First Class Racing achieved a 33.9% bank growth during their proofing, earning a spot amongst BetChat's team of tipsters.
The service is aimed at "small bank bettors", so you only need a 20 point bank to get started, rather than the 100 point plus banks that tipsters usually recommend.
It is run by tipster Mel Gee, who has been involved in the betting industry since he was 15 years old and claims to be able to "read a horse's form like a librarian can read the alphabet!".
His selective strategy means that there are no long losing streaks and a high strike rate, meaning bigger profits for smaller betting banks.
He bets exclusively on Class 1 races, finding the best of the best horses to bet on in with their ideal conditions. So, along with the horse showing good form, everything else has to match up perfect too, from the racecourse to the jockey, trainer and even the weather.
It does mean that there aren't bets every day, as it's very much a quality over quantity type of service.
All bets are sent out via the Telegram app, with one channel for tips only and a community channel so that you can chat with other members and Mel himself.
So far, all of BetChat's services have earned a pass from me (read the reviews here), so I hoped First Class Racing would follow in their footsteps.
I was able to increase my bank by 37.4% after following the service over a period of six months. I was delighted to be able to give it a first class pass rating!
Read on for my full First Class Racing review, or click here to get started.
Review profit/loss | +7.47 points profit |
ROI | 18.7% |
Strike rate | 58.1% |
Stakes | 0.5 - 1.5 points |
Starting bank | 20 points |
Average no. bets | Approx. 7 per month |
Time tips sent | Various |
Price | £129.97 per quarter |
Rating | PASS |
Review Update - Latest Results
As you can see in the results breakdown below, First Class Racing has continued to produce a profit since my review and I stand by my original rating.
Based on the membership fees at the time of writing, you would need a starting bank of at least £2,000 to make an overall profit. With a £5,000 bank, a profit of £795 would have been achieved after fees during the past 12 months.
| Date |  P/L (Points) | P/L (£100 Stakes) | P/L (£250 Stakes) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug-24 | -0.26 | -£26.00 | -£65.00 |
| Jul-24 | 1.11 | £111.00 | £277.50 |
| Jun-24 | 3.13 | £313.00 | £782.50 |
| May-24 | 0.40 | £40.00 | £100.00 |
| Apr-24 | -1.25 | -£125.00 | -£312.50 |
| Mar-24 | 1.00 | £100.00 | £250.00 |
| Feb-24 | 0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 |
| Jan-24 | 0.50 | £50.00 | £125.00 |
| Dec-23 | -0.28 | -£28.00 | -£70.00 |
| Nov-23 | 0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 |
| Oct-23 | 3.43 | £343.00 | £857.50 |
| Sep-23 | -3.00 | -£300.00 | -£750.00 |
| Total | 4.78 | £478.00 | £1,195.00 |
Month One Update
It was an interesting start to my First Class Racing review as there were just 5 bets for the month due to the selective nature of the service. I recorded a small profit of 0.35 points, which based on the advised 20 point bank worked out as a 1.8% increase.
Mel is extremely disciplined with his tips and doesn't just recommend a bet for the sake of it.
He explained more about this in one of the tipping messages received earlier in the month:
"It's been a busy week with a lot of top class races to consider.
I find it quite easy, normally, to identify a horse that I consider better than the rest and ought to go very close to winning or placing to make profit or at least reduce a loss.
This week, that "special" bet has not identified itself.
I could easily place bets this weekend on horses I consider have very good chances but, long term, some will win and many will lose thus taking away any profits. Unless, of course, I get lucky! I am in the business of making solid bets that bring a return and a win % of over 50% confirms this."
