First Favourite – 12 Month Update

We have now been proofing the tips of horse racing tipster First Favourite for a full year so thought it would be a good time for an update.

Our original trial finished back in October last year and we gave it a neutral rating, which we maintained at our nine month update in January.

Just to recap, this is a low-volume service with just a small number of bets per month, but it targets high returns over the long run with this selective approach.

The long-term strike rate is high at over 50%, so as the name of the service suggests, it focuses on backing favourites that represent value.

So, how has First Favourite performed since January?

Overall it has done well, adding £1,230 profit this year to the recommended staking, which is to start off with a £1,000 bank each month, stake 10% on each selection and reset the bank at the end of each month, withdrawing any winnings.

In points terms, you could say that equates to an approximate 12 points of profit this year on top of the seven made at the time of our last update, making 19 points profit since October 2016.

This is a good effort and is worthy of a re-rating of the service in our view.

 

OVERALL VERDICT: PASSED 

After a year of following the tips, we are pleased to upgrade First Favourite to a recommended rating here at Honest Betting Reviews.

As we have said before, this is very much a slow-burner service where you look to build a bank gradually over time.

The bet volume is low with just a few bets per week on average, so for those who like lots of bets all the time this is probably not for you.

However, for those with patience and an eye for long-term profit, First Favourite has demonstrated an edge over the market and an ability to deliver consistent profits.

On that basis we think it is worth adding to your portfolio and is a service we will continue to follow closely.

 

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First Favourite – Nine Month Update

8th January 2017

We completed a six month trial of horse racing tipster First Favourite back in October and gave it a neutral rating.

We agreed to continue monitoring the service to see if results picked up and to update our review periodically on how things were going.

So after nine months we thought it would be a good time for a quick update.

Well the good news is that it has been a very good three months for First Favourite since we completed our trial.

They have made a solid 7 points profit in that time to level stakes, bringing their total profits since we started proofing the tips to 3 points profit overall.

Using their compounding approach and taking the profits at the end of each month and resetting the bank, you would have made £837 profit over the last three months starting with a £1,000 bank.

There have been 15 bets over the last three months, with 11 of those winning, a very decent strike rate of 73%.

This is very much a service for the patient investor who is prepared to build their bank gradually over time. If you have that patience, then this could the service for you.

We are pleased to progress they have been making and if the current form continues then First Favourite should be well on its way to a passed rating. 

 

 

 

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First Favourite – Final Review

13th October 2016

We have reached the end of our six month trial of First Favourite and here are the final results:-

 

Profit/loss:	-4.45 points
Strike Rate:	52%
Bank Growth:	-0.3%
Cost:	£47+VAT
ROI:	-0.1%
Average number of bets:	2 per week
VERDICT:	NEUTRAL
Rating:

 

You can view full results here.

 

First Favourite – Full Review

 

We have given First Favourite – a horse racing tipster – a six month trial rather than the usual three months, as there are a very low number of bets, so we wanted to get a proper look at the service.

So after six months of tipping, how have they done?

Well, we are pretty much back where we started, at £4 down to £100 stakes at advised prices – so very close to break even.

Below is the profit graph for the trial:

As you can see, things were going quite well midway through the trial, but unfortunately dipped later on. 

At Betfair SP things were a little worse, at -£339.

The results seen during our trial were quite a bit below those achieved prior to the trial. In 2015, there were apparently 12 winning months out of 12. 

The good news is the workload is incredibly low here, with just 2 bets per week.

This kind of selective betting will not be to everyone’s taste – some people will want a larger number of bets to get their teeth stuck into rather than the “slowly, slowly, catchy monkey” approach taken here.

But certainly the results during the trial have not been bad and break even is deserving of a neutral rating in our view.

If results pick up over the coming months, then an upgrade in rating may be appropriate.

Until then, the jury’s out on First Favourite.

 

Service Breakdown

Ease of use: Tips are sent out early in the morning of racing, so plenty of time to get the bets on. As we say, with an average of just 2 bets per week, the workrate is incredibly low here. 

Availability of prices: Prices do tend to steam in somewhat by the off, so it is advisable to get your bets on as soon as possible after tips are sent out. However, we generally found prices were readily obtainable so you should be able to match the advised prices as long as you have a few bookie accounts still open.

Strike rate: The strike rate for the trial was 52%, which is a little below the long term strike rate of 55% and may explain the results being a little worse than normal as well.  

Advised Betting Bank: No betting bank was advised, but we used a 1500 point bank when using 100 point stakes for each bet. 

Subscription costs: Subscription costs are £47 + VAT per month.

 

OVERALL VERDICT: NEUTRAL

First Favourite is a horse racing tipster that takes a very selective approach to tipping, with just two bets per week on average.

