Straight from the bookie's mouth

IF you've ever wondered what it's like to be on the other side of the fence as far as having a bet goes, then read on for some fascinating comments by Keith Johnson.

The respected and popular bookie, based in Wensleydale, North Yorkshire, boasts 32 pitches starting roughly on the line of the M62, working his way north as far as Perth, in Scotland, plus a couple down south - at Cheltenham - for good measure.

"Working on five per cent gross profit, and two per cent net profit, with minimum expenses of £400 to send out a team, I need to take £8,000 just to get a draw at a low-cost meeting, " he said.

"Some other meetings have higher operating costs and need higher turnover levels to break even. My average daily cost over all fixtures, with overheads, is nearer to £800 per meeting.

"Business is not great from November to April, and a midweek winter Carlisle meeting can be pitifully poor with only about £2,000 wagered.

"In contrast, I'll take about £40,000 on York's Ebor Day, that's when it gets interesting and everything is buzzing, " said Keith, who is never short of a smile - even on a bad afternoon when Joe Punter has the upper hand.

"My worst day last year was at Haydock when I lost £20,000 which, believe me, takes a long time to get back. I think Fallon rode a treble and two of the Pricewise horses won."

For the uninitiated, Pricewise is the column in the Racing Post which enjoyed a remarkable winning streak during the height of last summer, denting not only Johnson's profits, but also the high street firms, such as Ladbrokes and William Hill.

Mr Johnson, a former accountant and financial director, is an old-fashioned type of bookie who likes to have an opinion on each race whenever possible.

This modus operandi means he can be vulnerable, but at the same time sets up the potential for a decent pay-day once in a while.

"I prefer the jumps. However, from a turnover point of view the Flat is far better and it really gets going from about the time of Chester's May meeting, that's when the "faces" come back to bet."

So, I ask him the $64,000 question. When is your average backer going to get the rub of the green - that's to say what months of the year is a bookmaker most likely to lose, and in what type of race?

"A good friend of mine never bet before Derby Day, and never after the three-day York Festival in August. He only gambled in non-handicaps, backing the top-rated horses compiled by organisations such as Timeform and Raceform.

"He was a meticulous record keeper and showed me his ledger to prove he only had one losing year in 20 using that system, combined with a disciplined staking plan.

"The fact is, in the middle of the year, when generally speaking the weather has settled down, ground conditions are constant and a lot of shortpriced favourites go in, which is bad news for bookmakers.

Another typical losing scenario for Mr Johnson revolves around the presence of either Kieren Fallon or Frankie Dettori at the smaller tracks, such as Ripon or Thirsk.

"If either of them turn up in a couple of the races and win, then I lose and there's no getting out of it. The crowds latch on to the top jockeys and there's no way to lay off, as all the bookies are effectively in the same boat.

"It's quite not so much the case with Jamie Spencer (reigning champion jockey), or Robert Winston (with Kevin Darley gets the pick of the rides in the North), but all the same a similar situation occurs, only not to such a large extent.

"With all the extra aids like the Racing Channel and At The Races televising every single race, punters are much better informed and educated these days, therefore it makes winning harder."

Rather than jockeys, I put it to Keith that in-form trainers, or certain types of races can also leave him open to attack from the more astute movers and shakers in the jungle of the betting ring.

"If a trainer like Keith Reveley suddenly has three or four winners in quick succession, then it's vital to be on the look-out for his horses and adjust accordingly.

"Well-known gambling stables are another area where obviously we have to watch ourselves. When Lynda Ramsden was training, for instance, a horse could come tumbling down from 10's to less than half those odds in no time at all.

"As far as different types of races go, sellers are very bad for us. Turnover-wise there's not a great deal of cash to be made in this type of race.

"Not that many people want to play except on the market leaders. The outsiders don't attract a penny. The bulk is clever money from those in the know and there's nothing you can do to stay in profit.

"On the other hand, conditions races (nonhandicaps) is where most of the money is traded, and it's in this type of contest I much prefer.

"Pontefract would be a typical example where the book for example is made up as follows: even money favourite, 7-4 the second favourite, a couple between 8 and 10-1, with the rest 20s or over.

"Just occasionally, the first two in the betting get beaten and we hit the jackpot and win say £3,000.

"Listening to the racecourse whispers and analysing the vibes about the runners in three-year-old maidens is another important part of my strategy when it comes to pricing up a race beforehand.

"As far as two-year-olds go, the pecking order in the North is pretty straightforward, so pricing up is not too difficult. I quite like taking a view and opposing first time out Mark Johnston's juveniles if they are odds-on.

"The hard bit comes when two or three southern stables send up unraced youngsters in the same event. That can be very tricky. Also, if one is playing up, or sweating, we don't get to know about it, as we're not near the paddock."

Knowledge of the field and form study clearly plays a pivotal part in making crucial decisions as far as winning or losing on each race is concerned, as Mr Johnson explains.

"If I've got a firm handle on the runners in the next on the card, I like to be chalking up my prices almost as soon as they've crossed the winning line in the preceding race.

"If you can price up at the same time as you're paying out, then you can sometimes get some of the money back straight away and attract early business.

"But if, say, it's a big-field handicap sprint with variable factors like the draw to take into account, you need more time to think, otherwise you can find yourself in trouble with no way back to balance the book."

Sifting through Mr Johnson's informative interview helps learn about the nuts and bolts of the bookmaking business, which can only assist those of us trying to make a bob or two.

And to those who say betting is a mug's game, don't believe a word of it.

For, at the end of the day, it's only harmful when taken to excess.

To the vast majority it's simply a source of great fun and relaxation.