Retiring Stat of the Day
In November 2011, a shortish (three years) time into the geegeez.co.uk journey, we introduced a daily feature called Stat of the Day. The objective was to highlight, through the use of data and statistics, a horse whose chance we felt was under-valued by the market.
Since that fateful day almost nine years ago, we - mainly Chris, the current primary author - have published more than 2600 Stats of the Day. From those, we've recorded almost 550 points in profit at the advised Best Odds Guaranteed prices. Not surprisingly, then, SotD has grown a sizeable fan base.
But I feel the time has now come for us to retire the service. Over the last couple of years, the value game has changed somewhat, with overnight BOG being withdrawn by all but a tiny handful of bookmakers. We responded to this by moving the publication from the evening before to the morning of racing, but of course that doesn't suit everyone. As a consequence of these changes we've ended up somewhat between a rock and a hard place in terms of the optimal provision I would like us to offer.
So I have decided that the time has come for Stat of the Day to step back from frontline duties, and to enjoy a pick of grass away from the rigours of hard training, so to speak. The service will run to the end of this month, its final day being next Wednesday, 30th September.
Like I say, I'm acutely aware of Stat of the Day's fan base, and mindful that for some this will be an unpopular decision. The other main reason we're calling time on SotD is that I felt we have been painted into a corner a touch by daily circumstance. We have been obliged to put up a selection every day (Monday to Saturday) within a certain price parameter, even though some days there was nothing of interest and other days we might prefer to back something at a bigger price for pennies each way.
I've also personally always wanted SotD to be 'edutainment' rather than tipping: I want geegeez.co.uk to be a place where people can come to improve their betting, and I strongly feel that the content of Chris's posts provides bundles of angles for those taking notes to refer back to on other occasions.
Ultimately, though, it has been judged by the bottom line - our own fault to some degree, and not something we have ever shied away from in good times or bad. But that's not what I want this racing form subscription site to be about. I want to empower you as a geegeez user to be confident in finding value for yourself; and, while I'm happy for us to provide examples along the way, I no longer want us to state so unequivocally what we think the answer should be.
What next?
So I guess I'm sort of an anti-tipping evangelist, and I've called SotD an anti-tipping service for a long time; but it's never really been seen as such. Again, our fault as we have continued to publish results. Enough of the past and the present. What of the future?
In place of Stat of the Day will not be a gaping hole: rather, there will be a similar provision in many respects but it will be different in some key regards.
We will still offer a daily race preview Monday to Saturday, but:
* It will be available to all readers, not just Gold subscribers
* It will revert to an evening publication slot
* It will exclusively be based around one of the Gold races or features of the day
* It will not be a 'tracked service', as its primary purpose is to educate about race reading and the toolkit we have to facilitate that
* There will not always be a pick at the end of the preview and, where there is, it might be a win bet, each way, back to lay, lay or anything else.
In other words, the content will be similar but those looking for a horse to bet may find something missing.
Again, I know this won't be universally popular; but I am very happy to share Chris's (and the rest of the team's) excellent thought processes with a wider audience whilst at the same time being able to illustrate the brilliant range of tools we have at our disposal.
Stat of the Day has been an amazing part of geegeez.co.uk and Geegeez Gold. But as the form provision has grown, so the tipping element has felt increasingly incongruent. I hope that, from October, we'll be able to help you get to grips with what we have and how it can lead to a horse - or horses - which seem to represent value; and that the absence of a selection at the end of it will soon be an irrelevance.
Here's to Stat of the Day. And to the next chapter. Thanks for your continued support.
Matt and Chris
‘Sad’ day, but one I have been thinking may have been coming for a while. Looking forward to the new service as, personally, I’ve always though SotD was more about the Stat than the Day. Good luck to all.
Bloody hell…..as someone who’s followed it since the start I’ll obviously miss it.
Respect your decision , all that remains is to offer my heart felt thanks to you and Chris for the work you put in over the years on SOTD , the points it generated & the wisdom it enparted.
I believe this is a fair decision. I always respect the S.O.D. However it sometimes causes me a problem. today is a prime example.I looked closely at the 205 and priced it up accordingly. I made Fred 2/1 and therefore a bet ,but Chris putting up Harbour Vision throws a spanner in my works as I always back the S.O.d. What do I do . ???
Back both!
