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VDW Rambling

I well remember the attention given to VDW years ago in the Raceform Update although I have never got caught up in the discussion and interpretation of his writing before today. Having seen this VDW board here and realising how many people still develop their punting methods using his wisdom made me think a little about my understanding of what he said all those years ago and the nature of racing at that time.

When you think about it, our friend VDW would have been in a world where anything called the internet probably sounded like an organisation James Bond would have to destroy. There was much less racing and winter would have had many weeks where no racing took place at all due to abandonments. What would VDW make of today's sport? AW racing on flat artificial surfaces, even in winter. Summer jumping, much lower and narrower weight ranges in flat handicaps, whip rules, no whip races and the ability to watch every race on TV? What would he think about punters laying horses to lose?

So much has changed yet much of what I think he was advising still makes reasoned sense.

As far as I recall VDW was basically recommending a focus on two things, namely a horse's "class" and "ability". He laboured the importance of establishing a "methodology" when punting but was at pains to distinguish this from systematic betting. I seem to remember he said something like he'd rather be able to question the sea conditions and how likely he was to survive before he followed a system that said he had to throw himself off Brighton Pier on any given day! In my opinion there isn't much to argue with about that.

While VDW would probably be shocked at the volume of racing now, and the questionable impact on quality that's resulted, I think he would also realise we have some amazing technology that allows us to filter through incredible amounts of data about races and horses incredibly quickly. Can you imagine having something like HRB to hand in VDW's day? You'd be complaining there wasn't enough racing!

I define "Class" simply as a measure of the quality of competition a horse faces compared to "Ability" which is the measure of the racing qualities possessed by an individual horse as displayed in its performances. I believe these two factors can be judged from logically compiled numerical ratings and leave the scope to ammend the conclusions based on your understanding of a specific days race conditions. But now I would also add another factor to the VDW mix which is the pace angle of races. Unfortunately, even in the UK today, pace is a tough ask to quantify and rate (although possible). In VDW's day I acknowledge it would have been near impossible.

I do also recall a lot of flowery language used by fans of VDW to explain some results and, just as we often hear a one paced animal using his stamina to close in on the lead during the final furlong described by the commentator as a "fast finisher", I recall hearing in VDW discussion that "some runners love running past beaten horses". Personally I'm not sure what any horse loves to do but I do know a fast early pace will likely cause the speedier animals problems in the closing stages allowing the slower, stamina laden competitors to possibly overhaul them. I guess we all have our likes and dislikes in life and constantly trying to place human characteristics on animals is one of my pet hates in life!

Anyway, while the writings of VDW may seem a little old fashioned in style now, I believe his advice to build a methodology underpinned by class and ability ratings is just as valid today as it has ever been. All that has changed is the actual racing we have to work with and the tools we have to create and store ratings to help reach those judgements.
 
Well written Graham, it is amazing that the flying Dutchman is still to this day the most talked about method, and bye the way Tony peach is still alive although frail now
and lives not far from me in Salford.
One of the points he used always puzzeld me wayback then and it was the% he used I could never find them, However to day they are all there for us to see as you say what would he think of all this high tech information, and laying well he would be making fortunes wich brings me to what I use V D W for.
If any of saw my lays yesterday both bets won I have a program called Montecarlo Manifest it's free from Racing Advisor all you have to do is put in thr figures press and of it goes
bringing up all the data for that race. I then look at the top 3 in betting on Betfair 4.0 or less max 5.5 and lay the one with poorest % chance of winning.
I know laying is not for every one but with practice and at £500 you can make £10 a day increasing over time to what ever you like it just takes nerv and as the man said patience,
try it .
yours Bob.
 
Well written Graham, it is amazing that the flying Dutchman is still to this day the most talked about method, and bye the way Tony peach is still alive although frail now
and lives not far from me in Salford.
One of the points he used always puzzeld me wayback then and it was the% he used I could never find them, However to day they are all there for us to see as you say what would he think of all this high tech information, and laying well he would be making fortunes wich brings me to what I use V D W for.
If any of saw my lays yesterday both bets won I have a program called Montecarlo Manifest it's free from Racing Advisor all you have to do is put in thr figures press and of it goes
bringing up all the data for that race. I then look at the top 3 in betting on Betfair 4.0 or less max 5.5 and lay the one with poorest % chance of winning.
I know laying is not for every one but with practice and at £500 you can make £10 a day increasing over time to what ever you like it just takes nerv and as the man said patience,
try it .
yours Bob.







3

VDW was still alive last year and was a lot younger than he made out at the time. Was not dutch and too young to serve in WW1. He was also G Hall who wrote into the Raceform Handicap Book.
 
OK, but I know Tony peach very well and he assures me that the man died and was who he said, also Tony is now vey frail and I assume they were much the same age at the time.
 
VDW was still alive last year and was a lot younger than he made out at the time. Was not dutch and too young to serve in WW1. He was also G Hall who wrote into the Raceform Handicap Book.

