Raw, You don't have to defend yourself for searching for value. That is the whole idea of handicapping, not to just pick who crosses the line first. Often now, I won't bother backing a horse in Australia to win because the US pools are so screwy that sometimes place divs are about the same and give you a much better chance of collecting. A useful tool at the Turf Club is the TV with the High/Lows for win place show on each horse, so you know exactly what you will be getting. Might see a Hawkes runner bet to even money for win and 3/2 for place, you just have to do the work and walk over to the screen.