West Midlands bookmaker Mark Hill is a well-known face on the point-to-pointing circuit. Also a keen punter, who can be seen at tracks across Britain, Mark is the son of Angus Hill – who too was both bookmaker and punter and was known as the ‘Coup King’. Mark has been going racing and pointing since his teens, and has had on-course pitches, between the flags, under rules and at greyhound meetings, for over 40 years. I met Mark for lunch just before the season started to see what he had to say about his time in the game and point-to-pointing in the age of Covid-19.
Following in his father’s footsteps, Mark started out as a point-to-point bookmaker while still a teenager. (Prior to that, he admits to running a book at school – although omits to mention that he was suspended for doing so. Partner Tracie helpfully fills in the gap in his memory!) He tells me how it started. “I’ve always lived in Upton-on-Severn and would go to the track there (now sadly closed) for the Easter Tuesday point-to-point – everyone local took the day off. When I was 18, I went to the local magistrates, paid £15 for a licence and confirmed I was a fit and proper person. Then I turned up, put my pitch up and made a nuisance of myself. I started at the end of the row but soon managed to get on the lists, firstly in Wales, then in the West Midlands.”
Mark and partner Tracie
Mark’s father Angus had bet on course both between the flags and under rules, as well a having betting shops in Leominster and Worcester in the 1970s, but by the time Mark got involved, the gamekeeper had turned poacher. “Dad and I had a business compiling odds for independent bookmakers – we priced up every race, every day, starting at 4am and finishing at 8am. We’d sell them to the shops at £5 per card – it was a good business but, when the exchanges came in, bookmakers no longer needed the ‘tissue’.”
Angus advertising in Mackenzie & Selby
As well as point-to-points, Mark has had many pitches under rules (as well as greyhound tracks). “I used to have 26,” he says, “But I sold them after Betfair came in 20 years ago. Now everyone has the same prices on their board, there’s no skill and no odds compiling. I’ve just kept Hereford and Worcester – my local courses –Ascot, where I bet in ‘Tatts’ and the Best Mate enclosure at Cheltenham.”
Mark is well known for offering odds on the point-to-point jockeys titles. He laughs at his favourite memory, a certain Bernard Heffernan. “He decided he wanted to be champion point-to-point rider in his mid-40s, having only ridden his first winner the year before. He bought (former top-class chaser) Yahoo and a few others, phoned me up and asked me for a price on winning the title. I offered 50/1 and he sent me a cheque for £1,000. He phoned back, asked for odds again. I quoted 33/1 this time and got another cheque. I think he rode about a dozen winners but he didn’t come close.”
Mark sheds some light on the on-course market. “There are lots of punters I respect and whose opinion I listen to. Bookmaking in November and December is hard, as most punters know their stuff – and I don’t believe in knocking people back. I display on my board that I’ll lay any horse to lose at least £1,000, and it’s often more than that. Maidens are notoriously difficult as there’s no form to go on,” continues Mark. “But hopefully I get more right than wrong. Although there was one day at Coldharbour when a big punter backed several winners – I think I lost £5,000 on one race alone. People think point-to-pointing is all about £2 bets, but it’s not. And I think the bigger spenders gravitate to me because they know I’ll take a bet.”
A cheerful Mark at a wet and windy Chaddesley Corbett!
Mark hopes daughter Holly will follow him and Angus into the trade. “She’s keen on it, but I hope if she takes over, the sport bears some resemblance to what it is now. The longer we stay behind closed doors, the more likely courses are to close – although I hope they don’t, and I’m not keen on the idea of multiple meetings at fewer courses – and will point-to-pointing remain as popular?” he asks rhetorically.
Holly looking dapper at Royal Ascot
But Mark is as much punter as bookmaker. “There were lots of days when I can’t make a book,” he says. “So I go pointing to go punting – I go all over the country.” I cheekily ask if it pays its way and he pauses for a moment before answering quietly, “I turn a profit every year. Enough to cover petrol and expenses.” So what makes a successful punter? Mark explains his approach. “I get the entries on a Monday afternoon and start by working out where I’ll go racing, based on the cards. If there are a lot of Maidens, I won’t go. It takes me all week – I get stuck in to the form book and the videos and spend at least an hour on each race.”
“I’d rather watch the races live, but I use videos to check,” Mark goes on. “You can see something you might have missed. I remember a few years ago, Rilly Goschen was riding Seenigora at Lower Machen. Shall we say she wasn’t given a lot of room on the bend and could have finished much closer” is his mischievous interpretation of the race. “I had a nice bet when they won next time out at Chaddesley Corbett.” For Mark, race distances are the key to studying form. “Point-to-points are not all about three miles,” he asserts. Sheriff Hutton is completely different to Cottenham, for example.” Mark admits to having a list of standard good ground times for every course in the country and using those to help inform his selections.
