The Observer started a unique year long study designed to answer two questions. Firstly, can subscribing to a betting advisory service ever constitute a legitimate form of investment and secondly, can an ordinary Joe really make a second income from gambling?

Many high profile betting advisory services were approached to take part. From those services, only Steve was agreeable to the rigorous public scrutiny, the year long survey would involve.

A clear sign of Steve’s unwavering belief in providing a service based on professionalism and integrity.

Regular updates began to appear in The Observer. All bets were monitored to a £100 level stake of either £100 win or £50 each way, as advised.

By August Steve was already £3,221 in profit. This rose to £4,853 profit by the next update in September and had reached £5,851 in December.

By the time we reached the Cheltenham Festival, Steve had added another £2,500 to the profit pot.

The survey was attracting a great deal of interest in the wider betting community.

The Observer received bets just as a member would. The same bets are supplied, as always, to Racing Post prior to racing for their independent verification in accordance with the strict guidelines laid down by the Advertising Standards Authority.

With such scrutiny, there was no hiding place.

After ten months it was apparent that not only was this a truly thorough survey, but for the writer it had also become a learning process. The March report revealed ‘With the aid of a little initiative and the pro-active pursuit of good betting value, I’ve seen the kind of unequivocal results that belie the homespun philosophy that ‘there’s just no way to beat the bookies.’

Come May and the twelve months were up. The first year report was published and the main extracts stated…

Gamblers, to paraphrase the Scottish man of letters Andrew Lang, generally use statistics like drunks use lampposts, more for support than illumination. However, there are some occasions where the overwhelming weight of numbers rings with the clarity of irrefutable fact.

Since May 2005 I’ve been following the selections of top professional racehorse backer Steve Lewis Hamilton.

Posting profits of £11,345.80 (a return on investment of 48%) Steve Lewis Hamilton must take the lion’s share of the plaudits and with 11 winning months from 12 he deserves his status as ‘Britain’s foremost professional backer’.

In all a master class in tactical, value betting throughout the year and a welter of profitable supplementary advice in addition to the recommendations recorded.

Under the agreed conditions, my sporting former boss. Eamonn ‘The Amateur’ McCloskey, recorded losses – thankfully on paper only – of £1,229 in trying to match a professional. He now concedes: ‘You just can’t win with your morning paper and ten minutes study a day.

Twelve months ago, I remained to be persuaded, but now I can’t help but agree’.

In conclusion: this survey had categorically answered its initial two questions and had also succeeded in deflating two well worn cliches – ‘You can’t beat the bookies’ and ‘All advisory services are the same’.

THE OBSERVER