Your first instinct was the correct one, I guessing that you are scavinging these from here and everywhere free? Take everything disregard nothing. If you realy want to get serious about a database then use a service, there are several that arent that expensive, but Im sure that I cant name them here?

Make your database as a two fold thing; one database with the data that you want which is realtive to the rest of the horses in the race, things like weight, TAB rating and all the things.

Then have a second database where you store as much information about the horse individually. That includes his past starts, the times he ran if you can beaten marging that sort of thing. From this way you can discern patterns of performance that most people have no possible chance of seeing. How did the horse perform last first up ?? The first up before ???

I was recently having a discusion with a friend of mine who couldnt see how I could have a certain horse on top first up since its form was 4 starts fup - 1 place ...... Yet the horse was just unlucky all its runs were less then 2 lengths of the winner that to me indicates horse that performs well, it proved it that day when it soundly beaten all its opposition whom I rated as not being up to his standard. That sort of thing will be unnoticed by those that have minimal form and overall stats. What is more better a 6th position beaten 1.5 lengths or 2nd beaten 3 ???

My personal opinion is that you get the results that you put in yourself, by all means collect the Unitab ranking but for christ sakes create your own, dont bet on horses because everyone else is on them, there are lots of free giveaways like TAB ratings and tips ..... if they were actually profitable to a degree that they could replace the wages of those that create them that these people would be crating them and giving them away for free? There are no secret angles in using free for all facilities there are so many that have gone through these with a microscope if there is one its over bet and underperorming. Trust me there are smarter people then you and me combined. The only success you will find is creating an opportunity that arises from circumstances where your rating is individul. Its all about consistancy do you know what goes into making the TAB rating ? Have they changed the parametrs since they started? Are you double dipping by adding performance indicators that have already been considered in creating of the rating? What about the tipster was he fully concentrating when he did the tips or did he run late that day and skiped a few things?

When you undertake such a job of creating a database why then handicap yourself with a dependancy on others?

Michal