TrackMate Race Factor Ratings

Category: Race Cards

  • TrackMate Race Factor Ratings

    One of the most important things anyone interested in making horse racing profitable should know, is that the “Race Factors” are just as, if not more important than the ratings themselves.

    What are Race Factors ?

    As we have mentioned before there are certain things you must take on trust when backing a horse.

    It must be fit enough to do itself justice and it must be trying to win the race or at least obtain the best possible finishing position.

    As long as this is the case then the rest is up to you!

    So what else is important when deciding if your horse is capable of winning this race ?

    You need to know if this horse can perform in:

    • This class of race
    • At the distance of todays race
    • On the prevailing surface and ground conditions
    • At it’s current handicap or official rating.

    These are your four “Race Factors”

    It is all very well and good having fantastic ratings but they do not always tell you the whole story.

    The race factors listed above are just as important in your selection process as the ratings you are using to make your selections and also one of the most time consuming.

    Some races will have very little data for you to check the race factors.

    This should generally be an indication to be cautious.

    It means that we really do not know whether these animals can act at their best under todays prevailing conditions.

    Do you feel that you have sufficient confidence that your selection will act under todays conditions or are you just guessing?

    TrackMate’s “Race Factor Ratings”

    On the left hand side of all TrackMate race cards you will find the Race Factor Ratings.

    These ratings have been designed to work hand in hand with the Main TrackMate ratings and quickly provide you with all the information you need in order to assist you in your selection process.

    Easily see at a glance if your selection is suited by todays conditions.

    Colour coded to match the main ratings the race factor ratings include:

    CF = Class factor rating – Trackmate rating based on previous form in todays race class.

    DF = Distance Factor rating – Is the horse suited by the race distance

    GF = Surface/Going Factor rating – Horses ability to act on todays surface or ground conditions.

    OF = Handicap/Official rating Factor – TrackMate Handicap Rating – Chances of winning based on official rating under todays conditions.

    You can see in the above image that the selection. GOOD EARTH was not only rated very well in the main Speed and Edge ratings but the Race Factor Ratings were also indicating that the conditions of todays race were well within his abilities.

    In fact most of the runners in this race had conditions to suit. Although well rated by TrackMate. SHINING has no winning form in this class and has no winning form on this surface.

    This would perhaps confirm that the best value bet in this race is indeed GOOD EARTH.

    The three boxes within each rating indicate from top to bottom whether the horse has:

    Top box – The Overall TM Rating for Class – Distance – Going _ Handicap rating

    Middle box – Indicates winning form in above Race Factors

    Bottom box – Indicates winning place form Race Factors

  • TrackMate Warning System™

    TrackMate Warning System™

    The TrackMate Warning System identifies all races deemed as “High Risk” and flags them so you can immediately identify such races and treat them with caution.

    NEW TRACKMATE WARNING SYSTEM FEATURE IS COMING SOON!

    Races will be clearly indicated on the race card when implemented.

    There are no hard and fast rules. There will be plenty of well rated horses that win in all of the race types listed.

    Take extra care when selecting investments from race cards which have been identified as “High Risk”. Do a little extra research into your selection before jumping in.

    The TrackMate Team

    Risk is part of the game, but we try as often as possible to make sure we have the best chance of winning… regularly!

    We try to keep losses as small and infrequent as possible and one of the best ways to do that is to avoid “High Risk” races.

    Here are some of the factors the TrackMate Warning System analyses when identifying “High Risk” races:

    Low-Class Races – Class 6-7 (45-65 in Ireland)

    There is a lot of low-class racing in the UK and there are many more low-grade performers than high-class ones. These races are generally contested by poor quality horses. These animals are likely to be inconsistent and will rarely run two races alike.

    However, there are well handicapped horses out there as well as improvers and course specialists etc.

    Essentially you should be more selective if choosing to invest in this sort of race and we suggest you try to concentrate on very well-rated runners with one of the top jockeys riding who are more likely to get the best performance from the horse.

    “Selling & Claiming” Races

    A “selling race“, or seller, is one in which the winner is put up for auction immediately after the race.

    All of the horses in a Selling Race except the winner, which is auctioned on the racecourse, and all of the horses in a Claiming Race are able to be claimed at a value set against the horse by the trainer when making the entry.

    Usually fairly poor horses. Not really races to be investing in.

    Amateur Riders Races

    Very often both poor horses AND poor jockeys.

    Races with “Little or No Form”

    If a race has little or no form, the runners that are rated will obviously look better than they potentially are.

    Be careful, there can always be a better-unraced or un-rated horse in the mix. We have a top-rated horse who looks great, but can it beat a horse with no form at the top of the betting market? Is it worth the risk?

    Competitive “Big Field” Races

    We are not saying that you should not bet in big field races. There is an old saying in racing… “The bigger the field the bigger the incertainty” this can definitely be true. We just advise a bit of caution when looking at these highly competitive races.

    These races are very difficult to win and even more difficult to predict the winner.

    Races like these vary often have a significant draw bias and there are also many “bad luck” stories from runners who get blocked in their run.

    Again, we are not saying don’t bet in these races but if you do be aware that they are not easy to predict.

    Split stakes win/place or just wait for a better opportunity and enjoy watching the race. You might even find a future winner to stick in your notebook.

    Group 1 & Championship Races

    This might look like a strange one but is highly relevant.

    These days many of the big group races in both the Uk and Ireland have foreign horses running in them.

    These horses will be unrated if they haven’t run in the UK before. They are very difficult to rate against the European horses without the form from previous races.

    Be careful when looking at these races and note any unrated horses in the market for a clue to the chance it has in the race. Big races are also very highly competitive and are contested by only the top horses in the world. Again, not impossible but very hard to pick horses in these races.

    Hunter’s Chases

    Hunter Chases take place at national hunt racecourses, but are only open to horses that have hunter certificates.  Hunter certificates are issued to horses that have hunted for at least four days in the season before racing starts in January.

    National Hunt Flat Races (NH Flat)

    These are generally educational races for future jumpers. They are all young, immature and inexperienced horses.

    Jumpers Bumpers Meetings

    A recent innovation. These meetings are run on All-Weather tracks and were introduced to enable National Hunt horses to race when the weather has been bad and we have lost many meetings due to the weather.

    Definitely NOT races to be betting in.

    If you have any questions or comments with regards to the TrackMate Warning System or ratings click here to contact us and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

    TrackMate does not encourages reckless and unaffordable gambling. We recommend that readers who engage in gambling do so responsibly and set financial limits. If you have a concern about problem gambling, you can contact GamCare on 0845 6000 133 or gamcare.org.uk.

  • The Perfect Picture

    The Perfect Picture

    Is this what the ideal potential bet should look like ? We think so!

    There is a horse running today that seems to fit the ideal profile of a TrackMate investment.

    In the above race, the 16.12 at Newcastle Greengage is clearly the one to be interested in.

    Clear top-rated over all 3 time periods in the EDGE ratings he is also clear top-rated in the TM ratings.

    His TM speed ratings “stack” is clear of the field indicating that his latest run is better than the rest of the field’s best run! He is consistent and has form in the same conditions as today’s race.

    The only negative here is the fact that the race is a class 6 which are generally contested by poor, inconsistent horses.

    Greengage is a course and distance winner and in fine form which is more than can be said for the rest of the field.

    At the time of writing this one is 3/1 so looks like a great value investment.

    Either way and win or lose a picture like this is definitely one you should all be looking out for.