I agree with you absolutely La Mer. I have added barrier draw figures to a couple of successful ratings systems and found in both cases that I have had a small increase in winners but a decrease in POT.
If anyone is interested I found that races with less than 8 runners weren't significantly affected by the barrier draw and for over 8 runners the best factor to use was 0.25Kg per barrier position. This didn't differentiate between different courses or distances and that is where any significant gains from barrier assessment must surely come. Barrier draws are complex beasts before you even take into account how a race will be run but overall as La Mer indicated over rated by the punter.

KV

Results of test back to 1 Jan 04, metro only, Saturdays only, good and dead tracks only.

Including barriers 1 to 7 only
WIN
Races Bet : 685
Races Won : 231
S.R./Race : 33.7%
Outlay ($): 1208.00
Return : 1247.80
$ Profit : 39.80
% P.O.T. : 3.3%

All barriers
WIN
Races Bet : 779
Races Won : 294
S.R./Race : 37.7%
Outlay ($): 1680.00
Return : 1587.30
$ Profit : -92.70
% P.O.T. : -5.5%

Interesting figures Le Mer.

I'm tweaking these rules to include: "ignore races with a strong PP favorite under $3". That would have at least dropped out Syd. R4, R5 and R8 and left a win in R3 Wild Queen $5.70. There were 2 scratchings: Adl. R4/4 and Melb. R5/4. That would have been 7 bets instead of 10 and a small loss rather than a canning. Also I thought Melb. was Slow not Good when I put up the runners, so the Melb. selection would have been different [no better result though].

Get rid of Group [and Cups] races and the system might have a life. Group races need their own system I think. My original sytem excluded them and I only added them at the last minute [big mistake as there was too many Group bets] because I get hounded every time I say Group or Cup races are lousy prospects in a system.

*For Syd. Adl., Brisb.and Melb., Metro any day.

1. Exclude Group and Cup races and races with a strong Favorite less than $3 PP.
2. 3yrs. old and up [exclude 6yr. olds and up as contenders], 1400 to 2240m.
3. Must have had 3 runs in and be in barrier 1 to 7.
4. PP price between $3 and $9 [can use any reasonable source].
5. Last start 18 days or less.
6. If good or dead track must have won in either.
7. If slow or heavy track must have won in either
8. If more than one contender choose the lower TAB number.

Looks like my original rules now :-)

Blocka: "crash, the barrier data includes all metro tracks for the indicated state."

Sorry Blocka, I must have been having a 'senior's moment'. I didn't notice the Syd. figures along with the Melb. figures. Thanks.