FULL INTERVIEW: Kingsley with Gareth Hall, 16 September 2026

Kingsley's full appearance on SEN radio with racing.com, broadcast 16 September 2026. Segments courtesy of SEN x racing.com.

People ask me how to become a professional punter. My answer is always the same. Don't jump in. It is a gradual process, and the whole thing rests on building a bank that can carry you through a bad run. When I started, I always had an income. I worked at the races and at the greyhounds and kept money coming in. There are still opportunities out there, and there are plenty of smart young people building systems and using automation. But the hard part is not finding a winner. The hard part is keeping the bankroll alive long enough to learn the craft.

Resilience is the skill that matters most

Around eighty per cent of my bets lose. You are wrong far more often than you are right, so the job is getting through the periods where nothing goes your way. What gives me belief is not hope. It is the work. I know what my form has done in the past, so when I am in a bad run, I can look at the data and see that it is a bad run and not a broken model. Sometimes the right move is to stop. Fifteen or so years ago I took two or three months away from betting and just worked on the form. My head cleared completely. I have also had to reinvent myself plenty of times. Speed ratings were an edge once. Sectionals were an edge once. Anything that becomes widely published loses its edge quickly, so you keep looking for new data and new angles.

Where I learned and how I stake

My first job in the game was with Warren Woodcock when I was seventeen. I learned most about the gambling side from my brother Sean, especially backing at the right price, laying when a horse is too short, and reading percentages and the market. Daniel O'Sullivan taught me a lot about ratings and the importance of time. On staking, the question I get more than any other, the key to any plan is staying in the game. Work out what your bank is for the period, break it down across the days you bet, and then bet to win a set amount with a maximum bet size on any one horse. If a horse is longer, you have less on it. If it is short, your maximum caps you. It might feel like you are betting too small. That is fine. There are plenty of races left. You do not want to knock yourself out halfway through the day or halfway through the month.

Percentages, outside information and reviewing your bets

Everything comes back to percentages. Markets are tighter than they were, so there are fewer holes in them and you have to be more selective. No lazy bets. If you use outside information, work out what each source actually contributes, keep records, and weight it accordingly. If that is too hard, weight it evenly. I do not use trainer or jockey comments, because they tend to be talking about their own horse rather than the whole field. Then review your losing bets properly. Look for the section where you are leaking, whether that is a price range, first-up horses, or the time of day you are getting your money on.

Pick one of these and work on it. Build the bank slowly, keep the staking honest, and always look forward to the next day rather than back at the last one.

Every race on the card, rated, with Kingsley's selections and the speed maps behind them. Your first day is free, no card needed.

More from Kingsley

• Which Lead Up Race Produces the Melbourne Cup Winner?
• "Why Would I Lay Both Favourites in the Same Race?"
• "Is There Any Value Left in Odds-On Favourites?"

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