Gambling For Life: The Man Who Won Millions And Spent Every Penny

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Dave Nevison became a professional gambler in 1993 after he lost his job working as a currency trader in the City. On his return to society, Findlay, determined to end what he described as his “compulsive gambling”, put his prodigious mathematical skills to work. Betting on golf, snooker, tennis, football, greyhound racing and other sports, his flair and eye for an angle was obvious for all to see. Findlay was investigated only when a similar pattern of bets involving the horse occurred in October 2009 at Chepstow. The gambler himself alerted the authorities to his previous use of the strategy at Exeter. In 2010 he was warned off for six months. A subsequent disciplinary panel upheld the BHA decision that the rules had been broken on a technicality but found that “there has never been any suggestion that Gullible Gordon did not run on its merits or that there was foul play on anyone’s part”. His punishment was reduced to a fine but Findlay’s reputation was “blitzed”, even when defended by AP McCoy and Clare Balding. “I don’t want a badge of bloody honour but I was good for racing. I also know gamblers have an integrity that some businessmen wouldn’t know existed. Why did they do it? Was I too anti-establishment? Who knows?”

As well as being a professional gambler Harry is also an owner. He jointly owns the 2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, Denman who also won two Hennessy Gold Cups. Big Fella Thanks was another of his co-owned horses who he named after his beloved greyhound 1999 Coursing Derby winning Big Fella. Aged 21 years old, he served nearly a year in some of Her Majesty’s toughest jails. Who’d have thought he would go on to own Big Fella Thanks, winner of the Derby at Clonmel and the most famous dog to come out of Ireland – and be part owner of the legendary racehorse Denman, who carried his colours to Gold Cup glory. Harry’s subsequent controversial disqualification from racing destroyed him, despite the ruling being overturned on appeal. With every winner and result, Findlay heaped praise on Gill. Terms such as “genius” and the “best horse judge ever” were regularly bounded about. Findlay still speaks of his friend in the same high regard today albeit times have very much changed. Findlay’s Most Successful Horses and GreyhoundsAmid the long wrangle, however, Findlay found very little support in the racing community. He had always been incongruous at the biggest meetings - a piece in the Irish Independentafter the Gold Cup win made unflattering comparisons with Harry Enfield's character Loadsamoney, after which the paper published an apology to Findlay - and Findlay says that his losses were always met with glee. That was a statement performance and those thoughts were echoed by Findlay. He Added: “I think Blazing Khal looks different speed and he’ll destroy them, so I had a big bet on him, non-runner no bet, straight after his win at Navan last time. I understand he’s not the soundest of horses, so the ‘NRNB’ concession is important, but I think he should be nearer 2-1 than the 11-4 you can get at the moment.”

Tony McCoy was among few to support Findlay, calling the BHA's warning off "a decision taken by those who obviously had no understanding of racing or racing people". As the 90s dawned, Findlay had acquired a lot of money, enough to buy a fast greyhound and enjoy a champagne lifestyle. But, when the results went against him and he could no longer pay relatively minuscule kennel fees, Chicita Banana became the property of her trainer. On appeal, Findlay’s punishment was later reduced to a fine. But, in the belief he was the victim of a political witch-hunt, he declared he was finished with the sport and sold up his interests during the next 12 months. Still a big player and maybe he should be at the top of this list as he is still very active. If there is a book to read about JP let me know in the comments, I’d love to read it. Alex Bird Over the next few days he messages me often, sending news of the great Melbourne team, even when the Storm survived a scare last Saturday against the Parramatta Eels. As the texts and storm emojis fly in, Findlay is happy again. The battered old gambler is still working. Harry the Dog is still hustling.Barney Curley is a professional gambler and trainer from Northern Ireland who has a reputation for being one of racing’s most colourful characters. It was time to return to greyhound racing, his first love, but the Findlay fortune slowly haemorrhaged away as he attempted to make Coventry’s Brandon Stadium the center of the greyhound world. Dread churned inside Findlay when France were 18-13 down. They then scored a try from a forward pass allowed by the referee, Wayne Barnes. France led 20-18 and two million pounds were torched. “Wayne Barnes?” Harry the Dog barks. “I hated him like a Kiwi for a long time. But I watched Barnes do a game this year and I’d never seen refereeing like it. He was great.” Findlay is convinced that Blazing Khal is the most likely winner of the Stayers’ Hurdle and has singled him out as his best bet of the week. He said: “Blazing Khal at 11-4 in the Stayers’ Hurdle. He looks the best value of the week at this stage and I’ve had a proper punt on him, non-runner no bet.” I for one certainly don’t blame him as the fragile yet extremely talented horse must have a huge chance.

Gambling takes its toll but Findlay says that, until 2013, “I’d never been depressed. No matter how bad the lost fortunes. The way I live my life, with my philosophy, there is no way money alone would make me depressed. But the combination of horse racing and the dog stuff was brutal. I felt like a mug.” Blazing Khal was a very useful novice hurdler, beating subsequent Grade 1 winner Gelino Bello twice at Cheltenham, over 2m5f and three miles. He defied a monster 428-day absence to burst into the Stayers’ Hurdle picture by winning the Grade 2 Boyne Hurdle at Navan earlier this month. It is a fascinating read with a byline ‘The Man Who Won Millions and Spent Every Penny’. As the book makes it pretty clear he finished up on his knees, you may question what is his definition of ‘spent’? I was pretty certain this kind of feeling would be a one-off, and I was soaking it up. I stood there thinking: 'Win or lose, I won't get this feeling again, there won't be another Denman.'

Remember to gamble responsibly

And he claims to have saved a commercial flight to Bangkok from crashing. Findlay flew first-class, but resisted an urge to guzzle a couple of bottles of expensive champagne, instead electing to swallow a couple of sleeping tablets. Later that night, he and his friends were glued to a hotel television, hoping a reel of bets on the League Cup semi-finals would land, when a news clip snaffled their attention: Some video footage of the accused acting suspiciously at the racecourse on race day, a syringe containing ACP found in one of the defendant’s homes and phone records between the accused had been offered up in evidence. Their ideal 13th man would have been a 10-year-old from New South Wales with an autograph book who'd sit in the corner quiet as a mouse, and here was a big fat 40-year-old Pommie Punter with opinions on everything! Harry relished the company not only of Barber, but the group of mates who were always with him on race day. The conversation – even at this early stage of his development – was about Denman having Gold Cup potential. It was 'The Colonel' John Wood who said something that made everyone sit up: "Bugger him running in the Gold Cup, Denman will win the bloody Gold Cup." The Colonel was the first man ever to say it.

At just 15 years of age this mathematical genius got a place at Cambridge although he never completed his degree, instead he turned to gambling and started his own tipping line.Pro gambler or rich man who lost it all on the horses? Many think the latter but he was a big player all the same. Dave Nevison Two of these characters are pivotal to Harry’s tale. The first is the notoriously secretive Brighton and Hove Albion chairman Tony Bloom. The second is Glen Gill.