ($2,457; +810.19%), Carson's +2,250% ROI score was imposing. With a big hit at Gulfstream Park West on Sunday, John concluded his weekend with a 2-day total of $9,007; a +1632.12% ROI that put him narrowly on top.
As a 9 time-NHC qualifier, John is looking forward to not only the exciting and challenging Pegasus contest hosted by the Stronrach group in late Jan, but also participating again in the $3M NHC contest in Las Vegas in early February.
For his second-place finish, Scott C. earned the $2,000 cash prize plus kept his $8,555 in winnings for a tremendous weekend of handicapping and betting. 3rd place went to Albert T. ($3,304, +278.47%), good for $1,000 in prize money. 4th place was Peter M. ($1,320, +161.41%) and 5th place was Ellis S. ($1,489, +45.75%). Both Peter and Ellis won $500 cash. 6th place finisher was Andrew W. ($740, +32.62%), and 7th went to David V. ($1,211, +21.42%). Each received $250 cash.
Congratulations to all 39 contestants who qualified and competed in this year's 15-week Cash is King contest and Nov Finals.
A bonus contest event is being held this Friday for the 7 participants who finished in the top 3 three or more times during the 15-week contest. An additional $3,000 in prizes will be awarded in that special event.
The following 39 BetPTC members competed for a 2019 Pegaus Cup Betting Championshp berth and other cash prizes in November. Click here to learn more about Cash Is King X.
Peter M. - wk1
Michael W. - wk 1
Dean K. - wk 1
Christopher L. - wk 2
Byron B. - wk 2
Rick V. - wk 2
Craig S. - wk 3
Glen S. - wk 3
Mike E. - wk 3
Gerald C. - wk 4
John S. - wk 4
Brian N. - wk 4
Bill M. - wk 5
Steve W., Jr. - wk 5
Harry L. - wk 5
David V. - wk 6
Dennis T. - wk6
Ellis S. - wk6
Gerald P., Sr - wk7
Randy F. - wk7
Kevin W. - wk7
Michael M. - wk8
Sammy R. - wk8
Albert T. - wk8
William D. - wk9
Steve W., Sr - wk9
Steven F. -wk9
John F. - wk10
Donald N. - wk10
Michael F. - wk 10
Andrew W. - wk 11
Stewart W. - wk 11
Judy W. - wk 11
Shaun B. - wk 12
Gerald P., Jr. - wk 12
Robert M. - wk 12
Scott C. - wk13
Justin D. - wk 13
Frank M. - wk14
7 Bonus Qualifiers (three or more top 3 finishes):
Byron B.
Chris L.
Dean K.
Dennis T.
Gerald C.
Michael W.
Peter M.
Multiple Top 3 Performances
Michael W. - weeks 1 and 2 and 12
Dean K. - weeks 1 and 4 and 10
Byron B. - weeks 2 and 4 and 7
Chris L . - weeks 2 and 5 and 14
Peter M. - weeks 1 and 6 and 13
Gerald C. - weeks 4 and 7 and 8
Dennis T. - weeks 6 and 8 and 9
John F. - weeks 10 and 11
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a Primer from Sky Racing World
The following is a quick guide to help you to better understand the main differences between Australian racing and the rest of the world.
Post Positions/Weights
If you bet on horse number 1 don’t go looking for it to start from the inside gate. There is just as much chance that it could be drawn in post 16. In Australian races, the field is assembled in order of weight. The horse carrying saddlecloth number 1 always will have been assigned top weight or equal top weight. If there are 24 horses in a race, the horse carrying saddlecloth number 24 always will have been assigned the minimum or co-minimum (set-weight races notwithstanding). Once the horses are assembled in order of weight, the draw for post position takes place.
Handicapping
This will prove the biggest initial challenge to players here, primarily because of the differences in the way races are written. Because there are very few claiming races in Australia, many races are designated for horses which have won the same number of races. Most horses start out in maiden races. When they win, most will then come back in a Class 1 handicap, which means non-winners of two races lifetime .
The best pointer to use when handicapping an Australian race – given that many races in the past performance lines will read Hcp (Handicap) or Mdn (Maiden) – is to note the value (purse) of the race or the track class. All Australian tracks simulcasted are designated a “track class” of either (in order of quality) Metropolitan, Provincial, or Country. These designations can be found in the official past performances lines next to the track name as (m),(p), or (c).
Wager on Aussie horse racing with BetPTC.com
Watching a Race
The style of Australian racing is more European than American. First, all races are on the turf. Racing is conducted both clockwise and counter-clockwise depending on the region of the country. A good trip plays an even greater part in the outcome of a race in Australia than it does here. There are several reasons for this – primarily, the larger fields, slower initial pace and tighter racing. When handicapping, pay attention to starting points and layouts of each track. The length of the stretch and tightness of the turns can differ greatly between tracks and have a definite impact on race tactics and outcome. The player looking to identify a track bias will have to do it on a day-to-day basis. Unlike tracks in other parts of the world, it is very rare for a racetrack to race on consecutive days.
The Simulcast
Because of the larger average fields, there are now 24 betting interests available. Rarely will you see a field of 24 go to the post, the Emirates Melbourne Cup (GI) is an example of a race that allows for 24 runners. A few times a week, there will be races that allow for 20+ runners, one can usually find these on Tuesday/Friday nights where we feature racing from the top level metropolitan tracks in and around the major cities.
When watching the races, saddlecloth numbers can sometimes be difficult to see. It is best to identify your horse of interest by the color of the jockey’s silks. These colors are available in the program right above the past performance lines. As a bettor you will also find that races from Australia can take quite a bit longer to go official. Due to international simulcast regulations a more comprehensive review and verification process of the results is required before official payouts are made.
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