Original rules:
....................Newspaper and Coffee......................
1) No Maidens, 2yr. olds, hurdles, stakes, cups, or group races
2) 3 to 6 yr olds racing on a good track only
3) No more than 100m down or 200m up in distance
4) Pe-post on the first 3 betting lines only [newspaper or whatever]
5) Must be the 4th start in from a spell only
6) Last start on the same day of the week 7 or 14 days ago
7) Must have won at the track or distance
8) Wed. or Sat. Metro only
9) If more than 1 selection, choose the smaller TAB number
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Latest rules [today]:
..................Newspaper and Coffee......................
1) No Maidens, 2yr. olds, hurdles, stakes, cups, or group races.
2) Distance 1100m to 2050m on a good track only.
3) 3 to 5 yr olds only and not a female against a male.
5) Last start 16 days or less or for Wed. or Sat. meetings, 7 or 14 days only.
6) Must be the 3rd or 4th start in from a spell and have won or placed in one of them.
7) No more than 100m down in distance or 100m up unless won or placed at futher distance.
8) Must have run at distance [+/-50m] and placed at the distance within 3 runs at distance and won at distance within 5 runs..
9) Must have placed at track within 3 runs there and won at track within 5 runs there.
10) Pe-post on the first 3 betting lines only [newspaper or whatever].
11) If more than 1 selection choose the runner with the inside barrier.
I generally use:
http://www.tabform.thewest.com.au/j.../TFFrameset.jsp for PP odds [often not available until after 9am for minor race days], because I read the Age newspaper, which has only the local Vic. meetings odds except Sat. meetings.
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The expanded distance and track rules avoid a won at the track horse but who has had more than 5 starts at the distance with no wins and more than 3 starts without placing.
Also, avoids a runner that has won at or placed at the distance, but has had more than 5 starts at the track with no wins and more than 3 starts without placing.