Key Stats
| Advised Odds | Available Odds | BSP (before comm.) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Bets | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Total Stakes (pts) | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Profit/Loss (pts) | 0.35 | 0.35 | 0.29 |
| Profit/Loss (£50 stakes) | £17.50 | £17.50 | £14.50 |
| Strike Rate | 60.0% | 60.0% | 60.0% |
| ROI | 7.0% | 7.0% | 5.8% |
| Overall Bank Growth | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1.5% |
| Bank (20pt starting) | 20.35 | 20.35 | 20.29 |
Results
| Date | Race | Selection | Stake | Available Odds | P/L | Bank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15/01/2022 | Warwick 1.50 | Threeunderthrufive | 1.00 | 1.62 | 0.62 | 20.62 |
| 29/01/2022 | Doncaster 1.35 | Third Time Lucki | 1.00 | 1.73 | 0.73 | 21.35 |
| 29/01/2022 | Cheltenham 3.05 | Champ | 1.00 | 1.50 | -1.00 | 20.35 |
| 12/02/2022 | Warwick 2.05 | Edwardstone | 1.00 | 2.00 | 1.00 | 21.35 |
| 12/02/2022 | Newbury 2.25 | Clan Des Obeaux | 1.00 | 2.38 | -1.00 | 20.35 |
Month Two Update
It was a quiet month again for First Class Racing with just 2 bets between 15th Feb - 14th March. One lost and one won to give a profit of 1.25 points.
Cheltenham festival started the day after my results for the second month and day one was an excellent start, but unfortunately I had to wait until my next update to report those results.
Key Stats
| Advised Odds | Available Odds | BSP (before comm.) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Bets | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Total Stakes (pts) | 2.00 | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Profit/Loss (pts) | 1.25 | 1.25 | 2.23 |
| Profit/Loss (£50 stakes) | £62.50 | £62.50 | £111.50 |
| Strike Rate | 50.0% | 50.0% | 50.0% |
| ROI | 62.5% | 62.5% | 111.5% |
| Overall Bank Growth | 8.0% | 8.0% | 12.6% |
| Bank (20pt starting) | 21.60 | 21.60 | 22.52 |
Results
| Date | Race | Selection | Stake | Available Odds | P/L | Bank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19/02/2022 | Haydock 2.05 | Thomas Darby | 1.00 | 4.50 | -1.00 | 19.35 |
| 26/02/2022 | Kempton 2.25 | Pic D'Orhy | 1.00 | 3.25 | 2.25 | 21.60 |
Month Three Update
First Class Racing had a much busier time in month three of my review with two major racing festivals, Cheltenham and Aintree, happening in close proximity.
That being said, the tipster was still selective with his bets with a total of 18 tips for the month, netting a profit of 2.86 points.
With this service, the starting bank is just 20 points, so I set my stakes at £50 per point.
After three months, I had steadily made a total of £223 profit at an ROI of 18.2%.
Key Stats
| Advised Odds | Available Odds | BSP (before comm.) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Bets | 18 | 18 | 18 |
| Total Stakes (pts) | 17.5 | 17.5 | 17.5 |
| Profit/Loss (pts) | 2.86 | 2.86 | 4.17 |
| Profit/Loss (£50 stakes) | £143.00 | £143.00 | £208.50 |
| Strike Rate | 61.1% | 61.1% | 61.1% |
| ROI | 16.3% | 16.3% | 23.8% |
| Overall Bank Growth | 22.3% | 22.3% | 33.5% |
| Bank (20pt starting) | 24.46 | 24.46 | 26.69 |
Results
