Phil Bull

This is the man who founded the famous Timeform. However it was gambling and not publishing which made him his fortune. His form analysis methods were all based around the clock, and in that respect he was way ahead of his time, he also added his considerable skill in Mathematics to the mix and these two things combined made him a very rich man.

He estimated that he made over half a million pounds during his life from gambling. A considerable sum fifty years ago.

Bull founded Timeform in 1948 with the aim of providing the information he considered vital to his successful gambling. Timeform looked at form on a horse by horse basis rather than a race by race basis which although common now was very innovative at the time.

Phil Bull had a tremendous temperament for gambling, with both wins and losses being treated the same. He treated daily profit and loss as unimportant it was the season as a whole which mattered. His attitude to form study was the same for every race. If having studied a race he decided that there was no bet then so be it. Here is his list of things that you shouldn't do:

1. Never bet beyond what you can afford and attempt to make your fortune in a day. It is the long run which counts.

2. Only bet when the odds are value. If you think a horse should be 5/1 if its 2/1 don't back it, but if its 8/1 do back it. If you are correct and you follow this rule in the long run you will make a fortune.

3. Make your own mind up don't follow tipsters. If the tips where that good they wouldn't be telling you.

4. Never back a horse ante post unless you have inside knowledge that it will definitely run.

5. Don't bet each-way in either races with big fields or handicaps in general/ One fifth of the odds is not good value.