Pro punter Q&A: 'The bookmakers messed up and priced him at 25-1 - I got on what I could'

Over the next few weeks we will bring you a series of app-exclusive Q&As with pro punters, trainers and jockeys which will offer unrivalled insight to our sport. This series kicks off this week focused on pro punters. First up: Mark Holder.

What was your biggest ever win?

My first big win was on Last Suspect, when he won the Grand National in 1985. I'd bet him at 40-1 a few months before the race, he then ran poorly, but got it together to win on the big day. His SP was 50-1!

My biggest ever win was at Fontwell in June 2012 on a horse called Sahrati. I'd advised trainer Mike Blake to buy him out of a Kempton all-weather claimer. Mike then proceeded to win three novice hurdles with him and his rating shot up to 130, but he subsequently lost his form, and his official rating plummeted to 90. I looked at the form for his Fontwell race, which was a dire contest, and thought he had a big chance and would be worth a bet at 9-2 or bigger. Well, the bookmakers messed up and priced him up as the 25-1 outsider of the seven, and I got on what I could. He started at 9-4 and won by seven lengths.

What was your most painful ever defeat?

Special Envoy, April 2007, Aintree. Then, as now, I can't get enough of big-runner handicap hurdles and I can't recall how I produced Special Envoy, but I'd had a fair bet on him at 25-1 and the closing stages still haunt me. The race is best described by the Racing Post close-up comment: Led, headed after 2nd, chased leaders, led approaching 3 out, 7 lengths ahead and going clear when fell last.

I must have lacked resilience in those days because I couldn't look at the cards on the Friday. I felt physically sick. On the Saturday, I bet three in the opening handicap hurdle, which included the winner at 16-1.

Which winner has given you the most satisfaction?

Any winner where I've gone out on a limb. The biggest-priced winner I ever bet was Happy Hussar at Hereford in October 2001, who had an SP of 100-1. It was an eight-runner novice chase with a 4-6 favourite, a 7-4 shot and it was 20-1 bar the two (you could get on 'filthy' each-way bets in those days). I figured that Happy Hussar would jump round in his own time and could possibly nick a place, so I wanted to be on each-way at 33s or bigger.

The betting was very odd. He opened at 33s and drifted out to treble-figure odds. The favourite jumped poorly and was tailed off, while the second favourite made a mistake at the last when having every chance. Happy Hussar won by a neck. This is a game of fine margins!

How does your Flat betting differ from your jumps betting?

It's non-existent on the Flat, so the biggest difference is that I bet over jumps.

What’s the best bit of advice you've ever received?

I have had loads of great advice over the years and I've adapted it all to fit the way I like to bet. Perhaps the single best is that "every winner of every race can be found in the formbook".

What's the greatest misconception most punters have about racing?

Where do I start? Perhaps the biggest (in a very crowded field) is that you need inside information to win. You don't. Overall, you are best ignoring everything that you hear.

Which horse are you most looking forward to running again?

I tend not to look forward to horses. I'd rather look at each race as a fresh puzzle and bet the ones where the odds under-rate their chance.

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