Cooper’s Law: 14 Easy Rules To Follow To Make Money From Horse Racing

Betting on tri-casts seems like an unlikely means of making a profit, but professional sponsor Paul Cooper used it to win almost £400,000 in a series of bets at Thirsk.

Cooper was one of the first to capitalize on the fact that the high draft horses seemed to have a pronounced advantage over the straight sprint race at Thirsk. There are a number of tracks across the country where, on soft ground, a draw in particular can prove to be a huge advantage, but at Thirsk the same thing happened with the fast races. It appears that deficiencies in the field’s irrigation system left a strip of dirt below the stand rails “unsprayed” which was significantly faster than the rest of the track. By betting the top five or six numbers in the draw, the ones most likely to get the favorite spot, Cooper was able to pull off a number of big hits.

“I was hooked on gambling at a very young age,” admitted Cooper. “But even then I knew you had to be in control of it, otherwise it would be in control of you.”

During the 1970s, the ITV Seven was introduced. It immediately caught Cooper’s eye. ‘One of my first bets was a £1.90 bet that won over £800. I was in business! A couple of years later I won £13,365 on a £3 accumulator and was really on my way.’ Cooper is still fascinated by multiples, the prospect of big wins for a small payout, and believes serious bettors shouldn’t treat them so cavalierly.

‘The Lucky 15 is a value bet.- It’s a Yankee that also has four winning singles, and the different sportsbooks offer a variety of bonuses and consolations. For example, if he only wins one of his picks, he can get double the odds. So just a 7/1 winner pretty much guarantees a money back from him.’

Cooper’s penchant for what Barney Curley calls “miracle bets” isn’t his only apparent similarity to the man in the street. Like all bookies regulars, he is irresistibly drawn to competitive handicaps where they bet 6/1, but hits much more often.

Cooper insists that studying the trainers is the key to the entire operation of his business. The fact that, as owner, he has chosen to have horses trained by Barry Hills, Jimmy Fitzgerald and Robert Williams gives a hint of the men he respects most in the game.’ “Certainly there are some coaches I’d rather support,” he says. “What I’m really looking for is someone who may be underrated and as a result their horses start at higher prices than they should.”

So what can we learn from the meticulous and immaculately dressed Mr. Cooper? Well, here are your 7 big do’s and don’ts, known as “Cooper’s Law”.

Cooper’s Law – Back

1: Stay cool, calm and collected when making a selection, and don’t go with your head down. Weigh all the possibilities and then have the courage to move forward.

2: Bet only when you get good value and look for the best starting prices.

3: Push back the horses that have gained form. Stay away from the maidens – the way is unpredictable and untested.

4: Bet on sprints. The form is usually more reliable than in longer distance flat races.

5: Find a competent small yard to follow; Because it’s not in style, you’ll almost certainly get a good price on your horses.

6: Watch the horses in the paddock, especially in the spring and fall. You can usually rule out quite a few that are either obviously not ready or showing all the signs of a rough season.

7: Bet within your means. Reduce your bets when you are on a losing streak and increase them when things are going well.

Cooper’s Law – Avoid

1: Don’t get drunk or mix alcohol with gambling. You need your wits to pick winners and objectively deal with losses.

2: Don’t support low-priced favorites. The returns just aren’t good enough and, let’s face it, they often deliver anyway.

3: Don’t chase your losses. There is always another day.

4: Don’t get heavy when there has been a sudden change in the road.

5: Do not back down overweight trainers, stables or riders.

6: Don’t be too supportive of Chester. The narrow way is a law in itself.

7: Do not bet on races with more than 18 runners. This is when the horses will split into two or more groups, effectively becoming two or three different breeds.