Yes, it still works. I’ve been using it for the last 5 years with good results. I have logs of all the bets etc if anyone would like to see (not sure what the rules are with sharing in this forum).
For anyone interested you can use the Betfair api and automate it all too.
Is little Acorns genuine or a blag!?
Just to add, in five years I had one run of “losses” up to the end of the Fibonacci series (9 losses in a row) which was the scariest moment in it.
Who knows when I’ll hit another, they must come round every so often but my bank is now easy big enough to take the hit.
Who knows when I’ll hit another, they must come round every so often but my bank is now easy big enough to take the hit.
I asked AI what this system was, here is what it said.
Little Acorns Betfair Trading System – plain English overview
In a nutshell
Little Acorns is a horse-racing lay system sold since 2003. You lay short-priced favourites on Betfair before the off and let the result stand. The vendor markets it as low liability and “trading”, but there is no in-running hedging – it is a straight lay-to-lose approach backed up by a progressive staking plan.
Core entry rules (original UK version)
1. Choose UK races only.
2. Lay the favourite when its odds are between 1.50 and 2.00.
3. Make sure the second favourite is 6.0 or shorter and the third favourite 10.0 or shorter so there are at least two realistic dangers.
4. Skip any horse marked “BF” (beaten favourite last time) in the Racing Post card.
5. Place the lay about 15 minutes before the start, confirming the odds still sit inside the 1.50-2.00 band.
Optional filter: stick to all-weather and NH bumper races if you want a slightly higher strike-rate, but you will get fewer bets.
Staking plans
The manual suggests four options; the flagship one is a Fibonacci loss-recovery ladder (1-1-2-3-5-8-13-21-34 points, then reset). The vendor says you need a 176-point bank; many experienced layers prefer 400-plus points for safety. Other options are “add the loss to the next stake”, a two-steps-back approach, or simple level stakes.
Strengths
• Liquidity is rarely an issue when laying odds-on favourites on UK racing.
• Simple rules make it easy to automate.
• Still on sale after 20-plus years, which suggests it is not outright junk.
Fragile bits to watch
• Independent tests show most of the net gain comes from the aggressive staking, not from a big edge in the selections themselves.
• An extended losing run can wipe a small bank. For example, 11 losers in a row at odds of 1.98 would eat 177 points using the standard ladder.
• Stakes escalate fast (for instance £10 becomes £55 by the eleventh step), so the psychological pressure is real.
• The market has become more efficient since 2003; always re-test on recent data before committing real money.
• Despite the sales copy, it is not “trading” in the sense of greening up – it is purely a mechanical pre-race lay system.
Verdict
Little Acorns can grind out a thin edge, but without the loss-recovery staking the advantage almost disappears. With the staking in place it behaves like a soft martingale that will eventually collide with a painful losing sequence, so you need a big enough bank and the stomach to ride out drawdowns. Treat the vendor’s compound-growth charts as marketing fluff, size your bank prudently, and you will have a modest, set-and-forget lay routine – just do not expect it to be genuine trading.
Little Acorns Betfair Trading System – plain English overview
In a nutshell
Little Acorns is a horse-racing lay system sold since 2003. You lay short-priced favourites on Betfair before the off and let the result stand. The vendor markets it as low liability and “trading”, but there is no in-running hedging – it is a straight lay-to-lose approach backed up by a progressive staking plan.
Core entry rules (original UK version)
1. Choose UK races only.
2. Lay the favourite when its odds are between 1.50 and 2.00.
3. Make sure the second favourite is 6.0 or shorter and the third favourite 10.0 or shorter so there are at least two realistic dangers.
4. Skip any horse marked “BF” (beaten favourite last time) in the Racing Post card.
5. Place the lay about 15 minutes before the start, confirming the odds still sit inside the 1.50-2.00 band.
Optional filter: stick to all-weather and NH bumper races if you want a slightly higher strike-rate, but you will get fewer bets.
