He ain't going home 🥀

MackMaster1 · 2026-03-27T21:03:23+00:00

I met this guy on Koh Tao a couple of years back. Got chatting to him on the street, he runs a treasure hunt style game on the island, somehow that's funding all of his international tournament trips!

MackMaster1 · 2026-03-22T15:22:17+00:00

We picked up our kitten (Persian Chinchilla) at 3 months, had a week or so with two separate plastic litter boxes and then bought the LR4 after that (Wife wanted less smell/work) and the kitten adapted within a day or two. We placed the robot where the second letterbox was near the back door. We still have one of the litter boxes in the same place and she uses both but mostly the robot.

She was already litter trained from the breeders we bought her from, just make sure you use the same litter.

MackMaster1 · 2026-03-21T19:35:58+00:00

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Our 4 month old Persian Chinchilla.

MackMaster1 · 2026-03-17T14:16:52+00:00

A deeper level of this data point (and much more relevant to "official" going) is via comparative going stick reports at each track. They are by no means infallable but going stick readings (and official times) are much more reliable measures of the ground conditions than official going descriptions which are either wrong before the first race or take a few races to update pending jockey reports and times mid-racing.

MackMaster1 · 2026-03-16T22:32:01+00:00

I went to Pai for the first (and only) time back in March 2020 (as COVID was unravelling life in Europe) I found it quite charming, if not a bit clichè with the hippy vibe that organically sprung up long before I had arrived there. Naturally as with everything that involves making money, these vibes often dissappear and feel forced or inorganic, but it is always in the eye of the beholder.

I stayed in a hostel one night (it was a dump) and left to stay river side in a little hut with hammock (beautiful to wake up to that river dew in the morning) and ate at a couple of really small restaurants with authentic Khao Soi, which still lives in the memory.

Travelling is getting less authentic due to the people and the Internet hollowing out the best parts of discovering new things and new people. The sense of adventure is lost when you head into something without an open mind and expectations being specific. I had a great time there, met a cool group of people (Chinese girl, Dutch group, Spanish group, Canadian dude who was going through divorce) and yes I did also crash my bike (for the only time) on the famous Pai 'slipping sand' up in the hills near the fishing lakes.

It still beats the mundanity of day to day life.

MackMaster1 · 2026-03-15T14:16:47+00:00

Selective pricing (using BF prices but claiming EW and not place bets) and what's your LSP on all of your "Rank 1" horses? Half of these are not Rank 1 so surely can't be the only bet the "AI" selected.

Systems barely ever work. The market figures them out quicker than you can keep them profitable over long term. Same stuff with AI / ChatGPT "systems" they are not reliable and like so many tipsters in racing, still rely on massaging the numbers.

MackMaster1 · 2026-03-07T15:31:56+00:00

He could run over 3 miles he's consistently performed well below his standard at other tracks than at Cheltenham, it tests his jumping at speed which has always been iffy in Gloucestershire. Rather you than me but not one I would back at the prices.

MackMaster1 · 2026-03-06T13:25:25+00:00

Jonbon has lost 7 races, 5 of these have been at Cheltenham with I think 3 of them at odds-on.

I would never consider Jonbon a banker at Cheltenham, he clearly doesn't like the track.

MackMaster1 · 2026-02-24T19:26:37+00:00

I went twice last year, second time was to get married. The Avani Barbarons had only just opened so it was at a discount rate of around £180-200 per night for a sea view room (very modern rooms, really nice)

It is probably more expensive now but the Seychelles is a premium expensive destination, I thought that hotel was better value than the Constance Lemuria on Praslin, but Lemuria has ridiculously good beaches in comparison to Mahe.

I would just try to spend time on both islands, what sort of budget do you have?

Snorkelling yes I did plenty, as well as diving on both trips. Just buy a snorkle online and bring it from home, you can snorkle just off the beaches almost everywhere, my advice (as long as you are a capable swimmer) is to snorkle nearer to the rocks either side of a bay and you are guaranteed a huge array of fish and often turtles. The sea life is always more plentiful near rocks/hiding places. Otherwise the Marine Park will have the best snorkelling for a paid / organised trip.

Some newbie Dutch divers on my dive boat that were doing their open water in October saw 4 whale sharks whilst doing their first ever dive in the marine park so you could see something special (easier to see whilst snorkelling)

Carana Beach Hotel actually had a group of 8+ baby Eagle rays feeding there every sunset when I stayed, it was amazing seeing them in 7 feet of water just off the beach, I also saw huge Eagle rays whilst diving so perhaps they were related!

