Tipping 23 winners may be beyond even Deane

– Glen Atwell
CRANBOURNE’S Deane Lester is widely regarded as the best form analyst in Australia.
His knowledge of thoroughbred racing is profound and his form analysis is meticulous.
But when asked to tip 23 winners from 23 races on Tricodes Day, even Mr Lester was mind-boggled.
“I’ll do my best to tip eight from eight on the gallops card,” he said.
“But I’d struggle to tip the harness and greyhounds programs as well!”
The 39-year-old wowed city punters on 23 February when he tipped seven out of nine winners on Blue Diamond day at Caulfield racecourse, including $15.50 TAB outsider Reaan in the feature Blue Diamond Stakes.
Since he began studying form in 1996, Mr Lester has “tipped the card” three times, and admits it is a rare occurrence.
“It doesn’t happen that often, in fact it’s so rare that when it does happen the tipper is formally recognised with an award,” he said.
“But I’ll be doing my best for Tricodes Day punters.”
Mr Lester said he loved the concept of Tricodes Day and attributed its success to relieving the ‘boredom factor’ that plagues young people at thoroughbred meetings.
“There’s one inherent problem that gallops cannot overcome, and that’s the 40-minute delay between races,” he said.
“Tricodes is the only event I know that overcomes that problem, by ensuring there is action all day.”
“The Cranbourne community has embraced the concept with open arms and the facilities are great,” Mr Lester said.
So what is Mr Lester’s secret to tipping winners?
“I put a lot of emphasis on last start performances,” he said.
“It doesn’t matter if a horse is well-weighted or has drawn a good barrier. What matters most is whether or not that horse is in form. If it is running well, I’ll always consider it.”
While most punters on Tricodes Day will be satisfied tipping one or two winners, Mr Lester has much higher expectations on his own performance.
“Generally I tip between three and four winners every race meeting,” he said.
“If I get five, it was a really good day.”