After a six month trial, we have finished pretty much level from following their tips.

So we feel a neutral rating is the only reasonable verdict here for the time being. Hopefully results will pick up over coming months for them. 

 

 

 

 

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First Favourite – Results Update

12th September 2016

It’s been a good month for First Favourite since our last update, with 137 points of profit added at advised prices.

That means they are now 229 points up overall for our trial at advised prices. 

You can view full results here.

At Betfair SP they have added 43 points profit to sit at -104 points overall.

As we have said before, this is a slowly-slowly catchy-monkey service, with a low bet volume and a gradual approach to building a bank.

We have now been following the service for five months, so will be looking to wrap up the review next month. 

 

 

 

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First Favourite – Results Update

14th August 2016

Unfortunately there has been a bit of a downturn for First Favourite since our last update.

Sadly they have dropped 395 points at advised prices, bringing them to 92 points up for the trial as a whole. 

You can view full results here.

At Betfair SP it is a similar story, with 453 points lost since our last update to sit at -147 points for the trial overall.

It is a shame they have hit a sticky patch as it had a cracking run from mid-June to mid-July, but hopefully it is just a blip and normal service will be resumed shortly.

 

 

 

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First Favourite – Results Update

17th July 2016

First Favourite has been on a fantastic run of form since our last update, with eight of the ten bets over the last month winning.

That means they have added 476 points profit to stand at 487 points up for the trial as a whole.

You can view full results here.

At Betfair SP the results have also been good, with 364 points profit added over the last month to stand at 306 points profit for the trial overall.

We have also been monitoring the advised prices closely and can say that the prices are generally widely available and do not disappear within a short time as you see with some other services, which means you should be able to match the results at advised prices if you have bookie accounts.

The other thing worth noting is that the longest losing streak for First Favourite this year has been just two bets! 

That is quite a remarkable statistic and I don’t know if I’ve ever seen that before. Just shows the level of consistency and means this is a very easy service to follow – it doesn’t seem to have the rollercoaster experience you get with some other services. 

So overall very impressed with First Favourite so far and let’s hope things continue in the same vein.

Back soon with more updates. 

 

 

 

 

 

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First Favourite – Results Update

17th June 2016

First Favourite are still in profit for our trial -but only just.

When we did our last update a month ago, they were 165 points in profit at advised prices, where as now they are 11 points up, so a decline of 154 points since last time.

You can view full results here.

At Betfair SP, the total so far is 58 points down, so a little bit worse than the advised prices.

As we have said before, this is very much a selective service with a low number of bets per week, but the long-term record is strong and justifies such an approach.

Anyway, let’s hope things pick up a bit by the time of our next update.

 

 

 

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First Favourite – Results Update

19th May 2016

Well normally after a month of a trial we have lots to report but things have been quiet for First Favourite to say the least!

As we said at the outset, this is selective betting. But it has been very selective so far, with only 5 bets advised.

You can view full results here.

The good news is that the selective approach is paying off so far, with three of the five bets having been winners, with a profit of 165 points accrued to 100 point stakes.

You can see the effectiveness of the service, with 15 of the 16 months so far having been profitable. It is slow steady bank building, which is quite a nice way of doing things.

Anyway, we will update things in about a month’s time and see if things are still going strong.

 

 

 

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First Favourite – New Review

19th April 2016

We have just come across a horse racing tipster who we think has great potential and are quite excited to be trialing here at Honest Betting Reviews.

The tipster in question is called First Favourite and is run by a guy called Mel Gee.

There are two things in particular that interest us about this service.

First up is the high strike rate. We have written elsewhere about the importance of strike rate in betting systems, but in short the reason is that having a high strike rate means you can use larger stakes and build a bank much more quickly. 

Plus losing streaks tend to be much shorter, thus making it easier psychologically to follow the service.

First Favourite claims to have a strike rate of 55%, which is a fantastically high strike rate to be able to achieve a profit at. 

That means over half of bets have been winners! That’s what we like to see.

The second thing we like about this service is the level of consistency. Apparently in 2015 there were 12 winning months out of 12, which is remarkable going.

The three years previous to that were also profitable, although it doesn’t say to what level.

Now the only thing we would say is that this is a selective service, so if you’re looking for loads of bets every day then it might not be your thing.

But as we are always keen to stress, at the end of the day it is the amount of profit in your bank account that really counts rather than the number of bets and on the profit front First Favourite certainly seems to have delivered so far.

The good thing is there is a 60-day no-quibbles money back guarantee, so if it doesn’t turn out as hoped we can always get a refund.

So with much anticipation we will get the trial underway and let’s hope we can see some great profits accumulated over the next few months.

Back soon with our first update on how things are going.

In the meantime you can check out First Favourite here.