Betfair, you were very good to me for many years - but now I've had to turn my back on you

I’m sure there’ll be no loss of sleep among Betfair’s higher management, but my days of using their exchange are over.

Our association dates back to nearly a quarter of a century ago. I don’t recall playing in their first race, the Oaks in 2000 when the matched bets totalled around £3,500, but I’m sure it wasn’t much later. Like a lot of punters at the time, I believed, wrongly, that I’d find an edge laying those runners I didn’t fancy. It wasn’t quite as easy as I’d hoped but, eventually, I found a profitable approach and with no referrals about bets or stakes it was very appealing.

The introduction of the premium charge in 2008 didn’t affect me as my turnover and the commission generated meant I didn’t pay it. This changed in the next few years as traditional bookmakers refused my bets with increasing regularity and I became ever more reliant on the exchange.