Puntz,

I agree that can be a problem with any software development - there is always the potential for the software developer to try to steal your idea for his/her self. There are a number of things you can do to try to protect yourself here.

1. Find an honest developer with references you can verify, etc.
2. Always get the developer to sign a non-disclosure agreement before you give them any information you are concerned about. I always have one of these with the clients I work for. Of course it won't stop them using the info but at least you can sue them into bankruptcy if they ever sell a product based on your documented ideas!
3. When designing the software make sure it works with a set of parameters which you will enter at a later date. For example lets say you want the system to pick out runners in 1000m-1200m races that finished 1st or 2nd last start and where starting price is from $5 to $15. The specification for the programmer would be that the race has to be from Distance1 to Distance2, the last finishing position P1 to P2, the price from Price1 to Price2, the Barrier from B1 to B2, etc. When you get the program you then fill in the parameter table with the values you want (so Distance1=1000, Distance2=1200, P1=1, P2=2, Price1=$5.00, Price2=$15.00, B1=1, B2=24). This way the programmer has no idea about what parameters you are using and which ones are important - in above example he doesn't know that barrier is irrelevant to you. This also has the advantage that when you decide to change a parameter you don't have to pay the programmer again to modify the program.

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"Computers can do that????" - Homer Simpson