Nick Mordin Books

[Topcat]

Has anyoen read any of Nick Mordin's books. He's he
Brit author with titles like " Betting for a Living" :
"Winning Without Thinking" etc

Any opinions?
Thanks

[BillW]

Originally posted by Topcat
Has anyoen read any of Nick Mordin's books. He's he
Brit author with titles like " Betting for a Living" :
"Winning Without Thinking" etc

Any opinions?
Thanks

Topcat,

I have read Winning Without Thinking. The title is a bit unfortunate as It sounds like a cheap systems book sold through the mail. It really refers to angle play that is preceeded with much thought prior to the individual races to be played. He discusses his thought processes in coming up with playable angles in virtually all aspects of the game. Very engaging writer (he writes professionally outside of the book authorship) if not a bit wordy. Much material is based on British racing, but over all I recommend this book. Warning: there are no quick and easy ways to make a million in the book.

Bill

[Dave_K]

I've read "Betting for a Living". Essentially all he does in it is adapt the methods and ideas of American writers (he gives due credit) to British racing. That's the first half of the book. The second half is his "betting journal" (zzzzzzzzz....)

I liked Alan Potts' "Inside Track" better (although there's nothing really new there either, if you're familiar with Beyer, Quirin, Quinn, Cramer, et al.).

Originally posted by Topcat
Has anyoen read any of Nick Mordin's books. He's he
Brit author with titles like " Betting for a Living" :
"Winning Without Thinking" etc

Any opinions?
Thanks

[highnote]

I have read all Nick's books. I'm biased as that we are good friends. But I can honestly say that Nick knows more about horse racing than anyone I have ever met. He has written 4 books, "Betting For A Living" is about professional handicapping, "The Winning Look" is about paddock handicapping, "Mordin On Time" is about making speed figures and "Winning Without Thinking" is about making and testing systems.

His speed figure book explains how it's possible to make speed figures for European turf and jump racing. DRF should have Euro speed figures rather than Timeform numbers. We make speed figures for Euro racing and cash plenty of tickets -- especially when they ship to the US and Timeform has their number wrong.

You can check out his website at nickmordin.com.

Nick and I spent every Saturday for an entire year at a NYRA track. We stood in the paddock rain or shine for nearly every race every Saturday. He learned paddock handicapping in England and taught me the basics. He was amazing at picking turf runners at dirt routers. But he's best at evaluating the confirmation and form of stakes performers.

One time he said to me as a horse named Harrowman walked in the paddock that Harrowman would make a good steeplechaser. The horse had never been over the fences in his career. I don't know whether someone overheard him or saw the same thing, but Harrowman went on to become an outstanding jumper that year.

We saw Louis Quatorze and Beefchopper run in their first maiden race at Saratoga. They dueled head to head for the entire race and Louis pulled away in the final yards. Nick said that was the best two year old maiden race he had seen in a long time and that Louis would be his pick for the KY Derby. Unfortunately, Louis only won the Preakness and the BC Classic.

These days Nick lives near Saratoga and writes about international racing and buys and sells horses plus owns some stallion and broodmare stock. He told me how good Falbrav was a year before anyone else knew it. We made some nice scores on that him. That Hawk Wing was voted best horse last year is a joke. Falbrav won Grade 1's on multiple continents!

He sees racing from a European point of view. So his writing and opinions will seem (pardon the pun) "foreign" to some. But every book is worth the money. Plus, you can never learn too much.

Regards,
John Swetye

[Derek2U]

i talked 2 ur pal nick modrin 4 over an hour once what a very cooL
guy. if i read stuff i'd buy his books but i hate reading. if he
does his books in french or spanish i could lay in bed & have
my perfect wife read 2 me while i drank jack+cokes & watch tv.
hehe heaven.

[Pace Cap'n]

I just went and checked out Nick Mordin's website referenced by swetyejohn.

What I found really interesting was a pre-race analysis of the Kentucky Derby which he did simply from watching videos of the workouts. The guy definitely knows horses. Check it out.

http://nickmordin.com/us.htm

[highnote]

That was a good article. I had forgotten about that. I'm surprised it was still up there.

