We are going to take a look here at Equine Investments, one of the most renowned horse racing tipsters out there.

The service is run by a guy called Laurence Lambourn, a professional gambler himself who was banned by the bookies so set up the Equine Investments tipping service instead in 2002.

We are going to do a quick review of it here rather than our usual three month trial as the service is closed to new members so not much point doing an in-depth review of a service that the vast majority of you won’t be able join!

However, there is a waiting list and places do become available occasionally so it is probably worth describing what the service is all about and whether it is worth joining the waiting list.

So  we will break things down and look at the various aspects of the service.

Results

We have been following Equine Investments for approximately the last 5 years and can vouch that the results published on their website are accurate.

And what results they are! 

They have made over 1700 points profit since starting tipping in 2002. So in other words if you had been following them at £100 per point since they started you would currently be over £170,000 up!

That is with an almost unparalleled return on investment of 30%, which is simply amazing over such a long period.

Every year has been a winning year and some of the better years have seen ROI of over 50% for the year, which we have barely ever seen before in the world of tipping.

Odds Availability

With results as good as those you are probably thinking there must be a catch. 

Well you’d be right – there are in fact two catches.

The first catch is odds availability. 

When we first started using the service back in 2009/10, the prices of selections would get hit in quite significantly, but it was just about possible to still get close to the advised price if you acted quickly.

However, as time went on and the success of the service grew and grew – and members were no doubt increasing their stakes as they built up considerable banks – the prices just got hit in too much.

It became very difficult to make a profit from the service and so Laurence decided to change the way they operated.

Firstly he tried separating things into two different types of selections – with the main account bets and then “shortlist” bets which were not quite as strongly fancied but still worth backing.

However, that didn’t seem to quite work and so a new setup was established – which leads us onto the next section…cost.

Cost

The second “catch” if you like with Equine Investments is the cost. It used to be around £1200 for the year, which meant it was only a service for the very serious player.

But then Laurence decided – because of the odds availability problem mentioned above – to reduce the number of members and run the service in “cycles” rather than years.

What this meant was that you would now pay a fixed fee for a pre-determined amount of profit and when that was reached you would have to pay again for the next cycle. 

The cost of each cycle is £825 and for that you get £3000 of profit to £100 stakes, or 30 points profit in other words.

So if you could get the advised prices, that would be around £2175 profit per cycle once fees were deducted.

Do a couple of cycles per year and you are talking a nice 4 grand or so of profit. And of course some people will bet more than £100 per point so will make more than that.

Two Groups 

To try and protect prices, the service was also split up into two groups when the cycle approach was adopted.

Group 1 is made up of 15 members and bets only in high class races at weekends and in festivals, where prices are likely to be more solid, with greater liquidity and less liable to be influenced by a small group of people.

Group 2 is made up of 30 members and bets in all types of races, with a higher volume of bets than Group 1.

Our own experience was that we found Group 2 still suffered from the same price availability problem as previously and it was tough to make a profit.

However, Group One works very well and although there aren’t that many bets, prices hold up decently and you can normally get the advised price or very close to it.

Conclusion 

There is no doubt that Equine Investments has one of the strongest tipping records in the game and with over 13 years of results has proved a very clear edge over the bookies in the long term.

In the world of tipping though, sadly you can become the victim of your own success, as we have seen with our review of Hugh Taylor.

And this has unfortunately been the case with Equine Investments as well, who have seen prices hammered to a level that it is tough to make a profit with the main service unless you are able to act lightening fast and have a wide range of bookie accounts available to you.

However, Group One which only bets in high class races works well and prices hold up strongly. So although there aren’t many bets – usually just 2 or 3 per week – there is the potential to make it worthwhile.

With a price tag of £825 for a cycle (which so far has averaged about 6 months to be completed) this will not be for everyone though and is really only suited to the high rollers.

So there we are, we hope that has given you a good idea of how Equine Investments works and if it is a service for you.

As April begins and Spring gets underway it’s time as ever for the sporting world’s attention to turn to a small corner of Georgia in the southern United States.

Yes it’s Masters time and Augusta awaits the best golfers in the world for the first major of the season.

Travelling up Magnolia Lane this year will be a host of players hoping to add the Green Jacket to their collection of titles.

Until three years ago, no Australian player had ever won the Masters. But this year, few will have better chances than two Aussies who are in red hot form going into Augusta.

