Until February, 1983, Shergar was best known as a champion racehorse. Owned by the Aga Khan and trained by Sir Michael Stoute, Shergar enjoyed a hugely successful three-year-old campaign, in which he won the Derby, by an unprecedented ten lengths, Irish Derby and King George & Queen Elizabeth Stakes. At the end of his racing career, in October, 1981, Shergar was syndicated for £10 million and sent to stand at Ballymany Stud, in Co. Kildare, Ireland.
However, less than two years later, on the evening of February 8, 1983, Shergar was abducted, along with Jim Fitzgerald, head groom at Ballymany Stud, by a group of armed, masked men and driven away in a horsebox. Fitzgerald was eventually released, four hours later and twenty miles or so away from Ballymany, but warned, upon pain of death, not to contact the Gardaí. Fitzgerald did contact stud manager Ghislain Drion who, in turn, attempted to contact the Aga Khan. It was not until eight hours after the event that the kidnapping was reported to the police service, by which time Shergar was long gone.
British horse racing journalists Derek Thompson, John Oaksey and Peter Campling were called in, at the behest of the kidnappers, to conduct ransom negotiations. However, a series of polaroid photographs of the head of a horse, alongside a copy of the ‘Irish News’, dated February 11, proved insufficient ‘proof of life’ for the owners. In any event, four days after the abduction, the kidnappers made a final telephone call, including the code phrase ‘King Neptune’ – which had earlier been given to Jim Fitzgerald – to inform negotiators that Shergar had died ‘in an accident’.
The only certainties are that Shergar was never seen alive again, his body has never been recovered and no arrests have ever been made in relation to his abduction. His fate remains an abiding mystery, subject to speculation and conjecture. The consensus, though, is that Shergar was kidnapped by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and machine gunned in a stable near Ballinamore in Co. Leitrim after injuring himself.
In 1995, Eric Cantona found himself embroiled in a momentous incident that left an indelible mark on football history. During a match between Manchester United and Crystal Palace, Cantona, renowned for his brilliance on the pitch, succumbed to a moment of madness that shocked the sporting world.
Amidst heated exchanges at Selhurst Park, Cantona engaged in a verbal confrontation with a Crystal Palace supporter. Overwhelmed by frustration, he launched himself into the crowd, executing a kung fu-style kick at his heckler. The act of retaliation stunned spectators and players alike, resulting in Cantona’s immediate dismissal from the game.
The repercussions of Cantona’s actions were severe. Criminal charges for assault loomed over him, while football authorities swiftly imposed a lengthy ban. The Football Association (FA) handed down a nine-month suspension, effectively ending Cantona’s participation in the 1994-1995 season.
The consequences of Cantona’s ban extended beyond his personal predicament. Manchester United, a team heavily reliant on his influence, felt his absence acutely. Cantona had become the catalyst for their success, a figurehead of inspiration and leadership.
Yet, even in the face of adversity, Cantona’s impact remained profound. Upon his return the following season, he orchestrated a triumphant comeback, guiding Manchester United to another Premier League title. His resilience and unwavering determination captured the hearts of fans, solidifying his status as an enigmatic legend of the game.
The ban inflicted upon Eric Cantona in 1995 serves as a stark reminder of the intense emotions that can engulf the football pitch. While his actions were undeniably controversial and drew widespread criticism, they added a layer of complexity to Cantona’s enigmatic persona. His subsequent redemption and glorious resurgence epitomised his character and unmatched talent.
Perhaps one of the most improbable sports bets, winning or losing, struck in recent years was the $85,000 placed on Tiger Woods to win the 2019 Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia. Notwithstanding the fact that Woods was attempting to win his first major championship since the 2008 US Open, the bet was all the more remarkable for the circumstances under which it was placed.
The bettor in question was James P. Adducci, a 39-year-old Wisconsin man who lived with his ailing 82-year-old father and had never before placed a sports bet. Nevertheless, Adducci sold $55,000 of Amazon shares to raise his stake money and, after being ‘knocked back’ by two other bookmakers, was finally accommodated at 14/1, for the full $85,000, by William Hill.
