7 November 2006 - MONDAY: Parkinson fails his interview

I find myself enduring an arduous period during which well thought-out lay bets are simply not going to plan. Three bets suggested today, all at Carlisle, including the odds-on favourite Parkinson in the novice handicap hurdle. He hadn't won over hurdles in this class, and had been put up 7lbs for  his last win. Having Tony McCoy on board also helps bring the price down. At 5/6 it was easy to oppose this horse, and sure enough he found one rival too good.

However, to my dismay, my two other picks Hockenheim and the drifting Ever Present both won.

My only back-to-win selection, which ended up one of the day's big gambles and started as favourite, failed to live up to expectations and finished mid-field.

Max Redd has been making a living from horse racing for over ten years. He runs the Redd Racing betting advisory service and you can try his service FREE at www.ReddRacing.co.uk