Here we have a look at their chances in greater detail, plus have a look at the best picks from the rest of the field.

Great Scott

First up we have Adam Scott, the winner of the Green Jacket in 2013, who heads to Georgia in arguably the best form of his career.

The 35 year-old has two wins this season already, at the Honda Classic and WGC Cadillac Championship, as well as a second place finish at the Northern Trust Open.

Whilst his iron play has been sublime and his driving as impressive as ever, the real improvement for Scott this season – perhaps surprisingly – has been in his putting.

The worry for Scott was that being forced to dispense with the long putter at the start of the season due to new rules introduced by the game’s governing bodies would lead him to struggle greatly on the greens.

However, the reverse has been true and the Aussie has putted markedly better with the short stick than he did last year with the broom-handled putter.

The stats show that the Queenslander has moved from 157th in strokes gained putting last season to 42nd this season – a massive jump.

Watching Scott putt this season you might even go far as to say he is looking solid over the shorter putts, which is certainly not something you would have said over the past few seasons.

The fact that his putting is improved is great news for fans of Scott as the rest of his game is nothing short of outstanding at the moment.

Leading the Tour in strokes gained, second in strokes gained tee to green, seventh in greens in regulation, 11th in driving distance and the Fed Ex Cup leader, there is little doubt that Scotty is in total control of his game heading into the Masters.

In addition to his win, Scott has a second place finish and two other top tens to his name at Augusta, so certainly knows his way around the place.

At current odds of 12/1, don’t be surprised to see the likable Aussie capture his second Green Jacket on Sunday. 

Die Another Day

The tournament favourite and rightly so, Jason Day has won 6 of his last 13 starts, a phenomenal record dating back to the Canadian Open last year.

Previous to last year’s USPGA win, Day had struggled greatly when in contention in majors, admitting to becoming nervous and slowing down the pace of his play noticeably.

However, breaking his duck with that win has given the Aussie a huge boost in confidence and taken the rather large proverbial monkey off his back.

Moving to number one in the world is justification for the hard work and dedication Day has shown, improving his game markedly in recent years.

Not only is he prodigiously long off the tee, but his short game is amongst the very best in the world – as he showed in his battling wins at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and WGC Dell Matchplay recently.

With confidence sky high, Day must feel he has an edge over both Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy, who have struggled for form this year by their own high standards.

An excellent record at the Masters that includes second and third place finishes as well as two other top 30 places show the 28-year old’s affinity for the fairways of Augusta.

Although odds of 7/1 look short, remember that Day has won just under half the events he has entered in the last 8 months – that is the kind of form Tiger used to show at the peak of his powers. And he would regularly go off at 2/1 or less for majors. 

Best of the Rest

There are many with good chances of triumphing at Augusta, as one of the strongest fields of the year assembles in Georgia.

Bubba Watson has a fantastic record at the Masters, with two wins and a game seemingly tailor made for the course and starts at a very reasonable 12/1. With a win at the Northern Trust earlier this season and some solid form, it would be surprising if big-hitting Bubba wasn’t in the mix come Sunday.

Few players in the history of the tournament have better records than Phil Mickelson. With three wins and 12 other top-ten finishes, Lefty has demonstrated time and again his love for the fairways of Augusta. 

Although winless this year, he did come close at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am earlier this season and has been talking very bullishly about his game following a change of coach at the start of the season.  Phil must be backed each-way at 20/1, particularly with bookies offering up to 8 places.

If you are looking for an outsider, then Patrick Reed could be worth an interest at 50/1. Leading the tour in top 10 finishes this season, with 7 in 11 starts, Reed has been the model of consistency and there is no doubt he has the confidence in himself to go ahead and win a major. 

As the Racing Post’s resident Pricewise tipster, Tom Segal has gained a reputation for being one of the best informed horse racing tipsters in Britain over the last 10 years. His expertise is matched by his numerous winning streaks. Segal is probably most famous for a ten week all-win streak in 2005 with fans and punters taking millions off the bookies in the process and securing him legendary status as a tipster. 

Bringing Down the Bookies

That run involved a string of long-odds winners including Courageous Duke at 8-1, Zeitgeist at 14-1, Another Bottle at 14-1, Sergeant Cecil at 20-1 and Ice Planet at 8-1. In classic tongue-in-cheek style, the Racing Post declared following that run:  “Sorry! We’re full of remorse as the world’s leading tipster makes a dent in the bookmakers’ half-year results.”

