Your punting questions answered - including how to make the most of race replays and how to spot the big improver

This is the second in a winter-long series in which the Racing Post's top judges answer questions from readers on punting methods and philosophy. Keith Melrose is at the controls for part two, with Tom Segal, Paul Kealy and David Jennings also on hand to aid your punting over the rest of the season.

Got a question for the team? Email us at askthetipsters@racingpost.com and we'll answer more questions in part three in the series, published online to Members' Club Ultimate subscribers on Thursday, December 21 and in the following day's Racing Post newspaper.

I used to make a profit backing horses, especially on the Flat. These were the days of no early prices and chalk boards. Now the bookmakers are so confident of the form. When it used to be 33-1 for the outsiders, today in a 16-horse race the first four or five are priced at up to about 6-1, the rest are up to 100-1, sometimes 200-1. How do you make a profit when the bookmakers do the studying for you?
Bill Reeves

Peter Britton emailed with a similar question, which as well as suggesting it is harder than ever to make money backing horses also decried bookmakers' increasing choosiness about which punters they will do business with. The thrust is the same.