John Burke

John Burke

I have a MA in International Politics and having spent a number of years working in political campaigning but I eventually I realised that politics was not the world where I wanted to work I had been interested in horse racing since the late 1980s but in the early years I was merely just betting and watching racing like most people as a bit of fun and a hobby, then the hobby becomes a passion and that’s what happened to me with horse racing. I soon realised that to make money from my hobby I had to learn as much as I could about the sport and betting in general. The whole process took time but after a number of successful years of betting, I decided in 2011 to take the plunge, gave up my full time day job and decided to bet on horse racing as a part time business and I haven’t looked back since. I like to specialise in the better class of races and I love to solve the puzzles posed by big field handicaps the latter races often provide punters with great value betting opportunities. Whilst most of my time is spent reviewing previous races I like to keep things as simple as possible as even the biggest field handicaps can usually be pruned down to half a dozen strong contenders with the right sort of approach.
  • Aug- 2017 -
    8 August
    Advice
    horse racing

    Weekly Eye-Catchers – Horse Racing

    Hi all, As it’s the Shergar Cup this Saturday, there isn’t a big race preview in this weeks article, and in all truth, this weekend’s racing isn’t to my taste and I find this is the best time of the summer horse racing calendar to take a holiday. Goodwood Festival Reflections Two more Summer festivals have come and gone. Galway was…

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  • 5 August
    Advice
    horse racing

    Eye-Catcher Big Race Preview

    Qatar Stewards’ Cup Handicap (Heritage Handicap) (Class 2) – Saturday 5th August Plenty of big races this week but I am focusing on arguably the biggest betting race of the Qatar Goodwood Festival, the annual cavalry charge over 6f, known as the Stewards Cup. Here are six of the key trends that will allow you to shortlist some strong contenders…

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  • 3 August
    Advice

    Micro Angles – Mark Johnston Goodwood Festival

    Trainer Mark Johnston likes to have a winner or two at this meeting. Since 2012 he has had 99 runners, with 15 winning and a further 23 placing in handicaps. If you had backed each of those runners you would have made a level stakes profit of 78.88pts with a win strike a respectable 15%. As ever we can improve…

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  • 2 August
    Advice

    Micro Angles – Galway Festival Quick Returners

    At Galway, you will often see horses run twice during the Galway Festival, early in the week and subsequently run again. Since 2012 such runners are 22 winners from 133 runners 17% -2.29 A/E 1.22 49 placed 37%. But if we dig a little further we can improve the strike rate and profitability of such horses by adding three logical…

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  • 1 August
    Advice
    horse racing

    Weekly Eye-Catchers – Horse Racing

    Hi all, Enable The Best Filly John Gosden Has  Trained Enable’s win in the Saturday’ s Group 1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes stamped her as the middle distance horse in Europe as the three-year-old beat the older horses in decisive fashion. Granted last years winner Highland Reel, who finished 4th, didn’t like the ground and the…

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  • Jul- 2017 -
    29 July

    Eye-Catchers Saturday Preview

    Eyecatchers Weekend Preview King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes – Ascot The King George VI hasn’t really caught the imagination of racing fans, well it hasn’t mine anyway but it’s the start of a tremendous weeks racing and betting with the Goodwood and Galway Festivals to enjoy The ante post favourite Highland Reel and Jack Hobbs will be…

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  • 26 July
    Advice

    Micro Angles

    Eyecatcher Micro Angles: The Jane Chapple-Hyam micro system that I gave you last week had its first runner on Saturday with Stamford Raffles winning at Haydock, at odds of 11/4 and the Tom Dascombe/Richard Kingscote Haydock angle had its first two qualifiers on Saturday with Mac O’Polo finishing 3rd at 8/1. John Gosden Handicap Runners Returning From A 60+ Day…

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  • 25 July
    Advice
    horse racing

    Weekly Eye-Catchers – Horse Racing

    Hi all, After last weeks bumper article, this one is a bit lighter on the eye catchers front. This Weeks Eyecatcher’s There are three horses that should be added to your trackers this week. I will also be adding two more on winnable handicap marks exclusively for Eyecatcher Pro subscribers Friday 21st June Hamilton Six Strings – Richard Fahey –…

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  • 21 July
    Advice

    Horse Racing Micro Angle

    We have two micro angles that you can add to your betting portfolios in today’s article. Mark Johnston’s Newmarket July Festival Angle Trainer Mark Johnston likes to have a winner or two at the meeting and since 2007 he the top trainer in terms of winners – 14 winners from 98 runners 15% +18.33 A/E 1.25 30 placed 31%. That…

