Been seeing a lot more race previews lately leaning hard into sectionals, trial vision and stable mail instead of just the old form guide stuff. Feels like every big meeting now has some last-minute angle getting pushed once scratchings land and the track rating shifts. Not a whinge, just seems like the way plenty of punters are reading a race has changed a fair bit.
For the metro cards especially, I reckon late info matters heaps more than it used to. Jockey changes, map updates, tempo calls, whether the inside is off by race 3... that sort of thing can flip a race on its head by the arvo. Then for provincials and country meetings, I still see plenty of people sticking with basics like class drop, fitness and trainer intent.
Curious what everyone here is using most right now when you're sorting through a meeting. Are you backing your own form first and only checking the market late, or are you waiting for track pattern and yard/mail stuff before having a crack? Keen to hear what's been holding up lately, especially with the bigger carnivals on.