Staking plans
The manual suggests four options; the flagship one is a Fibonacci loss-recovery ladder (1-1-2-3-5-8-13-21-34 points, then reset). The vendor says you need a 176-point bank; many experienced layers prefer 400-plus points for safety. Other options are “add the loss to the next stake”, a two-steps-back approach, or simple level stakes.
Strengths
• Liquidity is rarely an issue when laying odds-on favourites on UK racing.
• Simple rules make it easy to automate.
• Still on sale after 20-plus years, which suggests it is not outright junk.
Fragile bits to watch
• Independent tests show most of the net gain comes from the aggressive staking, not from a big edge in the selections themselves.
• An extended losing run can wipe a small bank. For example, 11 losers in a row at odds of 1.98 would eat 177 points using the standard ladder.
• Stakes escalate fast (for instance £10 becomes £55 by the eleventh step), so the psychological pressure is real.
• The market has become more efficient since 2003; always re-test on recent data before committing real money.
• Despite the sales copy, it is not “trading” in the sense of greening up – it is purely a mechanical pre-race lay system.
Verdict
Little Acorns can grind out a thin edge, but without the loss-recovery staking the advantage almost disappears. With the staking in place it behaves like a soft martingale that will eventually collide with a painful losing sequence, so you need a big enough bank and the stomach to ride out drawdowns. Treat the vendor’s compound-growth charts as marketing fluff, size your bank prudently, and you will have a modest, set-and-forget lay routine – just do not expect it to be genuine trading.
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jamesedwards
- Posts: 4133
- Joined: Wed Nov 21, 2018 6:16 pm
I don't see any edge here then. Based on this then it's just a watered-down martingale? Will win most of the time but will occasionally wipe you out.Simone wrote: ↑Fri Aug 01, 2025 12:57 pmI asked AI what this system was, here is what it said.
Little Acorns Betfair Trading System – plain English overview
In a nutshell
Little Acorns is a horse-racing lay system sold since 2003. You lay short-priced favourites on Betfair before the off and let the result stand. The vendor markets it as low liability and “trading”, but there is no in-running hedging – it is a straight lay-to-lose approach backed up by a progressive staking plan.
Core entry rules (original UK version)
1. Choose UK races only.
2. Lay the favourite when its odds are between 1.50 and 2.00.
3. Make sure the second favourite is 6.0 or shorter and the third favourite 10.0 or shorter so there are at least two realistic dangers.
4. Skip any horse marked “BF” (beaten favourite last time) in the Racing Post card.
5. Place the lay about 15 minutes before the start, confirming the odds still sit inside the 1.50-2.00 band.
Optional filter: stick to all-weather and NH bumper races if you want a slightly higher strike-rate, but you will get fewer bets.
Staking plans
The manual suggests four options; the flagship one is a Fibonacci loss-recovery ladder (1-1-2-3-5-8-13-21-34 points, then reset). The vendor says you need a 176-point bank; many experienced layers prefer 400-plus points for safety. Other options are “add the loss to the next stake”, a two-steps-back approach, or simple level stakes.
Strengths
• Liquidity is rarely an issue when laying odds-on favourites on UK racing.
• Simple rules make it easy to automate.
• Still on sale after 20-plus years, which suggests it is not outright junk.
Fragile bits to watch
• Independent tests show most of the net gain comes from the aggressive staking, not from a big edge in the selections themselves.
• An extended losing run can wipe a small bank. For example, 11 losers in a row at odds of 1.98 would eat 177 points using the standard ladder.
• Stakes escalate fast (for instance £10 becomes £55 by the eleventh step), so the psychological pressure is real.
• The market has become more efficient since 2003; always re-test on recent data before committing real money.
• Despite the sales copy, it is not “trading” in the sense of greening up – it is purely a mechanical pre-race lay system.
Verdict
Little Acorns can grind out a thin edge, but without the loss-recovery staking the advantage almost disappears. With the staking in place it behaves like a soft martingale that will eventually collide with a painful losing sequence, so you need a big enough bank and the stomach to ride out drawdowns. Treat the vendor’s compound-growth charts as marketing fluff, size your bank prudently, and you will have a modest, set-and-forget lay routine – just do not expect it to be genuine trading.
