Follow A Trainer (or 2)
 

It's fairly well proven that if you back every horse in a decent city trainer's stable, you'll lose. My theory is that there's not much difference between the big boys and the better bush trainers. In each decent bush stable there comes along a couple of good one's every now and then, usually the trainer has a share and if lucky, a few long suffering punters may get in on the act too. There's usually a few decent punters attached to the stable who will sling the trainer after a win. Assuming we've set the horse for a certain race, you can bet your bottom dollar only a couple know about it. Loyalty goes out the window when there's a dollar to be made in this filthy industry. It's my opinion that only the better horses in the trainers stable (one which the trainer may have a share in too) are the ones the pros are likely to punt on, and it's these better horses that get the star treatment, and are "set" for certain races.

Race day comes along, the horse is hard and fit, all systems are go. The best the trainer can do has been done. We know the opposition, we don't know whether they've improved, gotten bigger and stronger since the last campaign, we only know our horse is ready to run well, it's in a class it can win in, and everything is spot on. There's probably a few other horses/stables in the very same race in exactly the same position as us too! There's no certainties.

It's so hard to win a race ..... and there's a lot that can go wrong between the barrier and the post. The trainer can get it wrong beforehand too ..... didn't handle the track, who's fault is that?, had one run too many this time in even tho' it was rock hard and fit?, add your own list here.

I propose one of the more sensible ways of "possibly" making a quid is to do some research on some decent out of town trainers and put together a small stable of horses to follow for a season or two. I've spent a lot of time on this and provided your confident the horses in your stable are very good, then the hardest thing to overcome is to forgive a few bad runs, but that's what you have to do. One of the better trainers I follow has a shocking strike rate overall, but has a couple in the stable that salute quite regularly. These are the ones you want.

I also have a trainer that just seems to get it right with one certain breed of horse. Am I nuts?

It's worth noting that quite a lot of the owners have far too much influence on where and when the horse runs and this usually ends in tears, but the good horse in the stable is usually well and truly under control of the trainer. If that doesn't appear the case then he's not a trainer to put on your list.

I could write pages on this ..... :)

Good luck!

Some trainers do excel with a particular breed. You're not nuts there.

You could do a lot worse than pursue this line of thinking Tipsy.
Back in the day I used to follow Noel Kelly in Victoria when he took one to town, and when he used to winter a few in Qld he was worth following.

Also Kerry Walker in NSW. He had one that won a big Sydney mile, DINKY FLYER was it's name, paid over $20 too.