Dutch & reverse forecast 😉
Think this is a really good idea Matt and Chris. A race preview will offer many pointers to race reading as Chris’s Stat of the Day has done to a degree but I can see how the new service will develop that approach. I have happily followed Stat if the Day and improved my own betting enormously. Today my race reading has led me to Kentucky Connection in the 205 at Beverly and I see Chris has gone for Harbour Vision. Probably will will both be wrong ! It’s all about opinions and the detailed data and statistics on Geegeez is invaluable. So keep up the good work.
Hi Matt, thanks for the explanation. SOD is one of the main reasons I subscribe but I also appreciate the whole package. I can see your thinking making it available to all to attract new subscribers. I think you may risk losing a few if you make it free. I look forward to seeing the new approach.
To achieve over 20% ROI in a 9 year period by you (GG) and mainly Chris is a huge testament to your talents Chris, especially for the large part of that of that time putting up selections the night before, a fantastic achievement , well done 🙂
Seconded
Backward step in my opinion. I think Stat of the day is educational.(taught me a lot) There was no need for parameters.
Sad day for me. I’ve been following Chris relentlessly since May 2017. Started with £5 a day, building the bank up,
I wont tell you what I put on now, but its considerably more.
I hope it’s not a falling out.
Hi Ian
Absolutely not a falling out. Chris will still be the main man, and you may find things are not a hundred miles away from where they are now.
But there will be a couple of subtle but important differences. I hope you’ll like them.
Best
Matt
Thanks for the memories Chris, I’ll miss Stat of the Day. You certainly had a fine record over the years.
What I would say is that you’ve trained me to look at the stats and find possible selections. A good habit to get into, there are some gems to be found still.
All the best.
Nigel
Extremely disappointed would be my reaction… I took out a lifetime subscription to Geegeez at the end of 2013 solely for the purpose of obtaining the SotD tip. This is because I simply do not have the time to use all the wonderful tools that the Geegeez website provides, to analyse each race and give me a single “bet of the day” so to speak. I have a single bet presented to me on a plate each day through SotD which takes me all of a minute to place and carry on with my family commitments.
I have noted that the results in recent times have tailed off slightly, however I have still been running at a good profit and to be honest I have made thousands of pounds on this one tipping service alone over the years, so I cannot complain!
I echo Luciano’s comment above in that I respect the decision and also offer my heart felt thanks to Chris in particular for the work he has put in over the years on SOTD. I will be extremely sad to see it go however…
I understand your disappointment, of course, but I’ll still be analysing a race everyday, but it opens up the opportunities for a bit of variation ie maybe a bigger priced E/W bet, a dutch or forecast, or a race with a red hot fav and we try to work out who’ll be runner-up and so on.
One thing is for sure, it was a shrewd move back in 2013 to grab the lifetime membership at the price you did.
Thanks for your reply Chris. I will be interested in looking into what you do with this slot once SotD completes at the end of the month and will certainly keep an open mind!
One thing I noticed over the years with SotD, is that many a time you have put your own personal slant into the daily pick, using your numerous microsystems. (Following the progeny of Midnight Legend to name one off the top of my head). Will you still be given a free reign to add your own personal touches from your racing experience to your daily piece, or will everything now be derived solely upon what is available in the way of tools through the Geegeez website?
And you’re dead right – I did pick up my lifetime membership for a steal! However, all good things come to an end…
There’s always leeway, mate 😉
The old “artistic licence”.
Pre-query tool and the excellent report suite Matt has built for us all (you all have access to everything I do on GGZ), I used a number of external sites for my data, but the more Geegeez has evolved, the more I should have highlighting our own product.
I’ve been a bit of a stick in the mud about it, but I’ve already started the transition towards the new approach by only screenshotting Geegeez data. There are a couple of stats we don’t yet carry, but they’re on the way and we’ll work around them for now, but pretty much what I did before can still be done.
We’re just trying to focus my daily piece on the stuff you guys can all see and then if an interesting angle comes up, you can save it in your own accounts.
Good stuff… All the best and hope the new plan works out well for you… Cheers
Will Chris be put out to graze as well lol
No Tony, Chris will still be front and centre!
Best,
Matt
Many thanks for SOD and it has been an edutainment for sure! Looking forward to the new ideas now and developing my own alongside too. They say that learning from mistakes is the key to everything and you’re right to want to educate rather than simply lead to answers. Many thanks Chris for all the effort to date and more interesting insights to come!
I for one will certainly miss SoTD full of content and very informative however progress will benefit all in the long run
therefore well done to all but upwards and onwards
Errol
Personally I haven’t looked at Stat of the Day for ages – the other tools provided by geegeez are the bees-knees.
Hi Chris
you can still walk on water, if you try…..
cheers mate.
