Hi everyone. I, like many others that have visited this excellent forum, am a relative newcomer to the exciting world of punting. I have been actively betting for just over a year after most of my friends had been doing it for years.

I reckon that I can analyse the form pretty well now but the one thing that I still struggle with the classes that races are allocated. Several times I have lost out because a horse has gone up in grade, I haven't realised, backed it lost my dough. The reverse applies. A horse drops in grade, I don't pick it, and it wins.

Could you great forum-ites please give me (us) a breakdown or description the different types of classes / grades of races.

Seeker

G'day Seeker11,

There are so many race classes it's hard to keep track of.
Even different classes in different States and they keep changing the conditions and names.
Oh for the simple classes of years ago!

In fact I hear that there is going to be a further change this month.

Without listing every class and variation here as it would take two pages here is my rule of thumb.

Look at the race prizemoney.
If you subscribe to HTML formguides this is contained within the form. There are also websites which contain race prizemoney information.

It is not 100% accurate as you can have a lower class race with higher prizemoney, but it is definitely a rough guide to class.

If a horse is racing in a race with an increase of only $2,000 then chances are it's probably the same class, but obviously if it's increasing by $10,000 or more usually it's stepping up in grade.

Someone else may be able to provide you with more accurate way of determining the class, it's just a general shortcut I use. It's not foolproof but rather a general guide.


[ This Message was edited by: Chrome Prince on 2003-10-10 15:20 ]

G'day Seeker

http://home.it.net.au/pipermail/aus...ber/010522.html

will give you detailed explanations of the classes of races. It may not be entirely current as it is a little old but worthwhile looking at.

Cheers

Privateer

Thanks to you both Crome Prince and Privateer for your responses.
Privateer, I have only just glanced at the web-page but it seems to be up to date and quite detailed for what I wanted and I would recommend it to all.
Crome thanks as well I think your advice will be handy for me as a way to seperate the "gallopers from the goats"!

Seeker