MEET GLENN POLLETT

For Glenn Pollett, the secret to finding a way to succeed in racing came through two key factors. One was hard work, and the other was a point of difference that could separate you from the crowd.

Never a stranger to the first, Pollett eventually unlocked the second factor and paved the way for a generation of experts to follow.

That secret and point of difference is mounting yard analysis, after a chance meeting with an elderly, Italian ex stable-hand more than three decades ago.

“The mounting yard, which is my main area of so-called expertise is something that took my interest in the middle of the 90s.” Pollett said.

“I ran into an older Italian gentleman, and every time the horses would walk around he’d say “Look at this” or “he can’t win” and I just fed off that and I learnt and learnt and learnt.

“That gentleman was an ex stable worker and it just developed from there.”

Pollett’s focus on the yard has become a key component of form analysis in recent years.

“I think me being a pioneer (of mounting yard analysis) would be a fair comment. We have maybe a dozen people out there now, but earlier on I was picked up to train a lot of these guys.”

Pollett dug deeper and explained the process of backing or taking on runners based on what the yard tells him.

“If it’s odds on you want it to parade perfect and tick every box,” he added.

“A $100 chance might come along, and the parade might not convince you it would win, but you might think it’s a $25 shot and you can cover it with a bet.

“Lots of young people are very clever and you are just trying to find an edge, the mounting yard is my way of doing that.”

Pollett’s background was slightly unconventional, with a different sport taking his focus until his late teens.

“I don’t come from a horse racing background. I grew up on the North Shore in Chatswood. I left school in 1980 and played golf. I thought I was the next Greg Norman, or that I actually was Greg Norman. I won some school and junior championships. I became a trainee professional golfer and I thought I was the best player on the planet. But they had 72 of us who went away to tournaments as juniors and I regularly came 72^nd in those tournaments,” he recalled.

From that point on, racing was his calling!

“I’ve been part of the industry since I was 19, I’m now 62. It’s my whole life and my most enjoyable hobby.” He added.

“Racing Rant hasn’t made me any more affectionate for the industry, but I do like how my business partner Marc [Lambourne] and I have gone about teaching people how to do the form better and how to be better punters,” Glenn explained.

“Our philosophy is ‘Chances are you’re about to learn’. We don’t want to just tip and you follow our tips. We want you to work, be a better punter and enjoy the great game,” he said.

When discussing the importance of the Mounting Yard and how he utilises Betfair whilst the horses parade, Glenn said, “I think it’s important to me, (Betfair) because I want to get my money on the horse at the right odds, with the parade lining up. And if it doesn’t line up, Betfair is my tool to get back out of a horse if it hasn’t paraded well. Betfair gives me the tool to reverse out of a situation if I’ve backed something before the mounting yard.”

When asked how influential Betfair is to the wagering industry, Glenn said, “Betfair is one of the most important tools we have. It’s taken a long time for the powers that be to learn that Betfair isn’t the enemy. It creates interest, it leads the market… I mean to say I love Betfair, I know this is a little bit of a promo, but to say I love it, I’d marry it, like I adore it.”

When asked what advice he would give to punters starting out in the industry and familiarising themselves with Betfair, Glenn said, “Don’t come in as a lazy so and so. If you want to come in, work hard and learn the form. Don’t just follow people’s tips. Work out why they’ve tipped it and gather that knowledge.”

“Look for advantages, be brave, and never ever chase. Bet within your means, document results and learn,” he said.

“Betfair is on your side as a tool you have to use, because you are going to find a lot of horses, when you do the form, who are outside the market. The price advantages, particularly on something at a longer price, is crucial. A lot of younger punters want to arbitrage as well. No other gambling site gives you that chance,” he said.