Hi,

I have a few quuestions i was hoping you guys could answer for me. On the form i often see a small x in the last 6 races form eg 234x07 what does the x stand for? also does the 0 mean last?

also after some brief descriptions of different race types. i understand a handicap gives different weights to carry depending on the horse. what about stakes races? also whats the go with groups? group 1 group 2 etc?

thanks

Simon

x means the horse had a spell of at least 3 months generally, some forms are less than 3 months but 3 months is the general way it goes.

0 means the horse finished 10th or worse or in some from guides last. e.g. if there was only 5 horses instead of putting in a 5 they put in a 0 meaning it finished last of 5 horses.

group 1 is the highest graded race your horse can race in. e.g. melbourne cup, caulfield cup, golden slipper to name a few.

group 2 is the 2nd highest

followed by group 3 then listed races. open handicaps. welters. class 6 down to class 1 and maidens for horses that have not won a race (except for hurdlers) but that might complicate things for you. lol.

then in some country races you have class a class b etc. again that probably wont interest you at this stage.

hope this helps you out

cheers

__________________
LOve all sports.

helps a lot breadman, I was on the right track but it's good to have it confirmed. now to pick some winners!

Start with $2 bets and keep a record of all bets and returns + or - until you can show a profit over three months. You will have as much fun as having $50 bets, but will never lose the rent /mortgage money. If after 30yrs. your still on $2 bets, welcome to to the real world of punting [for 95% of punters anyway], but at least you were smart enough to save yourself from losing a small fortune :-))