| Date | Race | Selection | Stake | Available Odds | P/L | Bank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15/03/2022 | Cheltenham 1.30 | Constitution Hill | 1.00 | 3.50 | 2.50 | 24.10 |
| 15/03/2022 | Cheltenham 1.30 | Constitution Hill (Place) | 1.50 | BSP | 0.35 | 24.45 |
| 15/03/2022 | Cheltenham 2.10 | Edwardstone | 0.50 | 3.75 | 1.38 | 25.83 |
| 15/03/2022 | Cheltenham 2.10 | Edwardstone (Place) | 1.00 | BSP | 0.35 | 26.18 |
| 15/03/2022 | Cheltenham 3.30 | Honeysuckle | 1.00 | 1.80 | 0.80 | 26.98 |
| 16/03/2022 | Cheltenham 3.30 | Shishkin | 1.00 | 1.91 | -1.00 | 25.98 |
| 17/03/2022 | Cheltenham 1.30 | Galopin Des Champs | 0.50 | 1.91 | -0.50 | 25.48 |
| 17/03/2022 | Cheltenham 2.50 | Allaho | 1.00 | 1.67 | 0.67 | 26.15 |
| 18/03/2022 | Cheltenham 1.30 | Vauban | 1.00 | 2.88 | 1.88 | 28.03 |
| 18/03/2022 | Cheltenham 1.30 | Vauban (Place) | 1.50 | BSP | 0.39 | 28.42 |
| 26/03/2022 | Kempton 2.05 | Fancy Man | 1.00 | -1.00 | 27.42 | |
| 26/03/2022 | Kempton 2.05 | Fancy Man (Place) | 1.50 | BSP | -1.50 | 25.92 |
| 02/04/2022 | Ayr 3.00 | Minella Drama | 1.00 | 3.25 | -1.00 | 24.92 |
| 08/04/2022 | Aintree 3.30 | Fakir D'Oudairies | 0.50 | 0.63 | 25.54 | |
| 08/04/2022 | Aintree 3.30 | Fakir D'Oudairies (Place) | 1.00 | BSP | 0.22 | 25.76 |
| 09/04/2022 | Aintree 3.00 | Edwardstone | 1.00 | 1.57 | -1.00 | 24.76 |
| 09/04/2022 | Aintree 3.35 | Flooring Porter | 0.50 | 2.63 | -0.50 | 24.26 |
| 09/04/2022 | Aintree 3.35 | Flooring Porter (Place) | 1.00 | BSP | 0.20 | 24.46 |
Month Four Update
Although there were some top class races, there weren't many betting opportunities in month four of our First Class Racing review. As always, Mel had been very selective with his picks and there were just five that fit his criteria.
I finished the month almost even with 0.11 points profit at the advised odds.
Key Stats
| Advised Odds | Available Odds | BSP (before comm.) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Bets | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Total Stakes (pts) | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Profit/Loss (pts) | 0.11 | 0.11 | 0.12 |
| Profit/Loss (£50 stakes) | £5.50 | £5.50 | £6.00 |
| Strike Rate | 60.0% | 60.0% | 60.0% |
| ROI | 2.3% | 2.3% | 2.7% |
| Overall Bank Growth | 22.8% | 22.8% | 34.1% |
| Bank (20pt starting) | 24.56 | 24.56 | 26.81 |
Results
| Date | Race | Selection | Stake | Available Odds | P/L | Bank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26/04/2022 | Punchestown 4.15 | Sir Gerhard | 1.00 | 1.73 | -1.00 | 23.46 |
| 26/04/2022 | Punchestown 5.25 | Energumene | 1.00 | 1.73 | 0.73 | 24.19 |
| 27/04/2022 | Punchestown 5.20 | The Nice Guy | 0.50 | 3.25 | 1.13 | 25.31 |
| 27/04/2022 | Punchestown 5.20 | The Nice Guy (Place) | 1.00 | BSP | 0.25 | 25.56 |
| 30/04/2022 | Punchestown 3.50 | Epatante | 1.00 | 1.83 | -1.00 | 24.56 |
Month Five Update
It was the fifth winning month in a row for my First Class Racing review, bringing my total profit up to 5.29 points. That worked out as a 26.5% increase to my starting bank of 20 points.
With the results from Royal Ascot to come, I decided to continue my review for another month to make it a total of six months.
