Been getting a bit more into the horses lately and I'm still trying to work out what decent punters look at first. Some mates swear by barrier and jockey, others are all about track condition and late market moves, and one bloke I know just backs anything that ran well second-up... somehow he still jags a few.
I'm not chasing magic winners or anything, just keen to hear how you lot narrow a race down without going cross-eyed staring at the form guide. Do you start with class, tempo, trainer patterns, sectionals, weight... or do you chuck half of that out and keep it simple?
Also curious if anyone's got a rule they stick to for metro vs country meets, wet tracks, short-priced favs, that sort of thing. Feels like there's always one thing I miss and then afterwards it's bloody obvious. Keen to hear how others read a race.
▲ 0#2
One thing I'm curious about with your process - do you try to build the race from the likely lead and settling spots first, then look at the form after that? I found it got a lot easier once I stopped reading every line on every runner and just binned the ones that were going to get a messy run. Interested if anyone here actually does a rough map before they even check prices.
▲ 0#3
I reckon late money sends heaps of punters sideways tbh. By the time everyone piles in you've usually missed the good bit anyway. Do you lot make your own rough price first or just pass the race if the market's doing weird stuff? that's the part that sorts me out more than all the barrier chat