T
Fwiw….i think the markets have changed dramatically since lockdown…as a rule of thumb now, ill take an overnight bf price now on less than 5s but leave to bsp on anything above….thats to small stakes mind.
Great effort to all ‘advisors’ on sotd, not easy putting your neck out 6 days a week, even to generally supportive users such as gold
Just shows you how hard this game is, three people who obviously know their stuff, each with a different selection in a nine horse race. Backing up to five selections ew has paid off handsomely for me this year in the big handicap sprints where the prices allow you to do this.
My own thoughts are that whilst it will take a little time for me to adjust to a different way of working, the benefits of showcasing the tools & report suite on a daily basis to a wider audience has to be a good thing all round.
The decision to open up to all readers in no way detracts from the Gold provision in my opinion, as Gold now offers far more than it ever did and if we can convert some non-payers into subscribers, then we increase our revenue stream and as you all know, pretty much everything the site makes goes back in as development, so the more subscribers we have, the more we can offer you.
I’m probably in a minority I appreciate but the only reason I renewed my subscription was to access Chris’s stat of the day
Very disappointed having recently taken out a 12 month subscription
Hi Brian
Suggest you wait a couple of weeks into October and see how you feel. If you’re still disappointed, please get in touch and we’ll make that right.
Best,
Matt
FairPlay matt
I can’t believe I’m the first to say this but LET’S GO OUT WITH A BANG!!
7 days left, minimum 4 winners at average odds 4/1, you can do it Chris!
As many have said, initial reaction is disappointment but intrigued to see what the new service offers and I do understand the logic.
Totally understand the decision and applaud the bravery of the call. SotD is certainly addictive and its been my first port of call late evening then each morning for four years now; which is good reason to be appreciative of its retirement as I know its become a bit of a lazy habit for me and that doesn’t make for effective betting.
However, the rigour of the process and the ‘fun’ has always been appreciated Chris – as well as the profits when you’ve been ‘on a run’. Many thanks and will enjoy its final week the more for it being its last. Cheers. D
Loved SOTD since joining Geegeez, but change is never a bad thing and I look forward to the new daily feature…..thanks for highlighting many a winner Chris (& Matt when he’s stepped in on occasion and keep up the good work.
All the best, Chris
So you are going to replace it with something that is offered to all readers, not just Gold subscribers! Getting rid of SOTD one thing then bringing out something new anyone can read feels like a kick in the teeth.
Could you confirm what Gold subsribers are getting compared to non Gold subcribers please or direct me where i can see a comparion please.
All the best
James
Hi James
Gold subscribers get:
– Racecards including trainer, jockey, sire, head to head, Report Angles, QT Angles, Bet Tracker, Notes and Ratings
– Instant Expert
– Full Form filters
– Profiler
– Pace maps
– Draw charts
– Sectional timing
– Add your own ratings
– Full report suite, including Trainer Snippets, Sire Snippets and Report Angles
– Query Tool
– Draw Analyser
– Pace Analyser
– Tracker
– and on
[The User Guide for Geegeez Gold, excluding SotD, runs to 134 pages – we offer a LOT!]
Geegeez Gold is not a tipping service, it is a fully featured data form book.
I completely understand that not everyone will be happy with this decision – we can never please all the people all the time – and that’s fine. I’m not trying to do what is impossible.
If you remain unhappy with what we offer around mid-October, after a fortnight or so of the new world, then please do get in touch and I’ll ensure you receive a refund back-dated to the beginning of October. But, and I can’t stress this enough, I very much sincerely hope you will enjoy the replacement and will feel that it in no way diminishes the value you derive from your subscription.
Kind regards,
Matt
Thanks for your reply Matt, your definitely right there can’t please everyone I should know running my own business for 20 years. I need spend more time understanding the query tool side of the site, I can’t get it to work for me yet got be something stupid I’m not doing right.
All the best
James
Hi again James
If there’s a specific thing that is not working, please drop us an email and I’ll try to get you up and running. (I’m assuming the user guide content hasn’t helped).
Best,
Matt
Hi Matt,
I seem to remember you said recently that you will be making some improvements to the Query Tool, is that still the plan – Cheers – Richard.
Hi Harry
We have lots planned for Query Tool, but the developer required for that is currently busy working on the final piece of a major infrastructure project.
That’s a verbose way of saying, “Yes, but I cannot say exactly when”!
Sorry to be vague: the wish/to do list is growing longer…
Matt
I echo the sentiments that people have posted on here already. SotD has been a brilliant feature to follow and like all tipping services has gone through highs and lows. However, the data reflect how good it has been and I’m looking forward to the new feature when Chris is allowed to take off the gloves! I’m sure it will be another fantastic advancement to what is already the best investment I’ve ever made in horseracing.
