If you’ve bet on racing for any length of time, you’ll know the name. Tom Segal has written Pricewise since 2001, and there isn’t a tipster in the country with a bigger reputation.

The column was built on a simple but, at the time, revolutionary idea: find horses whose chances are better than their odds suggest, rather than simply picking winners. That’s value betting, and Tom has been doing it at the highest level for a quarter of a century.

The headline moment came in 2005, when he tipped winners on ten consecutive Saturdays. He was so influential that William Hill’s chief executive told shareholders their profits would have been better but for Pricewise. I can’t think of a higher compliment a tipster could receive.

That influence is also the thing to understand before subscribing. When Pricewise is published, the bookmakers react, and the advised prices can disappear very quickly. It’s the same story as with any big-name tipster, just on a larger scale. If you’re going to follow Tom seriously, be ready the moment the column drops, and accept you won’t always get the headline price.

It’s also a big-odds approach. The value is in the double-figure prices, which means winners are spread out and losing runs can be long. You need patience and a sensible bank to ride them out.

What you do get is genuine expertise across all the major meetings, and a Racing Post+ Tipping subscription includes other respected names like Paul Kealy, Johnny Dineen and Steve Palmer, so there’s plenty for your money.

A true great of the tipping world. Just follow him with realistic stakes, and get in early.

18+. Please gamble responsibly — BeGambleAware.org.