The ATR Interviews (4)~ RussP

[BillyHills]

For our fourth edition of the ATR Interviews we go back to the Moderators bench and have a chat to one of the most popular guys on the ATR. RussP seems to be part of the furniture around these parts and to be honest had to double check his joining date as I thought he had been on the PL much longer than March 2006. I suppose its testament to the impact he has had in a relatively short time on the forum. In just over 3 years and nearly 7,000 posts later Russ has built up a large following of his selections thread. He joined up to enter the Cheltenham competition and the first thread he created was a question about the Racing Post cards, funny how things come round full circle as we were only discussing that this week. Russ joined the ATR at a good time, just six months later the section needed a boost and some new blood and was asked to be a moderator, since then he has been involved in all the changes and improvements made to the site. The PL Oscars is Russ's baby, doing all of the organising for that popular section each year. For me Russ brough enthusiasm to the site when it started to look stale, he was one of the first guys to start a 'speciality' thread concentrating on a particular type of race, many have followed his lead in various guises and he has helped to make some punters understand and realise you cant win every race, just concentrate on what your good at. I've had the pleasure in meeting Russ at one of the PL meet ups at Wolverhampton, you will see from the interview that he his a very modest guy, no frills, he his what he his. Hope you enjoy it. Please ask any questions that I didnt, i'm sure will try to answer them over the next couple of weeks. __________________________________________________ Previous Victims;

• Bowles10
• Ralphie7
• Fintron

_________________________________________________ BH

[BillyHills]