I don't remember G Hall in the Handicap Book. I do remember D (Danny) Hall, who enjoyed creating (I presume it was him and not just the editor) witty/punny headlines, eg 'Allied Carpets can add to his pile' etc etc. I also remember Danny Hall once referring to his admiration for a certain filly as 'bordering on the obscene'. That made me laugh out loud at the time.
 
OK, but I know Tony peach very well and he assures me that the man died and was who he said, also Tony is now vey frail and I assume they were much the same age at the time.

VDW was first outed on the Gummy Forum some years back and his real name was G. Hall. The person who investigated is not a member of this Forum.

This was the Gummy Post

n the last 24 hrs XXXXXX has published VDW's real name and his address. Other more respected members of this forum will no doubt come forward to confirm that, though the precise details I do not feel at liberty to divulge even though XXXXX makes no restriction as to my or their doing so.

The evidence of identity is overwhelming, there is no possibility of error. VDW has been found and his circumstances do not correspond with his claims.



However, this is not the only confirmation, one of the Mods on here carried out his own investigation and confirmed much of what was revealed on Gummy, correcting some of the evidence, but VDW was G Hall, he also discovered much more historic background to the person who called himself VDW.



I don't know how long it has been since Tony Peach met with you, but last year one of our Mods met with tony Peach and told him the True background to VDW and it is different from what allegedly VDW told Tony Peach.
 
I don't remember G Hall in the Handicap Book. I do remember D (Danny) Hall, who enjoyed creating (I presume it was him and not just the editor) witty/punny headlines, eg 'Allied Carpets can add to his pile' etc etc. I also remember Danny Hall once referring to his admiration for a certain filly as 'bordering on the obscene'. That made me laugh out loud at the time.

He wasn't a journalist, he just used the letters page to basically talk about/to himself
 
I don't remember G Hall in the Handicap Book. I do remember D (Danny) Hall, who enjoyed creating (I presume it was him and not just the editor) witty/punny headlines, eg 'Allied Carpets can add to his pile' etc etc. I also remember Danny Hall once referring to his admiration for a certain filly as 'bordering on the obscene'. That made me laugh out loud at the time.

VDW, G. Hall and GR Lincolnshire are all one and the same

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Can you confirm to me the wereabouts of this meeting I E his address as I know Tonys address if it matches then I will go round and confirm this meeting
but I somehow doubt this meeting or that G HALL was V DW .
 
Twas Bobajobber Bobajobber who met with Tony, he bought some of the VDW letters. Don't think it'd be right to post his address, I believe it was in leafy Worsley but Bob may put me right

Doesn't matter what you doubt, won't change the truth
 
Thanks for putting me right re G Hall, Chesham & Horseplayer.

Great to see that letter too. I suspect I only recently (last summer) threw out my old clippings from the Handicap Book/Update. Mrs O urged me at the time to hold on to them since it was unheard of for anyone from either family to see their stuff in print.

I have one hard copy of the series I wrote for publication, parts 1-4 (iirc) of which were indeed printed but Raceform was also trying to sell David Dickinson's book on handicapping and some of the methodology was quite similar. I suspect selling the book - rightly - took priority and my articles were dropped. Mr Dickinson even wrote me a personal letter congratulating me on my work and offering constructive criticism, which was incredibly kind of him. One the Tonys (Paley, probably) also phoned me at home for a chat.
 
Twas Bobajobber Bobajobber who met with Tony, he bought some of the VDW letters. Don't think it'd be right to post his address, I believe it was in leafy Worsley but Bob may put me right

Doesn't matter what you doubt, won't change the truth


Thanks correct H

In Roe Green right besides the M60

He is so frail he zips around in his car at the tender age of 83 years young, he visits his wife everyday to tend her needs because she suffers from dementia, he is the same age as G Hall who was Van Der Wheil, although 2 year on Tony may be slowing down a lot more, but I do not think he will go down without a fight.

Robert Day Robert Day if you are a true friend, then you would know these things , just because you live near the guy does not necessary mean you are a friend, if you were a friend, then you would appreciate that at his age, visitors will always be welcome, you would not by any chance be Sootywooty, your attitude seems uncanny.

[Edit: It was 2 yrs ago..........doh!]
 
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I do know these things I know from picking him up when I was Taxi driver talked a lot to him. I may just go round when I find time but I wont invaid his privacy.
Also who is Sootywooty I use my proper name or SCOUSE I don't hide under false names and I don't have any attitude just a plain simple SCOUSER/ SALFORDIAN.
Bob.
 
So not really a friend then, "you may go round when you find time".

I had exactly the same friends when I used to catch a taxi to work, got on great with them, but I have never had one knock the door to visit me when I stopped using the service,weird that.
 
Now now don't cry. Perhaps if you do as I do go to the bookies and get involved with racing sensibly you will have a social life.
I have plenty of mates in Hills old customers,:p lads I knew on the job go do it, also lay my tips from the V D W method can't lose.
Bob.
 
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