I'm fairly new to punting and I'm still learning the basics. I've collected lots of opinions and info on selection criteria and methods. I'm trying to make sense of it and get it clear in my mind. I'd greatly appreciate any further ideas or advice from punters on-line here.

I'm a hobby punter, not a professional, so there are limits to the amount of time I can devote to studying a race. I want to limit it to what I can easily extract from the Sportsman guides.


It seems to me I need to look at:

1. Physical factors

Barrier, weight, number of runners, length of race, state of track. etc. The immutable parameters of the race.

2. Non-horse factors

Trainer and jockey. (Horses are not greyhounds after all.)

3. Career Form

Place average, prize average, performance over the distance and at track. Class. What calibre horse?

4. Recent Form

Last four starts, last run, days since racing etc. Improving? How's it running?

5. Analysts

Handicappers and race analysts, tipsters, the markets. I can never have the depth of analysis of the experts: I'd be a fool not to listen to what they have to say.



That's an aweful lot of data to synthesize. I'm spending about 45 mins on a race. And then, of course, having studied it in depth, and having ruined your eyesight on the fine print in the form guide, you might come up with... the favourite.

I'm looking for an elimination device. How can I narrow a race down to a manageable number of runners to study without eliminating winners too often?

What is best? A ranking method of analysis or an elimination method? I've been working on a ranking system. No doubt there are hundreds of them around already, but my way is to build my own system from scratch so that I understand each element. I'm keen to hear voices of experience though...

Great forum. Some very useful stuff. Thanks to all. Happy punting. Not a good weekend for me at the track. Oh well...

Hermes