I like the link on his page to his previous articles. They are very informative.

But I think my favorite part is the link to his Bloodstock Services. His analysis of horses is second to none. It's definately worth a read. He analizes Snake Mountain. Snake raced in NY for awhile. http://www.nickmordin.com/bloodstock_service.htm

I also like his analysis of Falbrav at http://www.nickmordin.com/uk.htm.

His writing is fun to read. Especially this quote from his article on "Unexpected Events":

"If you live out in the country you probably don’t think that much about risk taking. However If you’re a city dweller you know that life is a gamble from everyday experience. Indeed, I don't think you've lived until you've boarded an inner city bus or train around midnight and shared space with some twitchy wacko who has 'I'M A BASTARD' tattooed on his forehead, a thousand yard stare and great one liners for breaking the ice such as "ARE YOU LOOKING AT ME?" In such situations your skills at assessing risk tend to become refined to a pretty high level rather rapidly."

The link for that article is http://www.nickmordin.com/article_3.htm

Enjoy.

js

[cj]

I spent the day in Canterbury, England, yesterday and came across the book "Winning Without Thinking" for just a few pounds in a book shop. I've read the first couple chapters and so far, so good. Anyone else read this book?

[BillW]

Originally Posted by cj

I spent the day in Canterbury, England, yesterday and came across the book "Winning Without Thinking" for just a few pounds in a book shop. I've read the first couple chapters so far, and so far, so good. Anyone else read this book?

I picked it up a few years ago after meeting him at the first Toga party. It's been a while but I remember getting a few "change of thought process" ideas from it (i.e. different ways to think about looking at handicapping angles). As I get more into spot plays, I'm about due for a re-read.

Bill

[highnote]

Originally Posted by cj

I spent the day in Canterbury, England, yesterday and came across the book "Winning Without Thinking" for just a few pounds in a book shop. I've read the first couple chapters and so far, so good. Anyone else read this book?

You'd probably like his other books, "Mordin On Time" and "Betting For A Living", too. "The Winning Look" is good, but it's hard to find.

[cj]

Thanks, I'll keep an eye out for those. I did look for others without success, but Canterbury isn't exactly a horse racing hotbed. I did manage to take in a few races in a BetFred parlor though!

I'm finding the "Pedigrees" chapter fascinating, and believe it or not, in regards to figure making. He claims that due to long term breeding for speed, the chart many use to make speed figures has probably changed.

For example, Beyer's chart uses one time for each distance as equivalent on the speed figure scale. Mordin claims horses are getting faster in sprints, while slower in routes, particularly in those 1 1/4 miles and up. I'm still reading the chapter, but the book is already worth the £5 I paid as it have given me new avenues to think about and test.

[Pgh. Gere]

I just picked up "Winning Without Thinking" about 2 weeks ago. Been very thought provoking and the ideas are well researched.


CJ-I've read "Mordin On Time" and think you will enjoy that one as well.

[Dave Schwartz]

John,

Was Nick Mordin the guy I met with you at Saratoga a few years ago (at the 'toga party)?


Dave

[highnote]

Originally Posted by Dave Schwartz

John,

Was Nick Mordin the guy I met with you at Saratoga a few years ago (at the 'toga party)?


Dave

Yep. That was him.

[highnote]

Originally Posted by cj

I'm still reading the chapter, but the book is already worth the £5 I paid as it have given me new avenues to think about and test.

CJ,
I've always said that one good idea is worth at least $50. The 5 pounds you paid was a bargain!

I think you'll like his speed figure concepts in Mordin On Time. I think he gives some of the same ideas in Betting For A Living, too. Nick makes projected variants. He devised a very clever way to make them. It's a lot of work to do it manually, but the results are worth it.

He has since automated much of the process and now makes figures for most of Europe. You might be interested in figuring out how your figures relate to his and then when there is a foreign horse racing in the U.S. you might be able to come up with a ball park figure for the invader. That could be valuable info.

js