7. Gold from the Sand
Author………………….David Bellingham
Published……………..2001
Publishing Com……Raceform
I have long since had brief love affairs with horse race betting ever since my father took me to a race meeting when I was a little boy. High street bookmakers always held a fascination for me so it was little surprise that I enjoy horse racing as a form of gambling.
David Bellingham in this very good book basically repeats the motto of all professional gamblers……specialise. In this book he concentrates on the all weather tracks in England which at that time were relatively new when the book was published,
With a sport like horse racing then what we are dealing with here is a constantly changing dynamic almost like a sand dune in a sand storm. Fine details that were relevant a few years ago no longer apply. Things like trainer tactics, jockeys who may not be around, how certain racecourses function and their layout and countless other things on top.
This all makes books of this nature somewhat dated. However there are ways to read books and this is why I rarely give bad marks to any book and usually rate between 7 and 10.
The reader needs to take on board why you read books of this nature. My view is that they are inspirational as a way of seeing and understanding how experts in these fields think and operate.
I do not see that you buy gambling books of any nature with a view to blindly copying. It is the underlying principles of gambling and sports betting that are important and reading books in this way provides or should provide you with a framework to build your own method of operation.
So in this sense, even though Gold from the Sand is somewhat dated by way of the finer details, it is invaluable in other areas too.
RATING………..8/10
Carl