That reference in the Racing Post was regarding an announcement by William Hill that their half year profits were down 6% and that it was due to one man – Tom Segal, following his glorious winning run that year. Some bookies have even been heard to declare a hatred for him.

A Nerd Tipster

Segal presents himself as something of a nerd tipster. He works from his home in Reading and presently provides daily racing tips before the race for all major televised races in his Pricewise column in the Racing Post. The simple idea behind Segal’s mind set is to give the average person a tip at long odds that represent value at the early morning prices.

Although he is immensely popular amongst punters, there is a downside to Pricewise’s tips: they are in fact so popular that prices will crash dramatically after Segal publishes his tips. So making a profit in the long term is likely to be difficult, unless you are razor sharp in getting your bets on before the bookies slash their prices.

Segal credits luck as a part of his winning strategies and all horse racing gamblers would agree that luck does play a significant role in winning but no one can be as “lucky” as Segal. His analysis is a combination of experience, the use of all the information about any race that is available, and direct personal inspection of the animals and the track.

Starting Young

Segal’s love or horse racing began in his youth. His home in Esher was so close to Sandown Park that the thrill of the chase got into his blood early. He planned for a career in racing early in life and the practical side of the economics was assisted by his degree in management from Cardiff University.

Perhaps surprisingly given his sterling record, Segal proclaims himself to be a small wager person – usually just £50 to £100 per race. He doesn’t come across as someone who relishes the “thrill” of betting, but rather one who enjoys the intellectual challenge of studying form and getting one over on the bookies. For him, the idea of giving a tip that thousands of people at the track and at home will back and win money on is the ultimate satisfaction.

Segal’s Winning Approach

Pricewise approaches all races as a unique event. He considers all factors that may impact the potential for any horse to win a race. Past performance, a horse’s present state of health, the state of the track, the horse’s weight, the jockey’s weight, and a multitude of other factors are part of Segal’s scrupulous investigation to find winners.

In the in-depth look at the history of Pricewise and the approach of its current incumbent, The Secrets of Pricewise: The World’s Number One Tipster Revealed, Segal talks about the importance of the jockey and trainer in horse racing and how these factors are consistently overlooked by punters and the market. He says just the fact that certain trainers like John Gosden are running a horse in a particular race is a tip in itself and they are often twice the price they should be.

He also attempts to account for the unknown in his tips. Accommodations for weather, track conditions, and the history of falls on a given track in certain conditions add to the veracity of Segal’s predictions. Segal leaves as little to chance as possible.

A Racing Regular

Segal is a regular attendee at many of the races that he makes prediction for. He claims that nothing works better in predicting winners than looking at the horse before the race, chatting with riders, and seeing the field yourself. An added advantage of seeing the race in person is seeing each bookie’s tactics and their change in presentation depending on the horse they are backing.

In a moment of introspection that is rare for tipsters, Segal claims that the added pressure of being paid to pick winners for other people is stressful and demanding. It is rare to find that sense of responsibility to the bettor in a tipster.

Segal is the first to admit that he does not pick a winner every time, but success rate is still extraordinary. He wins the most in races where the odds are greater than three to six and in races where the odds are more than 11 to 16 to 1. His winning percentage for long shots is one of the best in the United Kingdom.

A Tipping Pioneer

He may not be the only online tipster around but Tom is the first that has made betters, bookies, and odds makers sit up and take notice. He has shown the way to successful betting through meticulous research combined with looking at factors that are often overlooked by regular punters.

Undoubtedly a pioneer in giving punters value tips and making the horses pay off for more people than ever before, Segal deserves his reputation as one of the UK’s top tipsters. Experience, diligence, and a desire to take the money out of odds makers and bookies’ pockets have made Segal a racing institution – the ultimate little man’s tipster.

When it comes to horse racing and the world of jockeys there is one name that definitely stands out from the rest. This one person is up there with the greats and slowly aiming above and beyond what we know as traditional horse racing. He has achieved so much and more in his short lifespan, not to mention his even shorter horse racing career. A commendable name in English and international horse racing can definitely, and without a doubt, be linked to A.P. McCoy.

