From Eurovision to eastern European dating: one punter's odyssey through the world of specials betting

The Gambler: My Secret Life in TV Betting by Rob Furber
£9.99, published by Mirror Books

I'm not a Eurovision Song Contest man, never have been. I suppose there was a mild fascination in the days of Sandie Shaw and Lulu, but I soon came to regard the whole thing as something best staved off with a ten-foot pole and viewed Abba as the spawn of Satan.

In recent years, it seems to have become altogether more ridiculous, beyond the simple injustices of political bloc voting, beyond contempt, even, to new assaults on the already slightly dodgy reputation of light entertainment.

Some people love it, I know, but I think they need their bumps feeling, so to discover there is a small but enthusiastic minority of punters who regard the 'ESC' as a viable betting proposition came as quite a shock to the system. Actually, for viable betting proposition read licence to print money, an annual feeding frenzy intended to underpin an entire economic system, supplemented, even more alarmingly, by betting action on Strictly Come Dancing, The X Factor and I'm A Celebrity, all of which I reject in their entirety on the basis that they are, how shall I put it: shameful examples of the metamorphosis of the human brain into soup.

Rob Furber, aka The Gambler, is one of those people who seems to have discovered how, by use of strategic research, psychological dark dealing and sound punting instinct, it's possible to turn all of these activities into experiences that are not only frantically enjoyable but also, and most importantly, a road to profit.

It's alarming on occasion to witness the levels of obsession that accompany the punt, but for Furber this is part and parcel of the deal, even if it turns him into – or at least ensures he remains – a loner, a man afflicted by a "spine-chilling emptiness, a gnawing sense of desolation", consumed by the punting lifestyle.

Relationships are not something he is good at or even familiar with, until one day he decides to get out there on the dating apps. Even these prove infertile ground until he broadens his search to include eastern European singles, in search of somebody, anybody, whose dream partner is, to summarise his own profile, "an arch misanthrope, extremely set in my ways, at my most content with Betfair for company poring over the odds on whatever event I am trading at the time . . . a 42-year-old man boy who refuses to grow the hell up".

In abrupt, cynical terms, seeking liaisons with Russian women who may or may not exist. You'll find yourself shouting, "No, don't do it, Rob" as you turn the pages. It seems more fraught with barmy risk than even his bets on two pandas humping at Edinburgh zoo, but he presses on, and the romance unfolds against a backdrop of Putinesque corruption and intrigue – and Eurovision.

The Gambler is a headlong jaunt through the world of the 'specials' punter – a strange breed that seems to regard the machinations of ludicrous talent shows as puzzles to be taken apart and reassembled for financial gain. They embrace the duplicitous double-dealing of The Powers That Be, as long as they can decipher them and translate them into hard cash; if they find themselves undone, however, they seem to lose their sense of humour in the same way that simple betting shop backers develop ranting conspiracy theories about their least favourite jockeys.

It's betting with a modern twist and slightly smug overtones, but deep down it's just betting, with all its psychological torture, which is how it manages to shrug off the niche fascination with specials gambling and appeal to the broader punting audience.

Does our Rob finally 'get the girl'? Well, would you admit to having found an eastern European woman 'looking for love' on a potentially catastrophic dating app, had it all gone hopelessly pear-shaped in the meantime?

Then again, would you admit to being a superfan of Eurovision? Or perhaps it's just me that still can't get over Waterloo.
Peter Thomas

The Gambler: My Secret Life in TV Betting is available to buy here

Immense in scope and utterly reliable

Racing Post Guide to the Jumps 2025-26 edited by David Dew
£16.99, published by Pitch Publishing

Moving on from the shifting sands of Eurovision Song Contest betting, we find ourselves on ground that is both familiar, traversable and utterly reliable, where the Racing Post's team of experts trawl diligently and expertly through those trainers, horses and betting strategies that should help us to tread with confidence through the nascent jumps season.

There are minor tweaks every year but the essence remains the same: trainers both big and small, high-profile and low-profile, talk us through their hopes for the new campaign and the horses they believe will deliver the goods, while the Post's gurus and soothsayers cherry-pick the ammunition for the Grade 1 races and big handicaps along the way.

Paul Kealy's early preview of the Cheltenham Festival may have a slightly premature feel to it, but the ace tipster can be relied upon to have his finger on the pulse of the meeting already; Nick Watts, as ever, has the major ante-post markets in his sights; Richard Birch has unearthed some beasts he believes to be capable of significantly better than they've yet shown; and Robbie Wilders goes on a deep dive below the radar of the oddsmakers.

Just a glance at the index is enough to inspire awe. The scope of this book is immense beyond belief and the breadth and quality of the research practically biblical. Where else will you get the inside track on Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero's live Paddy Power Gold Cup contender; Jamie Snowden's Welsh National hopeful and an exciting novice chaser to follow; and the pick of the powerful Paul Nicholls and Nicky Henderson squads.

It may not claim to reinvent the punting wheel, or give you the winner of Strictly, but no questing punter should go into the new season without it.
Peter Thomas

Racing Post Guide to the Jumps 2025-26 is available to buy here

Pacy story of revenge and betting

Odds & Sods by Andy Catling
£9.99, published by Troubadour Publishing

I reckon there are three key elements to any good racing thriller: a dash of mystery, a motley crew and a racehorse set to defy the odds. Mix those ingredients together and you are well on your way to a quality page-turner, provided you can balance the scales between suspense and payoff. 

It is a tightrope Andy Catling has sought to walk with his first full-length novel and he has embedded his tale in a realm he knows well, as a lifelong punter and racehorse owner. His familiarity with the world of racing shines through in Odds & Sods, a pacy story of revenge, betting and camaraderie set in the early 2000s. 

The novel kicks off with protagonist McQueen and fellow grifter Gabby fleeing a failed con and leaving a bunch of angry Scots in their wake. Their tale romps to the welcome setting of Newmarket as they conjure an audacious plot to beat the bookies, assembling a ragtag group of associates to pull off a major coup.

As Catling knows as much as anyone, being one of the owners of September's ruled-out St Leger hope Lazy Griff, things rarely go to plan in racing, and there are twists and turns aplenty in store as chief villain Lennox Docherty hunts for his own slice of revenge on the unwitting protagonists. 

Odds & Sods does not polish the sport's rougher edges. The world is messy, scandal-filled and dangerous, but it is also one in which hope never truly dies. There is no better thrill than that.
Catherine Macrae

Ten per cent of profits will benefit the Injured Jockeys Fund and Odds & Sods is available to buy here

Read more reviews here:

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A larger than life throwback to the days of old-school punting: Gary Wiltshire's new book is a remembrance of an age long since past 

Dancing to his own tune: how a Kentucky bloodstock legend walked out on the family firm and became a Derby hero 

Tale of pioneering female jockey an inspiring example of resilience in spite of the odds - and Lester Piggott 

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