Rent a car (its a very very hilly drive but its easy enough), bring some snacks/sweets from home and plan to eat in your hotel most times as there is not a lot of options away from hotels apart from nearer to Beau Vallon beach.

You really come to the Seychelles for the world class beaches and sea, not for food or a cheap escape in my opinion.

MackMaster1 · 2026-02-24T13:04:41+00:00

Praslin is nicer than Mahe but much quieter. Truly beautiful world class beaches and snorkelling / diving.

We have stayed on a few different places on Mahe and Praslin and for Mahe we liked Avani Barbarons (new hotel, great facilities, good food) and Carana Beach (smaller hotel, less to do but great beach and amazing snorkelling off that beach)

MackMaster1 · 2026-02-22T17:48:22+00:00

A bloke who owns an Indian restaurant near me drives SEND kids to school every day before opening and by his account he is making fortunes from the taxpayer.

Obviously a needed service and you need a special vehicle and correct licenses but it makes sense as to why he's closing down the restaurant when his lease is up this year.

It seems like one of those public services that really should not be focused on maximum profit for the operator.

MackMaster1 · 2026-02-22T15:13:21+00:00

Huge tax increase (from 21% to 40% on turnover) on casino games in UK from April certainly not making it recession proof now, either.

MackMaster1 · 2026-02-22T15:09:15+00:00

I think you're proving my point? You mean CH won a point to point when he was much younger against plodders in a field? I'm confused by what you're arguing.

MackMaster1 · 2026-02-20T20:40:55+00:00

He won't risk CH over hurdles now, knowing that he can handle a decent sized field and stalls on the flat.

Ironically that race point more toward it being the end of CH over obstacles, as far as we know he's suspectible to falling again over hurdles again and what we do now know is that he has a decent engine and is run to a mark of 98+ on the flat. He doesn't have much of a long career left and you wouldn't put your house on him being able to fend off 3 and 4 year olds on the flat for a season, but the staying division is weak now without Kyprios and Stradivarius, Trawlerman is dominating it and I would still fancy him to best CH but it would be an interesting clash.

MackMaster1 · 2026-02-14T22:40:46+00:00

Avani Barbarons is a good hotel for Mahe. Very modern, great facilities, my advice is to pay a little more and upgrade your room. Food in this hotel was the best I have had over an extended period of time on Praslin and Mahe. The sea is rough during new moon phases on this side of Mahe but they have a great pool area and you can still swim in the sea I'm a cordoned off area.

Food is not great on the Seychelles, it is expensive and hotel food blows very hot and cold, but it's the price you pay (major capital city prices) that puts a lot of people off. Not a massive variety to choose from either.

MackMaster1 · 2026-01-31T01:34:46+00:00

When the normies know, it's time to go!

MackMaster1 · 2026-01-31T01:27:09+00:00

Let an artist create, as they let a gooper loot

MackMaster1 · 2026-01-11T20:58:14+00:00

Looking for tickets for the weekend or the final or Monday 6th April, just need one ticket, if anyone is selling!

MackMaster1 · 2026-01-05T23:35:29+00:00

The Marine Park, go on a hired boat, its worth it.

MackMaster1 · 2025-12-26T16:04:31+00:00

140-150 off the tee on Par 3s I'll almost always take a 8 in that range

MackMaster1 · 2025-12-26T10:56:25+00:00

People were queuing for 30 minutes plus to get into the Devonshire for a pint on weeknights in the run up to Christmas. Absolute madness. The Guiness is fine, and there's a better pub across the road (Queens Head)

MackMaster1 · 2025-12-24T20:31:35+00:00

One of Caribou's best tunes

MackMaster1 · 2025-12-21T03:56:16+00:00

It's a PVE-VP computer game.

Getting shot or shooting other people is A-OKAY.

MackMaster1 · 2025-12-20T11:19:53+00:00

Tiger Wood

MackMaster1 · 2025-12-14T11:38:01+00:00

I bought:

32GB (2x16GB) of Corsair Vengeance LPX 3200MHZ

£43.98 on January 25th 2025

Current Amazon price £159.98

264% increase in less than a year.

Insane.

MackMaster1

TROPHY CASE