Record Breaker

Sir Anthony Peter McCoy, also known as Tony McCoy or A.P. McCoy is one of the most decorated racers in modern horse racing events. He has ridden an astounding number of record breaking winners – a staggering 4,358! He was named Champion Jockey for 20 consecutive years in a row, and he has earned the title of ‘professional’ every single year.

Early Days

McCoy was born in Northern Ireland on March 7, 1974 and he had already shown an interest in horse riding from a very young age. At age 17, he rode his very first winner in the flat race at the Thurles race course in Ireland. The horse he rode on was trained and maintained by the one and only Jim Bolger, which made McCoy an immediate jockey to look out for during this race. This opened up amazing opportunities for him and he started working with Bolger as a stable apprentice.

In 1994, only 2 years after his initial win, McCoy decided that it would be best for him to become a jump jockey. This decision led him to the other part of the isles and he started riding in England. It was during this year where he rode another winner in the Exeter race with the help of Gordon Edwards. After this win he acted as a conditional jockey for Toby Balding, another successful trainer he got to brush shoulders with. This helped him win the Conditional Jump Jockey’s title in 1995 and in the following season he became jump jockey for the very first time.

Teaming Up

These first two wins propelled McCoy onto the jump jockey scene and exposed him to even more popular figures in the world of horse racing. In 1997 he teamed up with all-star trainer, Martin Pipe as well as the then upcoming Paul Nicholls. This partnership proved to be yet another amazing decision and he could achieve his full potential easier.

By the end of the 90s, McCoy had achieved so much already: he set a new record for National Hunt racing, he equaled the record of 5 winners at the Cheltenham Festival in 1998, and he became the fastest jockey to ever reach the 100 winner mark, including the longstanding record or Sir Gordon Richards who set his in 1947. In 2002 he beat his own record of winners by accumulating the total to a whopping 269 in April of that year, and an even higher amount of 289 in August of the same year. As if this is not amazing enough he went on to improve that number and in 2006 his record number of winners was over 2000. In February of 2009 he aced that score by riding is 3000^th winner at the Tyser & Co Beginner’s Chase in Plumpton. Despite all the titles and trophies he has won, he holds these achievements to be his best ever.

The Crowning Glory

McCoy has won some of the biggest races on the seasonal horse racing calendar including the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the Champion Hurdle, the Queen Mother Championship Chase, as well as the King George VI Chase, but there is one that eluded him: the Grand National. By 2001 the highest place he had achieved at the Grand National was third place, and he kept this up until 2010. On his 15^th attempt in 2010 he managed to win the Grand National on a Jonjo O’Neill-trained horse called Don’t Push It.

But this achievement did not stop McCoy. Where other jockeys might give up the race at this milestone, McCoy felt that he had not ridden the places where he has yet to ride. He continued winning numerous races but it was in a 2013 race where he secured his 4000^th win in his career. This was not without difficulty. He fought long and hard at the Wetherby’s Novices Hurdle in Towcester and he beat his opponent, Jamie Moore, by a fraction of a hairline.

The same year marked an important milestone for him in terms of his seasonal records. At the Fighting Fifth Hurdle in Newcastle he reached the 150 winners landmark for the 18^th time in a season. Out of all the 20 season he had ridden in Britain, he only missed out on 2 where he did not reach this milestone. At the end of this season he was crowned the Champion Jockey for the 19^th consecutive time which allowed his records to be extended even further.

Still Setting Records – and Saying Goodbye

This still didn’t mean that his career had come to a standstill. In 2014 he recorded his first ever half century of winners in one season. He had ridden 50 winners in a total of just 44 days. In the same year he surpassed the record of winners set by his long time mentor, Martin Pipe – a staggering number of over 4,100.

At the end of the 2014/2015 season he recorded his first ever century win in the National Hunt, having ridden 100 winners. He also announced his retirement at the end of this season and his final racecourse appearance was at the Bet365 Gold Cup meeting in Sandown in April of 2015.

Sports Personality 

McCoy was also named BBC Sports Personality of the year in 2010 and RTE Irish Sports Personality of the Year in 2013. He has written numerous autobiographies of his life and his achievements after his retirement as well as a novel which had been published in 2013. He currently resides with his wife, Chanelle and his two children in Britain where he enjoys watching football and supporting his favourite team: Arsenal.

Check out our lowdown on the best free horse racing tips here.