As well as bookmaker and punter, Mark has been involved as an owner too. The best pointer he was involved with was Jalcanto, but “the one that got away” was Is Wonderful. “We got him from Amanda Perrett,” he recalls ruefully. “He had fragile legs and hadn’t run for three years until pulling up twice in points. We then took him to Kingston Blount for a hot Open with Julian Pritchard and backed him from 33s to 2s. Pritch let him go with a circuit left and he went clear… but then his leg exploded. I haven’t had much luck as an owner,” he concludes understatedly.
“Pritch was the best I’ve ever seen,” Mark adds. “He had this absolute will to win. Richard Burton was not far behind and Damien Duggan was under-rated. If I still had a horse now, I’d put up one of the Welsh lads – Bradley Gibbs or Byron Moorcroft. They’re all so good – look at James Tudor, John Mathias and the ones who’ve turned professional.” And the ladies? “I was brought up watching Alison Dare and the Pollys (Curling and Gundry), but Gina Andrews is the best of all time.”
Mark’s is hoping to have pitches at a number of meetings when pointing resumes – and has also thought of an innovative solution to behind closed doors pointing. “I’ve consulted with the Gambling Commission and set up a website – it's all been done legally and I’m not stepping on the toes of the other on-course bookmakers. It’s catering for punters who can’t go racing, at the meetings where nobody with a pitch is doing off-course betting. People set-up a deposit account with me, then phone me when I’ve got the runners and priced them up. I settle at the end of the day.” He’s keen to point out, though, that this is not the start of online betting between the flags. “It’s only a stopgap while people can’t be at the track,” shrugs Mark. Potential punters should visit markhillracing.co.uk
Those who are interested in Mark’s expertise should also be aware that he offers a private service to selected punters during the Hunter Chase season. “I’ve got some long established clients that I advise,” confirms Mark. “I don’t advertise or my post opinions on social media – it’s all through word of mouth.”
Mark is in favour of the new entries protocol during Covid-19, where runners have to be declared 48 hours before the meeting (so organisers know exactly who will be attending for track and trace purposes) but not released to the public. “Advance declarations are necessary at the moment, but I hope it’s not long-term,” he stresses. “If you have live streaming and 48-hour declarations, what’s the incentive to go racing? The big bookmakers will come in, and it will be like the greyhounds,” he adds dismissively. “And there’s the risk people will withdraw their horse if they’re up against a good thing. Getting the runners 45 minutes before the race and hoping the bookie makes a mistake with their pricing is a big part of the sport.”
“Peter Wright is doing a brilliant job,” is Mark’s opinion on how pointing has handled lockdown, with the curtailed 2019/2020 season and early start to 2020/2021. “It’s difficult to handle and he’s always worked his socks off. Everywhere I go – from Alnwick to Devon – he goes. It’s like he’s my stalker! He’s sorted out the fixture list so there are fewer obvious clashes, although I’m not sure about starting in October – I’d be worried about the length of the season for the horses.”
This leads us on to my regular question – what Mark would do if they were in charge of pointing for the day. “More evening meetings,” answers Mark. “One of my best days ever was the one-off Piccadilly Hunt meeting at Hereford, there used to be good meetings at places like Andoversford and Stallenge Thorne but Cothelstone is the only regular one now. You get big crowds and they’re really busy.”
“I don’t think we can sustain Members races,” Mark continues on the same theme. “I don't see their relevance any more. I’d revisit the four-year-old allowance because 14lbs is too much. Semi-professional trainers end up with the best young horses, they start odds-on and they usually win. The new Maiden race structure sounds more competitive, but I still wouldn’t bet in them. And I’ve got nothing against top-class horses like Don Poli going pointing – it’s good to see them and he nearly got beaten at Alnwick! But I do think a horse should have to run in points to qualify for the Cheltenham Foxhunters – I don’t like seeing them win a couple of Hunter Chases then disappear back under rules.”
Mark’s on a roll now. “What I wouldn’t change is pointing’s USP,” he adds positively. “There’s an informal, friendly atmosphere, it’s a day out for the local community, you can take your dog and get close to the action – there are no badges restricting you to particular areas. And if you’re younger, it seems easier to get into than racing under rules – riding, training and owning.” But he sounds a note of caution. “How do you sell it to young people? That’s a difficult one.” He smiles again. “You should ask Holly – she’s only 23.” (But she isn’t here, Mark!)
Mark finishes by reiterating why he has gravitated more towards pointing, rather than rules racing. He takes another swipe at the betting exchanges. “You need to use your brain in a market when everyone’s doing the same thing. Point-to-point bookmakers have a lot more initiative – for example, you hardly see betting without the favourite under rules any more, because there’s no market for it on Betfair. I’ve even heard rumours that if the 4G signal goes down, racecourse bookmakers stop taking bets! And I trust the form of pointing and Hunter Chasing more – I trust its integrity.”
A bold statement from one who’s not afraid of offering his opinion, both on and off the track.