Re: The ATR Interviews (4)~ RussP The Punters Lounge 1. You joined the PL in March 2006, how did you come across the site in the first place? I honestly cannot remember. I was probably doing a general horse racing search through Google. The site obviously made an immediate impression on me and the 2 things that initially attracted me were the actual look & feel of the site and, having looked around, the professionalism of the threads and posts. Why did I stick around? Apart from the 2 things above, the friendliness of the members and mods, most notably Bowles, BillyHills and Carl in the early days. 2. Your username is your real name, you have no avatar, what can we read into this? I’m just a down to earth, easy going, no frills sort of a bloke. My avatar would probably be something really boring if I had one and I’d probably struggle to add one anyway so I’ll leave it to you guys and have a good giggle at some of the crazy ones you have. 3. How do you see your role as a Moderator on the ATR? I think the ‘roles’ of both members and moderators are pretty similar - to contribute, to enjoy, to keep the forum tidy & consistent and to bring new ideas. Oh, and not to forgot banning those pesky spammers!! 4. What would you say annoys you most, if anything about the ATR section? Something I have been guilty of in the past but it’s new threads being created and then being ditched or recreated in another form when the inevitable losing run kicks in. One other thing that niggles me is the lack of general discussion threads about all things horse racing. 5. You won the award for 'punter of the year' in 2007 and 2008, you must be quite proud of that achievement? Immensely proud. The quality of posters on PL is exceptional and I was surprised to say the least. 2007 was a great year for me from a profit perspective so it was fantastic to be recognised but I was very embarrassed by last year’s win as there was no way I should have been in the reckoning. I could name at least a dozen more deserving winners than me last year. 6. After trying a few things you decided on a 'speciality' thread, what was the reason for this? The best thing I ever did. Two things struck me - firstly, I realised that handicaps were the only type of race I could read and, secondly, I was backing lots of horses I ‘fancied’ rather than horses that had real solid grounds for selection. So, the reason was to focus the mind, reduce the number of overall bets but add quality and, ultimately, make some money! I did originally start a handicap thread over the jumps too but it became apparent that I couldn’t read these races so now it’s flat handicaps only for me. I do not back over the sticks but, thankfully, the AW keeps me going over the winter. 7. Your selections seem to get a big following, were you initially surprised by this and does it put any added pressure on you? Very surprised but I suppose it was due totally to the amazing run of success (or luck) I had in the summer of 2007. Remember, the first 96 bets in the thread only just broke even. In terms of pressure, yes I do feel it. I hate to let people down, especially those that have supported me through thick and thin. This last run of 30-odd losers on the bounce really dented my confidence but the words of encouragement were amazing and inspiring. I do know 3 or 4 people that back every selection I post up so when I post a loser, I feel worse for them than I do for myself. 8. After winning the BBOTD monthly competition three times last year, how come you dont participate much nowadays? I’m embarrassed by this fact but I became superstitious during my bad run! I love the competitions on ATR, they are always well supported and have the best admin I’ve seen. BBOTD is the mainstay of the forum and I’ll make a conscious effort to return. Guys, I’m gunning for you! 9. For the last couple of years you have organised the PL Oscars, what are your views on this type of thing on a forum. Obviously, they are brilliant as I’ve organised them! Seriously, I love them. They serve 2 main purposes for me: members are rewarded for the excellent work they put in over the year and it allows people to recognise others & show their appreciation for their efforts. I must add that credit goes to Randall whose idea this was originally. 10. Are you happy with the progress of the ATR since you have been a member and where do you see any improvements can be made? ATR has grown faster than I ever imagined and has surpassed my expectations. The quality of posters on here is top class. I’m not in favour of change for change sake and, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Minor things really, but I’d like to see more people feel confident in their willingness to post (we don’t bite, honestly) and more general racing discussion. This forum is for everyone’s enjoyment so we all have a responsibility to improve it - so if anyone sees any areas for improvement, let us know. 11. You seem to be a regular at the PL meet ups, give us your views on them and what it was like to meet other members face to face for the first time? These meet ups are a big part of PL and underpin what is so special about the place. For anyone that has never been, I cannot recommend them enough. I guarantee it will be one of the best events of your life. Of course I was nervous about meeting a bunch of strangers for the first time but I arrived in a hotel in Leeds and immediately felt part of ‘it’. Kevshat for example, an ‘other sports’ punter, has become a very good friend of mine after meeting him at one of these and I’ve since been to the races and boxing with both him and other good buddies, Mowgli & Alexmac. My lovely wife Jacqui has even been to 3 of the meets and I think she enjoys them more than me. We both just need to brush up on our karaoke skills before the next one though. Horse Racing 1. Have you always been interested in Horse Racing? Yes, since my late teens when I used to walk down to the local bookies with my dad every Saturday morning. However, I’ve only really been serious about it since joining PL just over 3 years ago. 2. What type of racing do you enjoy the most, flat, NH, Big races, sprints, classics, AW? An easy one to answer.....flat, all-age handicaps, both turf and AW 3. If you could change one thing in Racing or Betting overnight, what would that be? All races priced up the night before. I can’t access PL at work so find it incredibly difficult taking a price. Can I change a second thing? If so, it would centre around my good friend Aiden O’Brien. 