myTrackMate – Everything you need to know

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  • myTrackMate – Everything you need to know

    myTrackMate – Everything you need to know

    The myTrackMate page is a personal homepage, a one-stop page where all your race card interactions are saved so you can see all your activity in one place. Everything from myTRACKER to mySLIPS and your betting history and statistics. Read on for full explanations for each feature and how to use them.

    Here is a full list of the “myTrackMate” page features:

    Live Race Cards

    TrackMate refers to all races which haven’t run yet as “Live” and are visible for all members. There is a link to today’s live cards in the sidebar options menu which looks like this .

    FREE Account Members will only get to see ratings for one card a day selected by the Trackmate Team (see Today’s FREE Race Card below) whereas Subscribing Members will get ratings on all “Live” cards as well as the uses of the Race Card Filter features.

    Historic Race Cards

    TrackMate refers to all races which have results as “Historic“. There is a link to historic cards in the sidebar options menu which looks like this .

    All members will have access to over 5 years of historic race card ratings making it a quick and simple to check and process results. These results and ratings are the perfect way to backtest your systems and strategies. Additionally, all subscribing members will have access to the Race Card Filters feature. Normally this is used alongside your systems on live cards, but it is also a very powerful tool you coan used to test your systems on historic cards.

    Race Card of the Day (Today’s FREE Race Card)

    The sidebar options menu also has a link to the race card of the day which looks like this . This race is selected daily from that day’s race cards by the TrackMate team.

    Normally it is a race of interest or just a race we feel should be highlighted, but can also be used for competitions and alike to identify a particular race. This button is only visible to subscribing members, if you are a FREE Account Member it will look like this instead and is the only live race card available with ratings. It is usually the same race card selected for all members, unless stated otherwise.

    myTRACKER

    myTRACKER is a list of all of the horses you have selected to keep an eye on. They are highlighted on every race card that horse has/will run in so they’re easily identifiable. You can also add/edit notes like why you selected this horse for each.

    How to add a horse to your myTRACKER

    When you click on the star icon to the left of any runner on a race card you will see a selection popup.

    Sample Race Card mySlips Star Icon - TrackMate
    The star icon popup menu button is grey when the horse isn’t selected.

    In the popup click on the star icon to add that horse to your myTRACKER.

    Sample Race Card myTracker Selected - TrackMate
    Selected icons will change colour when successfully selected.

    When you click on icon it will change to yellow to identify your selection. At the same time a simple form will dropdown so you can add notes. These notes will be available for you at all times from the race card or your myTrackmate myTRACKER section.

    Sample Race Card mySlips Notes - TrackMate
    Notes will popup when you click the icons, or when you hover over a selected icon.

    Your myTRACKER horses are highlighted on race cards

    Horses added to your myTRACKER will change the star icon on race cards to yellow to highlight that this horse has already been added to your myTRACKER selections.

    Sample Race Card mySlips Star Icon Selected - TrackMate
    The star icon will have a blue border if you have added this horse to mySlips.

    mySLIPS

    • Tracks your bets and logs them in your personal myTrackMate database.
    • Automatically calculates profits/losses and stores the data.
    • See your stats for today, the last 7 days, the last 30 days or all historic bets.
    • Track your win rate.
    • Auto updated ROI calculations.
    • Make notes in your MySlips.
    • Test your systems before you jump in by monitoring your selections statistics before you bet for real.
    • Use either fractional or decimal odds for your stats.
    • The TrackMate System will auto stake all bets from your mySLIPS with £2 stakes and use the SP as your odds unless specified in your slip.
    • Statistics and bankroll management software.

    Another great feature we offer our members is the mySLIPS bet tracking software.  When you find a horse that you are interested in having a bet on, simply click on the next to the horse’s name and save it in your mySLIPS which will then be visible on your mySLIPS section on your myTrackMate page. This process is the same as selecting a horse for myTRACKER (see explanation and image examples above in the myTracker section)

    The bet tracking feature is the ultimate way to track your success and implement great bankroll management skills which will improve your profitability immediately.

    The Trackmate Team

    When logged in as a registered TrackMate member you will see the members infobar under the main menu. On the members infobar you will see the button which opens the mySLIPS sidebar.

    Sample Race Card mySlips Closed - TrackMate
    The red number above the button represents how many slips you have in your mySlips.

    When you have selected a bet type for a horse from a race card it will automatically be placed in this mySLIPS sidebar. When open you will see a list of all your selected horses where you can enter your odds, stakes and bonus places.

    Sample Race Card mySlips Open - TrackMate
    This example shows the horse The White Mouse slip in mySlips.