Key Stats
| Advised Odds | Available Odds | BSP (before comm.) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Bets | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Total Stakes (pts) | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Profit/Loss (pts) | 0.73 | 0.73 | 1.9 |
| Profit/Loss (£50 stakes) | £36.50 | £36.50 | £95.00 |
| Strike Rate | 50.0% | 50.0% | 50.0% |
| ROI | 14.6% | 14.6% | 38.0% |
| Overall Bank Growth | 26.5% | 26.5% | 43.6% |
| Bank (20pt starting) | 25.29 | 25.29 | 28.71 |
Results
| Date | Race | Selection | Stake | Available Odds | P/L | Bank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15/05/2022 | Longchamp 2.15 | Catchet (Each-way) | 1.00 | 3.75 | -0.22 | 24.34 |
| 21/05/2022 | Curragh 2.45 | A Case Of You | 0.50 | 3.25 | -0.50 | 23.84 |
| 21/05/2022 | Curragh 2.45 | A Case Of You (Place) | 1.00 | BSP | 0.35 | 24.19 |
| 05/06/2022 | Chantilly 3.00 | Modern Games | 0.50 | 3.50 | -0.50 | 23.69 |
| 05/06/2022 | Chantilly 3.00 | Modern Games (Place) | 1.00 | BSP | 0.87 | 24.56 |
| 14/06/2022 | Royal Ascot 4.20 | Coroebus | 1.00 | 1.73 | 0.73 | 25.29 |
Month Six Update
There was yet another winning month for First Class Racing, making it six months in a row and a fantastic conclusion to my review.
There were just 7 bets in total but 4 of them won, adding 2.18 points profit to the pot.
Key Stats
| Advised Odds | Available Odds | BSP (before comm.) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Bets | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Total Stakes (pts) | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| Profit/Loss (pts) | 2.18 | 2.18 | 2.27 |
| Profit/Loss (£50 stakes) | £109.00 | £109.00 | £113.50 |
| Strike Rate | 57.1% | 57.1% | 57.1% |
| ROI | 36.3% | 36.3% | 37.8% |
| Overall Bank Growth | 37.4% | 37.4% | 54.9% |
| Bank (20pt starting) | 27.47 | 27.47 | 30.98 |
Results
| Date | Race | Selection | Stake | Available Odds | P/L | Bank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17/06/2022 | Royal Ascot 2.30 | Meditate | 0.50 | 5.00 | 2.00 | 27.29 |
| 17/06/2022 | Royal Ascot 2.30 | Meditate (Place) | 1.00 | BSP | 0.84 | 28.13 |
| 17/06/2022 | Limerick 7.25 | Raise You | 0.50 | 2.10 | -0.50 | 27.63 |
| 02/07/2022 | Sandown 3.35 | Vadeni | 0.50 | 3.00 | 1.00 | 28.63 |
| 02/07/2022 | Sandown 3.35 | Vadeni (Place) | 1.00 | BSP | 1.34 | 29.97 |
| 09/07/2022 | Newmarket 4.25 | Perfect Power | 1.00 | 3.75 | -1.00 | 28.97 |
| 09/07/2022 | Newmarket 4.25 | Perfect Power (Place) | 1.50 | BSP | -1.50 | 27.47 |
Review Summary
First Class Racing is different to any horse racing tips service that I have reviewed before, as the tipster takes an extremely selective approach to ensure consistent profits are made.
Only Class 1 races are covered by the service, so you are only betting on the best races in the UK and Ireland.
This meant that during my six month review, there were just 43 bets but there was a profit made in every single month.
Being able to achieve results like this means that tipster Mel Gee can operate the service with a small betting bank of 20 points. For example, if you have £1,000 bank, your 1 point stake would be £50.
During my review, I made 7.47 points profit at an ROI of 18.7%, which worked out as £373.50 profit based on £50 stakes. That was a 37.4% increase to my starting bank.
The service performed even better at Betfair SP, with 10.98 points profit at an ROI of 27.5%. Perfect for those who have been limited at the bookies.
Key Stats
| Advised Odds | Available Odds | BSP (before comm.) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Bets | 43 | 43 | 43 |
| Total Stakes (pts) | 40.0 | 40.0 | 40.0 |
| Profit/Loss (pts) | 7.47 | 7.47 | 10.98 |
| Profit/Loss (£50 stakes) | £373.50 | £373.50 | £549.00 |
| Strike Rate | 58.1% | 58.1% | 58.1% |
| ROI | 18.7% | 18.7% | 27.5% |
| Overall Bank Growth | 37.4% | 37.4% | 54.9% |
| Bank (20pt starting) | 27.47 | 27.47 | 30.98 |
If you are looking for a bet every day, then this certainly wouldn't be the tips service for you.
However, if you're seeking reliable tips backed by thorough research, ensuring you can place your bets with utmost confidence, look no further.
