Hi all, I am a new contributor with a question for you all. I run and maintain my own database on Australian and New Zealand horse racing, and as such I class in kilograms every single meeting, picnics included, that is run in Australia. I have a written program that does it, and I merely need to check them to make sure they are right. The program is excellent and the class figures are right. This means I have an extremely accurate database which I use to punt. My question is this:

As an extra income stream, would these class figures be saleable? IE, is there a market for class figures on all races, so people with databases of their own wouldn't have to do their own classing and wouldn't have to rely on the general class figures that database providers, but would instead have my excellent and accurate figures which they could simply pump into their own databases?

To me, it seems a shame that I don't use this that I have created to more advantage than just my own punting, which is why I am considering this option.

Thoughts please?

There are mugs out there that would buy them and i for one say if you can make a buck from it go for it....i prefer to do my own form...i think it brings more satisfaction.....if they are that good you could always turn pro....then you could get all the chicks with the money you won...and all your friends would think you were god.

This would only be class figures they would be getting, ie the kilogram figure which expresses the strength of the race, from which weight ratings can be derived. They are the basis of a weight ratings method (methods employed by the likes of the late Don Scott, by Mark Read and others). I wouldn't do the form for them, like you I agree that satisfaction comes from the intellectual challenge and from getting it right, I would merely be provoding the class figures for those who have a database of weight ratings or who want one, meaning they would have at their disposal and for their use weight ratings for all the horses they were doing the form for, and believe me it helps when you're doing the form. Weight ratings are not the be all and end all, but they are great way of sifting the grain from the chaff. (I think that's the saying...)

Any one else got opinions on this too?

How about slapping some of your rating selections on the forum.
Seeing as you are not selling anything as yet,I'm sure the management would not see your tips as contrary to the terms of use.

Below are my assessed prices, to an 80% value market, for the Cox Stakes in WA tomorrow. Again though, what I wanted to stress is that I wouldn't be selling SELECTIONS or TIPS, but class figures for races gone by, which people can use to do their own form.

That being said, here's some tips LOL

15 Free at Last $3.30
11 Mr Sandgroper $4.80
3 True Steel $7.00
13 Crown Prosecutor $13.00

I like the top two very much actually. Will be taking the quinella and backing Mr. Sandgroper if he's value. Free at Last unlikely to be much longer than the assessed price so prob won't back it. Definitely having a good go the quinella though.

Good luck, and if others have opinions as to the validity of making KILOGRAM CLASS FIGURES available for sale, please respond.

Cheers.

I use to use weight ratings but decided to make my own.....will post mine tomorrow and see what difference we come up with

Price Predictor Pro already has ratings which automatically calculate, so does Winline GTX, so you're really battling against established products unless you have an outstanding ratings system.

Can I ask a question though...

Are your ratings from a horse's career performance, last few starts or last start performance?

Duritz,

Whether it's class ratings, price assessments, rankings, single selection tips etc., believe me there's no easy money out there to be made by selling them. The general perception of the punting public, which is incorrect, is that there is.

The market is saturated - and includes plenty of outrageous claims which makes distiniguishing anything that is half decent over the long term from the rubbish very difficult for any prospective purchasers.

There are also of course advertising or internet site expenses which will rapidly eat into proceeds from sales.

Cheers,
Neil.

Well can I say it is very refreshing to see management contributing rather than feeling intimidated or threatened.
Well done Neil.
Seems Rikki's talents are contagious.

I agree with Neil.

I would add this:

1. You will never make any money by marketing race information to the mug-punter losers that populate TABs - they don't see gambling as an investment, and are not prepared to pay for better information than that which is free on the wall, newspaper, sky channel etc.

2. It will be difficult for you, a new player, to compete in the "serious" market because accurate class/weight/race ratings already exist, are readily available, and are cheap (perhaps even free). Therefore, I doubt you could compete on price.

3. If your selling point is that your computerised class figures are more accurate than those available in the market place, you would have to prove this to potential purchasers by direct comparison over thousands of races/ horses. By revealing such information, you would allow simple reverse engineering destroying any value in your IP.

4. You could sell your race ratings, selections, or analysis. Some such services come and go almost overnight, while some (such as the service connected to this site) have stood the test of time. The percentage of start-up businesses that fail in the first year is high and I bet racing services are even more likely to fail.

5. For the above reason, I reckon you'd be better off punting your money on your selections than spending money on advertising.

Good luck!