Cheers,
Paul
Thank you for SOTD which has served me well over the years. I can understand that a selection has been produced when perhaps the stats have been thin on the ground. The proposed new feature may be the next logical step where a “no bet” may be the best Option on the day. I look forward to it.
I will miss it, its been a good “friend” to me but I understand the reasoning. Will look forward to the new addition. I am not worried about everybody else seeing it – SoTD used to be free, if I remember rightly. And if you are worried about losing something which has been part of the “Gold” package then just try looking at the site without logging in!
Cheers
Ian
Betting overnight ruins the prices for all.
A huge credit to Chris ( and Matt ) for maintaining this successfully for many years in the face of lots of challenge(r)s and evolution. It became a routine pit stop in my day as someone who unfortunately doesn’t have the time needed for much of the rest of Geegeez. I had stopped this year for reasons Matt has touched on but will fondly miss it. Thanks fellas!
Hi Matt & especially Chris – Feel like I’m losing an arm ! What a great servant SotD has been to someone who has subscribed for many years. Not sure I agree with the new service being given free to all that visit Geegeez, as this will undoubtably affect the odds on any selections for us all.
You have both done a great job with SotD, I hope I will understand it’s replacement and that I have just as much success and enjoyment with it.
Best Wishes to you both & all at Geegeez
Bob S.
Hi Bob
Thank you very much for being such a loyal follower of the site, and especially of SotD.
The new provision will be different: it’s not about a tip/selection so that’s the biggest change. It is about showing how to look at races, how to choose races, and how to find a bit of value in a race. If you are unable to understand it, we will have failed in our mission!
I hope you’ll love it!
Matt
Hi Matt
I was initially very disappointed with the decision to end Stat Of The Day. I tend to follow tipsters and I suppose like having things on a plate for me. The aim was for Stat Of The Day to cover the cost of the subscription and use the rest of it for occasional recreational betting such a trip to the races. During lockdown I dabbled with setting up Query Tools with limited success so far – needs more work!
Anyway I decided to stop moping about the decision and try to pick a few winners myself using the resources available. I set various parameters in Report angles. In order to get it down to manageable number I’ve discarded all Irish racing and just focussed on horses with overnight odds of between 5/1 and 10/1. I then use the excellent Horse Profiler tab (also check pace/draw etc) to whittle it down to between 1 and 5 selections per day. I’m using a 200 point bank and just starting off staking £5 per point, placing bets on Betfair. Since last Wednesday I have had 11 bets of which 4 have won (at odds of 10.5,11.3, 9 and 7.6) plus 3 seconds! Profit to date £135. Clearly returns of in excess of 200% RoI isn’t going continue long term, but so far so good. 1 selection today Alezan in the 4.20 at Bath at 5.5. Everyone can confidently lay it, now that I have cursed it by putting it up on here!!
Thanks for a great resources and thanks to Chris for his efforts over the years with Stat Of The Day
Steve
Hi Steve
That’s a great story, many thanks for sharing. And, more than that, well done for getting stuck into Report Angles and Profiler: these are really great tools and, as you’ve discovered, can be as agile as the user needs them to be.
Regarding Stat of the Day’s replacement, called Racing Insights (I know, not very imaginative), I hope it will offer plenty of food for thought as well as, sometimes, a horse to consider backing. More often it will likely flag up more than one horse based on how readers interpret the piece. I’m fully aware that will confuse/annoy a small subset of readers but, again, it is NOT intended to be tipping content.
Again, very well played with your new approach, Steve, and long may it continue to provide good value bets.
Matt
Matt,
Is there a suggestions box for potential development ideas for GG’s? if not, could be a nice idea. Then perhaps projects you guys are working on with rough time spans on when they are likely to come live/beta test etc. That way it keeps subscribers up to date with features they are likely to see in the future.
CDB199
Hi CDB199
Yes, we have a very large work stack of items to follow. I’m not quite ready to share it at this point, but please believe me when I say there’s a lot more to come.
Soon you’ll not need to just ‘believe me’ (which is always a tenuous statement, I grant you).
Best,
Matt
Thanks Matt. Nice carrot dangled: i look forward to seeing the developments.
Will try and send something over via a geegeez email. Nothing major or too leftfield – just things that would be a nice addition that feel like wouldn’t take much to manoeuver to be included.
Sorry, yes, I should have said, suggestions always very welcome. Please email them through.
Matt