The rest, as they say, is history. Tiger Woods won his fifth Green Jacket, despite a bogey on the final hole, yielding a profit of $1.19 million for the intrepid Adducci. Not satisfied with the largest golf payout in company history, shortly before the PGA Championship, in May, Adducci placed $100,000 on Tiger Woods to complete the Grand Slam by winning the PGA Championship, US Open and Open Championship at odds of 100/1. The potential payout was $10 million, but the excitement was short-lived as Woods shot 72, 73 in the first two rounds of the PGA Championship to miss the cut by a single stroke.
A graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Adducci originally trained as a commodities trader, but although he described himself as a ‘day trader’, he also confessed to having been $25,000 in debt. He never really explained, at least not adequately, the rationale behind his apparently ‘crazy’ behaviour, but lack of experience certainly proved no hindrance to his success.
You often see individuals selling horse racing tips. These range from the one-man band to companies peddling their trade. In fact, some professional gamblers of old were paid £100,000 per year to give their tips. I’m not sure how successful these business were but they don’t run today. However, there are plenty of horse racing tipsters who sell their information from a few pound a month to perhaps £1000 per year. I imagine there are a few who sell at a much higher price. In fact, I know of a few gamblers who pay several thousand a year for info from given stables. Clearly, no one continues to pay that kind of money without making a return. This kind of service goes all the way to the likes of Tony Bloom’s Starlizard which is a subscription service linked to Asian handicap betting, predominantly, I imagine, on sports such as football. Starlizard has a reputation as being a money-making machine.
But here’s a question: Is the concept of horse racing tips outdated?
My quick answer is yes.
Have you looked at the way most horse racing tipster promote and sell their tips? The platform and format they use to detail their information. It really is such an old, outdated system that’s seen better days. In fact, I am pretty sure most tipping businesses are on a slippery slope to going out of business just because it’s the nature of the beast. Sure, you may make a few quid in the short term (if you are talented and successful) but long term they are selling themselves short.
I always remember my friend Eric Arnold, he sadly passed away in 2019, a truly lovely man, he used to say selling tips was a pointless exercise. I agree with every word. If you really knew something worth selling you’d keep it to yourself. The reason being that anyone who has a set pattern of working will give their secrets away. Give me 60 tips from your leading tipsters and I can understand their formula. The market adjusts to information because it needs to survive. It will chew up your information and spit it out as a worthless piece of scrap. You once had the golden touch but the value has been eroded and that elusive value has disappeared and the next good thing is trending.
The truth is unless you can protect your information you are dead in the water.
That’s why companies such as Starlizard are careful not to give away any information for others to glean. They understand that the only way they can hold onto that advantage is by saying: ‘You give me the money, I will bet for you, and if we make a profit I will give you your share.’
You think they will be giving out tips and information for you or anyone else to peruse?
Not in a million months of Sundays. The reason being they understand how market forces work. You can see the problems companies or tipsters have. You only have to see AT The Races tipster Hugh Taylor. He gives a tip and ten minutes later the horse is half the odds. Other companies found they have the same problems and end up detailing their tips minutes before the off to try and protect their members interests. Once a paid member has the tip there is no stopping them sharing, selling, or doing what they wants with it. Obviously, it is against the terms and conditions but whose going to take them to court? You don’t even know who it is. But in the process your business is slipping away and there is sod all you can do about it.
How can such a business work?
It’s an old, outdated format that works for no one.
Follow any horse racing tipster and you will see updates detailing changes to their service as they try to counteract impending doom. They simply cannot control the beast. They are on the road to nowhere with the Incredible Hulk at the wheel. His body zapped from Gamma rays. The betting slip in his hand faded and burnt at the edges.
The problems with all tipsters is that they need to have punters putting money into an account that is used to bet. This protects the information. This is next to impossible for your average Joe. Even if they could the liquidity for most racing in the UK is so limited that they are fighting over scraps. Unless you can tap into Asian markets there is little option than keeping the info for yourself.
For this reason I would question the integrity and profitability of most horse racing tipsters if not in the short term definitely in the long term.
It’s a business that needs a coming of age.
