Most punters learn by doing and Dean Watling was no different. He made mistakes, tried things that did not work, and slowly figured out what helped him stay calm and confident. Those lessons turned into 12 rules that guide how he punts today. They are easy to understand and built from real experience. This two part series breaks them down.
Rule 12: Be Respectful
The most underrated rule in doing the form or working in horse racing.
It costs nothing to be respectful, in the way you write your form, the way you speak to others about racing, and the way you comment on other people’s form in the public eye.
This doesn’t mean you can’t be strong with your opinion, in fact, it’s the opposite. A strong, respectful opinion often hits the hardest. But on the flip side, putting your hand up when you’re wrong, and genuinely congratulating others when they’re right, is just as important.
Rule 11: Take a Break, Find an Outlet
In a game that never stops, you can burn out fast and start resenting what you’re doing. I’ve been there.
The most important part is taking a day off every week where you get completely away from racing (if possible), and having an outlet during the week. The gym, golf, running, any form of physical activity gives me clarity and gets me excited to attack the form again.
Never underestimate the power of a break. At the end of the day, we aren’t machines.
Rule 10: Build A Routine To Your Form Analysis
The best lesson I ever learnt from my psychologist was the importance of implementing a baseline.
What is a baseline?
“In mental health, a baseline is an individual’s ‘normal’ or starting point for their mental, emotional, and behavioural state, used for comparison over time.”
How does this relate to punting and doing the form?
Having a baseline for how you attack every race is one of the most effective tools I use. It gives me confidence, familiarity, and clarity. No matter where I am or what computer I’m using, if I apply my baseline process to each race, I know I can approach the race consistently and give myself the best chance of finding the winner.
Rule 9: One Factor Alone Shouldn’t Make or Break a Bet
Brad Davidson taught me this.
I used to treat single factors as make-or-break, a wide barrier would completely turn me off, or an amazing trial would guarantee a bet. This left me frustrated when results didn’t go my way.
There are many factors in every bet. Instead of ruling a horse out entirely because of a jockey, barrier, or track, I now stake down for those concerns. That way, if the factor doesn’t end up being as significant as I thought, I can still win.
It also works the other way: if there’s one thing I really like, I still need to check the surrounding setup before staking properly.
Rule 8: Stake Down
This is a more recent rule I’ve brought into my punting.
Punting daily or weekly can create a huge mental load. And when your confidence drops, your clarity drops with it.
The amount you stake can weigh heavily on your decisions. If you’re worrying about how much you might lose before you even place the bet, that fear is already influencing your judgement.
You should never be betting more than your means or more than your confidence can handle.
Staking down has given me clarity and taken the fear of losing out of my mind. It’s been a mental game-changer over the last two years, and positive results have followed.
Rule 7: Talk to People Better Than You
This can be a tricky one. Early on I messaged a few key racing figures trying to learn, and I often got no response or a smart-arse reply.
I’m forever grateful for people like Tom Haylock, Chris Camilleri, Brad Davidson, Mick Gannon, David Gately, Dominic Beirne and many more for giving me their time and letting me pick their brains.
Their advice and guidance is something I still use today. I’ve built a small community I can trust, and this becomes essential during losing runs.