4. Can you remember your first bet, how old were you and where did you put it on? I remember my first winning bet very well - it was Lift and Load in the King George V Handicap at Ascot on 21st June 1990. Trained by Richard Hannon, the horse won at 20/1. My dad put the bet on at the local bookies, £1 E/W. I was just 17 and felt like I’d won the pools! 5. Can you reveal your biggest win to date, you don’t have to be specific about the amount but what was it on? As I only bet in singles now, I don’t expect to beat my biggest winning pot soon unless I up stakes. About 4 years, I had 2 football accumulators up inside 4 days on the first full week of the season, paying £650 and £450 respectively. The biggest priced horse racing winner was Arcangues in the 1993 Breeders Cup Classic, at unbelievable odds of 133/1. 6. What was the 'bet' that got away, the nearly bet that still haunts you? I don’t hung up over losing bets nowadays. The one that got away was an EW patent from 20th Jan 07. Must Be Keen won at 9/1, followed by Lethal winning at 7/1. I was getting very excited as Certain Justice (16/1) made its challenge in the last leg, finishing fast but just failing to get up and edged out into 2nd. 7. Do you bet on other sports, if so which ones? I do follow the cricket tips of Kevshat. As for my own selections, I stick to horse racing. 8. Do you bet online or still visit the high street? Which do you prefer? I do both. The buzz of seeing the money actually change hands cannot be beaten so the high street wins. 9. Do you think Horse Racing is 'clean' at the moment and does this affect the way you bet? Clean? No, never. I actually think it helps me in many ways, trying to solve the puzzle that is flat handicaps. 10. What formbook do you use? Racing Post, S.Life, Timeform or any other media? Racing Post but I probably won’t pay the membership. Provided I can see the racecard and each horses previous form, that’s enough for me. 11. You have had some success on our 'sister' site Sports Punter, what's your views on that type of competition? Similar to BBOTD, I’ve not really posted there in a while. However, I will definitely reignite my interest. It’s a cracking competition with great prizes on offer and allows you to pit your wits against top punters in other sports such as football, cricket, golf and the hugely popular volleyball. Making a profit is goal number one but, proving yourself on a site like Sports Punter, can give you a massive confidence boost. 12. Where do you see yourself in 5 years time with regards to betting? No change in terms of discipline, type and style of betting. Hopefully, I’ll be more consistent and will have cut out those silly mistakes - this should give me the confidence to up stakes, something I lack at present. 13. What in your opinion is the number one factor when reading form? Ground, Recent Form, Rating, Track, Trainer, Jockey etc... There isn’t one single factor, you must consider every factor every single time you bet. The first 2 things I look for when trying to identify a bet are handicap mark and draw. A horse cannot win from a poor draw, simple as. Only when I have ticked those 2 boxes do I drill down into the detail of course form, class of race, etc. The only time I’d break those rules is when the race is run on extremes of going (ie, heavy or firm). Two bits of advice I’d give everyone though is 1) trust your own judgement and 2) no bet is no problem, there is always tomorrow. Quick Questions 1. What is your homepage at the moment? As I use my works laptop, the homepage is automatically set to the company intranet. Previously, it was Punters Lounge 2. Name a site on your favourites that may surprise us? No surprises really. My favourites consist of PL, Racing Post, ATR, BBC Sport & a couple of odds comparison sites. Having said that, Jacqui used my laptop last night and added Myhaircuts.com to the list! 3. Favourite Music, song, band? I’m not really that big on music but the kids have me liking the Britannia High CD! Favourite song of recent times is Mad by Ne-Yo. 4. Favourite TV show, not sport related? The Apprentice. I also enjoy the X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent & Dancing On Ice - they form part of Saturday or Sunday night in with the family. 5. What was the last book you read? McCoy. A fantastic insight into a great jockey, a legend in my eyes. I do also like to keep refreshing my memory of the content of my favourite book “Betting on Flat Handicaps” 6. What do you do for a living? Head of Europe & Africa Sales Operations for the largest interactive whiteboard manufacturer in Europe. I’ve been with the company since I left school, almost 20 years ago, starting on the YTS scheme. 7. Do you have any hobbies away from sport? Spending time with Jacqui and my 2 children, Lauren who is 11 and Callum who is 8. Best thing in the world. 8. Whats the last race meeting you went to?The Dante meeting on Yorkshire Cup with Kevshat & Mowgli. Managed to finish up on the day, thanks to a mightily impressive performance from Valery Borzov. 9. What gadgets do you own, Ipod, Mobile, Xbox, etc...Not into gadgets at all, I wouldn’t know how to work an Ipod! I own a mobile but only because work insist I have one. The kids have a PS2 and Wii, which I like to beat them on from time to time. 10. Do you prefer Racing UK, ATR or Channel 4?I don’t have ATR and only watch RUK online. No preference really as I only really watch them for the actual race itself. The chat doesn’t interest me that much as there is too much rubbish spoken these days. 11. What Car do you own or would like to own?Again, I’m not that into cars so I’m happy driving my Nissan Almera - it gets me from A to B, that’s all that matters. The family car though, which Jacqui drives is a Kia Sorento. 12. Biggest personal achievement?Winning my company’s Outstanding Contribution Award at our annual Global Sales Event in Orlando earlier this year. A photo of Russ, giving a fellow member a ride at a PL meet up