29/11/2025
40 YEARS OF BEATING CORRUPTION
November 30
On a racing page in the weekly TRUTH newspaper of November 19, 1985 there was an unusual advertisement for a " tipping system: "
CATHY COSTIN STRIKES ON DECEMBER 21
Explaining how for $12, subscribers would get a list of Astrologically-calculated winning and losing dates for prominent jockeys and trainers in the month of December.
After discovering Astrology in London, I returned home in October 1982. The discoveries had also included formulae that produced days of good fortune for people. I'd had a lot of fun as a racing journalist in the 1970s, and been party to all kinds of skullduggery--- trainers wanting horses pulled up, jockeys organising races--- and I even used to place bets for jockey mates on horses they were racing against !
Great when you're in the inner circle, so horse racing was a memory when I left journalism. Race form and all the study meant nothing when a crafty old trainer tells the jockey to " give it a quiet one " so they can get a price next time.
So on returning home, I started gaining birth information of trainers and jockeys in my spare time while working in hospitality. Eventually launching the PLANET KINGDOM tip sheet in December 1985. Instant success with December 7's selected jockey, Debbie Healey winning on the first of 4 mounts-- Final Stick at $27.30. A couple of losing days, then the publicised Cathy Costin struck with Pentameter at $24.10. Bad for the nerves as it was at Ms Costin's 5th of 6 rides on December 21.
I started concentrating on small-time trainers and jumps jockeys who'd only have one or 2 chances per day. Then disaster struck in April when a government department decided that " tip sheets " contravened some archaic law. Suddenly they were outlawed in NZ, so I moved to Australia and marketed the tipping system over there.
THE BART CUMMINGS EPIC
Notably labelling trainer J B Cummings for Tuesday, November 4, 1986---Melbourne Cup day, on which Bart was so famous. Not this year, J B Cummings had only 2 runners in the whole of Australia that day. A failure in the Cup, then Cropley Road winning the next race at Flemington paying $55 !
Then the laws around tip sheets were relaxed in NZ and I was home early in 1987. Tip sheets were now okay as long as they contained a percentage of editorial comment. So the Astrological racing system was relaunched on June 1, when labelled jockey Paul Hillis won the Great Northern Steeplechase at Ellerslie on $12.55 shot Deductable. We were back in business.
THE PUBLICITY STUNT
Helped in no uncertain terms by some controversial " editorial " in the August edition. Re the racing authorities' bad attitude to Cannabis-using jockeys and revelations about widespread use and its benefits. So a fuming racecourse inspector decided to ban me indefinitely from racetracks at Pukekohe on Saturday August 1. Which earned maximum publicity from a Sunday Star-Times page lead the next day, then IZB prime time with Paul Holmes at 8.45 am Monday.
There were follow ups from IZB and the Star-Times and 2 sessions with great stirrer Tim Bickerstaff on Radio Pacific. The publicity stunt brought a lot of new clients and the October edition began with a novice jockey named Lisa Cropp getting a $45 winner from her 3 rides. Still the idiotic racecourse inspector refused to pardon me for racetrack return, until I submitted the names of 60 jockeys I had smoked Cannabis with, so they could be charged !
No ! was the answer and I went home and phoned Tim Bickerstaff. A few hours later I'm on air and Tim wondered about the racecourse inspector " wants you to go supergrass on your jockey mates, just so you can go on racetracks ? " Not that it had stopped me from going.
Eventually the racecourse inspector's bosses stepped in and I was officially pardoned after 8 months. Come 1995 a fresh challenge was needed and an 0900 line system was introduced. Weekly columns in FRIDAY FLASH ( 1990-92 ) and TRUTH ( 1994-97 ) helped the cause, along with irregular appearances on various radio and television channels.
BEING VERY SELECTIVE
Drastic changes to racing programming and dwindling jumps racing days saw the 0900 number retire in 2009. A new challenge was needed, and later that year the great service resumed for select clients, with a return to the original plans and aiming for longshot dividends. Another challenge, with clients placing $20 on the selections as a " management fee." If we don't win, I don't get paid. We're careful,too:
Since 2019: 25 investments, 8 wins. Average win dividend $12.42 on a 32% winning strike rate. We've had 4 losers and a 0204 formline since an October 2023 winner. That paid $8.50 after a 030 formline which followed a $26 winner in July 2023.
The quality of human involved in racing has dropped alarmingly and it's become so unattractive to normal people. I have even tried to help them, by trashing the long-standing myth about " no certainties in racing, " with Astrological unbeatables in Friday Flash, Truth and Trackside Channel over the last 35 years. My efforts were not appreciated.
Nowadays I can't be bothered with paltry $2 and $3 win dividends, I'm stuck in the golden 1970s emulating the cunning master trainers setting them up for a good dividend. It's a lot of fun, with patience, and I'm looking forward to 2 possibilities on Boxing Day, always one of my favourite days. Boxing Day has a formline for us of 113121 over 20 years, and includes winners that paid $28.50 and $13.00 !