The Racing Checklist

Course

Look at the horse and trainer record at the course. If the horse is yet to have a run at the track, look for results at a comparable course i.e. galloping track, undulating etc.

Does the trainer do well when sending their runners to the course? How far away is it from their stables – perhaps significant if only sending one runner for a low grade race and the course is a long way from home?

Trainer

Look into the trainer’s record in the last 21 days, researching their actual number of winners compared to their actual number of winners. Take a historical look at how the trainer performs at the particular time of year to gain an idea of whether they display any seasonal bias.

Yards who are out of form (especially when they usually operate at a reasonable strike rate) should be treated with caution as baron spells are often the result of illnesses at the stables, which can affect the whole string, impacting upon performance.

Horse

How does the horse get on at the time of year? Some horses display biases based upon the season. This can be down to their training regime, natural cycles, or preference for certain weather conditions.

Jockey

How does the jockey do at the course, have they ridden the horse before and what is their record like at the track?

Distance

How has the horse performed when tackling the distance? Will a change in trip suit on breeding? What sort of record does the trainer have over the trip?

Some trainers such as Alan Swinbank and David Nicholls excel at certain distances (Swinbank with stayers, Nicholls with sprinters)

Headgear/First Time Headgear

Can be investigated from a horse, trainer and sire perspective. Analyse trainer and sire performance when using the headgear and look to see how the horse performed with headgear in the past (if applicable)

Days Since Last Race

Check the individual horses and the trainers’ performance off similar absences from the track to see if there is a pattern and whether the length of time off is a positive or negative.

Change in Class

Is the horse running in the same class as LTO? If not, has it run in this class before and how has it performed? Some horses struggle significantly when upped in class – the races are not necessarily always run faster, but horses have to contend with rivals with more class and acceleration.

Conversely, certain horses (usually the smaller ones) can do better in higher class races where they have to carry less weight.

Race Type

How does the trainer perform in these contests? Is the horse switching from a different race type, such as maiden to handicap company? If so, how does the trainer do with his horses switching race types.

Certain handlers are adept at getting their runners well handicapped for their first foray outside of maiden company, whilst others (think Tom Dascombe – 0/61 with 3yo maiden to handicap switchers) are not.

Last Time Out Winners

How well do the trainers do with their last time out winners, and how has the horse performed on the back of a victory before (if applicable)
Surface switchers – Soft/Firm, Turf/All-Weather etc. – What sort of ground has the runner been competing on recently?

If it is changing surface, how has the horse and its sire performed on different circumstances? Could the change of ground prompt improved form?

Number of Runners

How has the horse done when competing in a comparable field size? Not a concrete rule, but front runners by and large do better in smaller fields where they can dictate, and hold up horses prefer more runners for an increased probability of an even pace.

Racing Style

How does each runner generally run and what is their record when adopting different styles of running i.e. do they excel when front running, or perform better when held up, etc.

Draw & Pace

Is there a draw and pace bias at the track? Where is the early pace going to come from and what tempo is the contest likely to be run at?