You would think so wouldn't you, but every bit of research I've done suggests that this is a myth. I've even spoken to a professional punter in Britain who says that this is true of UK racing as well. Finishing position believe it or not is far more important when looking for profitable angles than beaten margin. And if you use ratings among filters, then beaten margins data will already be built into those figures anyway.

The only things I've ever found to be useful regarding beaten margins are at the extremes. Horses that win by big spaces >2 or 3 lengths do have high next start strike rates, but some pretty sly filters are required to overcome the tight prices that eventuate. I've seen a couple of angles on horses beaten a long way also, but only in very special situations and even then it's not that great.