Harry Findlay (The Story)

[bennythedip2]

Professional Gambler Harry Findlay (November 4, 2015onlyheelsandhorses)

Harry was born in 1962 and grew up in High Wycombe. He left school at 16 to work in greyhound kennels for £18 a week. Harry says “I was a bookmaker for one week when I was 18. I couldn’t do it. A bloke called John, used to work in a factory all day, a mill, came in to bet £20 on a dog. He had sawdust up his nose, in his ears, on his head. He made chairs for nine hours every day. I ended up wanting the dog to win. I lasted one week. I’ve always been a punter, always will.

His life changed some 20 years ago when an £80 treble won him £11,000! Findlay famously said he’d ’found a new way to print money’ on the 1998 football World Cup by betting on Asian Handicaps. Harry recalls the story

“I was penniless, 200 grand in debt,” he remembers. “I sold the deeds of the house in Sheffield, sold Kay’s car. I had about 90 grand to bet with. After five matches, I was 70, 80 grand behind, near enough down to the last bet I could have. But Mum’s house was waiting to go next, because I knew I would win. And by the end of the World Cup I had won £2m.”

One of his biggest loses was in 2007 when he lost £2.5m on the All Blacks in the Rugby World Cup.

“Don’t mention Martina Hingis to me,” he cried. “Ruined my life when she lost to Iva Majoli in the French Open final. Wiped me off the face of the earth. Three or four times I’ve been all-in. Milk Cup. I remember that. Me and my mum borrowed 1,200 quid – which was a lot of money 20 years ago – to put on Watford to beat Everton in the cup because we knew Everton would play a reserve side. We had £650 on the draw and £550 on Watford to win. We were both at the game to watch. Watford were 1-0 up in the 89th minute and Everton won 2-1. As my mum opened the car door afterwards, she said: ‘What are we going to do now, son?’ We were penniless. That’s what it was like in the old days.

These days bets from his home office which is fully equipped with a number of TV screens and monitors often with different sporting events on at the same time. As well as being a professional gambler Harry was also an owner. He jointly owned the 2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Denman. Big Fella Thanks was another of his co-owned horses who he named after his beloved greyhound 1999 Coursing Derby winning Big Fella.

Findlay won an appeal in 2010 to have his 6month ban overturned for a breach of BHA betting regulations. He had bet on one of his horses, Gullible Gordon, to lose in two races. However (BHA) accepted he bet more on the horse to win and had no corrupt motive.

In the first race, Gullible Gordon, an odds-on favourite, was well beaten. Findlay bet £80,000 on the horse winning and £17,000 on it losing and came out with a net loss of £62,000.

The horse, a 4-6 favourite, won the second race and Findlay backed him to the tune of £64,000 but also laid the horse off at £32,000. He came out with a profit of £35,000.
Harry said after that he would turn his back on UK racing after that. He estimates winning more than $1 million betting on Black Caviar and Frankel though!



Findlay’s Guide:

On gambling:
“If you look up gambling in the dictionary, it doesn’t say ‘this means a sure way to make a steady profit over a period of time’, it says ‘gambling: a form of interest that can either ruin you or make you a fortune’, and that’s the way it is.”

On backing odds-on:
“There’s no difference between getting 1-2 about a 1-4 chance and getting 4-1 about a 2-1 chance. People who say ‘I won’t bet odds-on’, they’re just idiots. When you want to bet an odds-on shot, you can get on – when you want to bet a big-priced one, you can’t.”

On why you shouldn’t hedge:
“When you pick a 20-1 shot to win the Grand National, don’t have £200 at 20’s and then go and lay £600 at 5-2 and, when it wins, get £2,500. If you believe that 20-1 shot, have £200 at 20’s and then go and have another £300 at 14’s and then £400 at 10’s and then, when it goes off 5-2 or 11-4, don’t hedge if you still fancy it.”

On pensions:
Don’t get him started on pensions. No part of him approves of putting money away on the off-chance you might see it with knobs on at the age of 65. “I mean, you’ve got to live to be 65 anyway, and that’s only an 8-13 chance.” .. ..


Benny says .. Yes i knew Harry very well
(True story)
I remember one Monday morning when i was working for a private bookmaker in High Wycombe (credit office) when the phone rang and it was Harry wanting to pay his bill ..
I said to the boss, 'Harry's on the phone , want's a meet up to pay his bill ?' ..
'Yes ok said the boss, when and where?'

I said to Harry 'where and when?' ..
He replied.
'Come over to Windsor tonight Bazza, i'll give you the 'readies' there. Meet me at the 'cockles store' inside the top entrance around 7.00 then hung up

I told the boss the message and he told me that i'd have to go as he was having a family get together that night ..

So later that afternoon off i drove to Windsor races for their evening meeting and a meet up with Harry..
It was one of those hot summer evenings and i was dressed in just a tee-shirt , jeans and a short brown leather jacket.
So with the car parked and heading into the top entrance, i started to keep a look out for Harry

That top entrance is at the back of the main stand and as you go in you can see the 'fish stalls' to the left ..
Well no sooner than i'd come through the turn-styles and looked up and there was Harry, over by the 'cockle' stand and shouting ...
'Oyi oyi Bazza, over here me ol mate, i've got the old boys 'seven bags of sand' (£7,000) here for yer'

Well yes, not only did he have the cash but he was so loud , and to top it all off he was waving the bundle of notes in the air beckoning me over..

I started walking towards him looking to the heavens shaking my head as i laughed ..
'Hello geezer' he said, 'here's that cash for the 'old boss' now lets get a drink and back a winner ...

But the point was, the money (£7,000) was all in £20 notes and he thrust the lot into my hands with people all around looking as if we were both mad , and there was me trying to stuff the money into a pair of tight jeans

Yes we had a great night and to me that's how i'll always remember Harry , waving that 'seven bags of sand' above his head and laughing in the evening sun