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  • 18 July
    Advice
    horse racing

    Weekly Eye-Catchers – Horse Racing

    Hi all, A bit of a bumper edition this week so I will apologise for the length.  We’ve got five eyecatchers from last weeks horse racing and right at the end a quick look at some of the key trends for Saturday’s big race the Wetherby’s Super Sprint at Newbury. Let’s begin with a look back to Saturday’s action. Did…

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  • 13 July
    Advice

    Horse Racing Micro Angle

    We have four micro angles that you can add to your betting portfolios in today’s article. The first one focuses on trainer Andrew Balding’s runners in maiden races. Here are the criteria: Trainer: Andrew Balding Race Type: Maiden Class Move: Same Days Since Last Run: 6 to 30 days Last Time Out Placing: 2nd Since 2011 this angle has produced…

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  • 11 July
    Advice
    horse racing

    Weekly Eye-Catchers – Horse Racing

    Hi all, Thrilling Coral Eclipse Won By A Nose! Well, what a thriller the Coral Eclipse turned out to be with the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Ulysses just getting the better of the Richard Hannon-trained Barney Roy in a head-bobbing finish. The winner was idling just before the line and I really had thought that Jockey James Doyle had galvanised Barney…

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  • 7 July
    Advice
    horse racing

    Weekly Eye-Catchers – Horse Racing

    Hi all, Derby Hero Is Retired! Well, what did we learn from the Weekend’s Irish Derby? For me the win of Aiden O’Brien’s second string Capri underlined the Ballydoyle don’t have an outstanding three-year-old middle distance colt this season. Epsom Derby hero Wings of Eagles could only finish 3rd but after the race he was found have sustained a career…

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  • Jun- 2017 -
    20 June
    Advice
    horse racing

    Weekly Eye-Catchers – Horse Racing

    Hi all, The World’s Greatest Flat Racing Festival Is Here… Royal Ascot is with us and with it five days of top class horse racing. To me it’s the best and of course most famous flat racing festival in the world and we can enjoy it from the comfort of our armchairs or sun loungers. It seems likely that the…

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  • 13 June
    Advice
    horse racing

    Weekly Eye-Catchers – Horse Racing

    Hi all, After last weeks top class horse racing, with the Derby & Oaks, this weekend’s fare was somewhat underwhelming. The period between the Investec Derby Festival and Royal Ascot can be rather low key and given we are the high point of the flat season racings authorities really need have to take a look at this weekend in the…

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  • 7 June
    Advice
    horse racing

    Weekly Eye-Catchers – Horse Racing

    Hi all, The good thing about the Investec Derby Festival is that it can usually be relied upon to provide plenty of horses for your notebooks and trackers. Horses that didn’t handle coming down the hill, horses that were unlucky in the run or indeed using the meeting as a prep for Royal Ascot in just over two weeks. This…

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  • May- 2017 -
    30 May
    Advice
    horse racing

    Weekly Eye-Catchers – Horse Racing

    Hi all, This week’s column not only looks at last week’s horses to include in your trackers but firstly I will have a quick peek at next weekend’s Derby and Oaks pictures. Hit The Beach On Derby Day! Those of you who are regular readers of the column will know that I have already given selections for both races. I…

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  • 23 May
    Advice
    horse racing

    Weekly Eye-Catchers – Horse Racing

    Hi all, York Provides Punters with Plenty For The Notebook Top class flat horse racing just keeps coming at this time of year and last week we had the York Dante Festival. The three days turned into a bit of a punters graveyard with rain altering the going to soft on the first of the three days. Now York, whilst…

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  • 16 May
    Advice
    horse racing

    Weekly Eye-Catchers – Horse Racing

    Hi all, This week’s column not only looks at last week’s horses for your trackers but I also will identify a trainer whose horses at the York Dante Festival must be kept onside and I have a selection for next weekend’s big race the Group 1 Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes at Newbury. We had some good horse racing at Chester…

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  • 9 May
    Advicehorse racing

    Weekly Eye-Catchers – Horse Racing

    Hi all, O’Brien Runners Dominate Guineas Weekend Last weekend saw the first two classics of the British flat horse racing season with the latest running’s of the 1000 & 2000 Guineas as part of the Newmarket Guineas Festival. Of the 14 races at the Festival four of the winners came from trainer Aiden O’Brien’s yard. On Saturday he won the…

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