Thanks for pointing that out, I'll take another look.

IMP - I would say, given lead times for such publications in those days, that VDWs 32 bets were placed over the first 5-6 weeks of the Flat season and it was more like 5 or 6 bets a week on average. Of course that was early season where he said to tread carefully so I'm sure this average would increase slightly throughout the season to 7-8 bets a weeks. Of course there are now nearly double the amount of flat races a season than 1978 and not far off the same for Jumps racing which lasts all year now so it is difficult to gauge how many bets he would find a week these days, on average of course.

Personally, as I have said before, I'm sure I take more chances than VDW on horses he would have left, but this is down to my temperament. This is just one reason why the 80% thread will not prove VDWs suggestion. My own investments take into account lot's of different approaches all based on VDW, and yes there have been days where I haven't backed horses due to price and also days where I have placed last minute bets or bets I didn't mention because they were not part of the two main VDW methods. For example, when I backed Courageous Duke, I also backed Nuit Sombre to win the same amount whomever won. This was a last minute consideration mainly due to the public gamble on CD and also the fact that Johnston won the race a while back with a similiar type.

So, I am tightening the belt as far as selections go and endeavouring to put up only the selections I think VDW would have strongly agreed with.

Joan,
I am more than happy to concede the point. Your knowledge of both latin syntax and onanism appears to be far in excess of mine.
I also think the euphoria generated by your enthusiastic practising of the latter goes some way to explaining the incoherency of a lot of your posts to the board. Try having a cigarette instead.

You seem a bit upset Joan!

Some of it Joan. What exactly though is "roll" playing?

So Boozer is the only contributor other than myself to have any view that they feel worth expressing on the Courageous Duke races.

Something simple like "well, on these occasions the class/form system turned out to be piss useless" would suffice, then maybe we can start thinking about why and make some progress instead of insisting that this obviously mistaken strategy is so entirely wonderful that it needs to be guarded on private boards.

Dream on!
The private thread is a blind to convince them that they know it all. The reason they parasite on this thread is because they don't!

Johnd

Other commitments meant that yesterday's Post remained unopened 'til late in the evening, but I was pleased to see that all three of the horses posted on the "80%" thread by members with knowledge of VDW won. A glance confirmed that all three were consistent "form" horses with proven capability at the distances over which they raced yesterday.

By contrast, your selection, Awarding, hadn't managed a placing in its last few runs, and had run four times over last night's distance without a single placing, never mind a win.

I've not come across any VDWer who claims to "know it all". But I think all the ones I've come across know enough not to have backed Awarding last night, and to do rather better than one winner from 24 selections.

Dr fulham/johnd

Why don`t you two have a shoot out (in horse racing terms) each using your own VDW interpretation ? Or migrate to the Drunkard/Slagging thread.

Loser shuts up.

I know I`m a fine one to speak, it was just a thought.

III

I implemented a unilateral "cease-fire" but ended it in the light of sustained "sniping" from Johnd. Since then I have suggested a "truce", or at the very least confining "hostilities" to the 80% thread. It seems, however, that Johnd continues to "snipe", both at me personally and VDWers in general. He has only to stop, and he won't hear another murmur from me. But until he does ...

And until you stop I will continue to point out that he has more balls than a spineless wonder like yourself who has yet to post one selection before the event.

Me and my big mouth !

III

Not at all: like me, you probably see a lot of what has been going on here lately as essentially pointless, albeit occasionally entertaining.

The former, but not the latter, seems to me a fair description of Jimmy, who by his own admission has read only VDW's early writings, failed to make anything worthwhile of them, and has yet to contribute a post which adds to anyone's knowledge of VDW's approach.

At least 3 times on this thread, I have made the same challenge to Fulham; he has obviously seen my selections, yet still hasn't the balls to take up the challenge, maybe he does know something?

Fulham
Recently Jimmy challenged you on a history question, and you went all coy. Is this another subject where the hyperbole exceeds the actual?

Sorry Joan,
I didnt realise you were hoping for a lengthy comment. I just assumed that your spelling mistakes, together with the general content of your message were due to your normal post-masturbatory euphoria.
With all this property developement you claim to be doing I'm surprised you can still find time to have a wank, let alone post so many messages - so well done!
Be careful though, you don't want to get over-tired now, do you?