    When you hover over the slip it will partially expand so you can see more info without having to select it. This is useful when you have multiple slips.

    Sample Race Card mySlips Hover - TrackMate
    The White Mouse when you hover over it.

    When you click on a slip it will fully expand. There are inputs on every mySlips slip which allows you to add the odds you have taken for your bet, which can be added as either fractional or decimal formats, the stake you would like to place and if your bet includes bonus places. The slip will automatically log your bet details, calculate your total stakes and predicted return/profit. You can choose if you’d like to see predicted return or profit in the settings on your myAccount page.

    Sample Race Card mySlips Clicked - TrackMate
    Edit “Odds” and “Stake” for each bet type and it calculates the predicted return/profit for you.

    You can check the total stakes and predicted return/profit for all the slips combined by clicking the “Current mySlips” header above the slips. This example says Current mySlips because the period has been set to “Race Card” as will be explained next.

    Sample Race Card mySlips Totals Clicked - TrackMate
    mySlips slip totals worked out for you.

    You can also decide what content period you would like the mySlips sidebar to show you. This example is set to “Race Card” which will only show your slips for the race card you are currently on. The title of the mySlip header will change depending on your selection. The selection is saved and will be used until changed again. Other options are “Yesterday” to only see yesterday’s slips, “Today” to only see today’s slips and “tomorrow” to only see what you have picked out for tomorrow’s races.

    Your myTrackMate data is automatically transferred to this page and will track your statistics for; wins, losses, win rate (%) and even your return on investment (ROI).

    Race Card Adjustments

    • View all your ignored/removed runners.
    • View all your ignored/removed runs.
    • Edit ignored/removed notes.
    • Remove/Reinstate/Reset runners and races back to their race card.

    Your myTrackMate page also allows you access to your personal database of horses and races you have ignored or removed. MyTrackMate Race Card Adjustments can be reinstated or leave them stored in your personal database.

    TrackMate 7 day Support

    You’ll also find a support link/button in the options menu for 7 days a week support from the TrackMate Team. The support button looks like this .

    If you need additional information or help using any feature, please use this link rather than the standard contact form. This support team link connects you directly so will get your requirements dealt with a lot faster.

  • How does TrackMate Work?

    How does TrackMate Work?

    The TrackMate race guides have been designed in such a way to be easy to read and easy to understand. Below are some examples of real race card ratings and how to easily start to pick winners.

    Rating Colours Explained

    We need to start with explaining what the rating colours mean before trying to explain anything else:

    Clear Top
    Top Rated
    2nd Rated
    3rd Rated
    4th Rated
    Rated Last
    No Colour
    Non-Runner
    –
    Not Rated

    Now you understand what the different colours represent… let’s move on.

    How should I be using TrackMate?

    There are many ways to use the TrackMate system and many ways to read the “picture” created by the colour-coded ratings integrated into the card.

    It can be used as your only method of selection or in conjunction with your own race reading abilities and knowledge of form. Both are extremely powerful.

    Remember, you do not have to bet in every race.

    The TrackMate Team

    Waiting for the right opportunity and most importantly, waiting for value is the key to success.

    Here are some examples of the type of picture you may come across:

    The “Messy Race”

    Sample Messy Race - 2019-08-03 Hamilton 17.50 - TrackMate
    Sample “Messy Race” – 3rd August 2019, Hamilton at 5:50pm

    In this race card example, you can see that the colours (ratings) all over the place. Nothing stands out as any better than the others because the colours are spread out across all of the runners.

    With this type of picture we would normally just move on to the next race… but is it worth a closer look? There might be an opportunity lurking somewhere. We are looking for a well-rated horse that represents good value.

    Can we clean up/filter the card and spot some value?

    Possible ways to clean a messy card:

    • Remove poorly rated horses from the ratings.
    • Check the going settings in the Race Card FIlter match today’s conditions.
    • Rate less runs. You can rate 3, 5 or 8.
    • Filter the remaining runners for Surface, Ground and Distance perhaps?

    If after exhausting all options you do not find an obvious or good value selection just move on to the next race.

    You do not need to find lots of selections. Just well rated and good value ones. If there are none that day, be patient, there will always be another race and another… and another!

    The “Standout Selection”

    You will see from this race card picture that there is an obvious contender. It is not hard to spot… green is good!

    Sample Stand Out Race - 2021-01-20 Southwell at 18.00 - TrackMate
    Sample “Standout Selection” – 12th December 2020, Cheltenham at 3:35pm

    The obvious horse to choose in the race above was “Bay Of Naples“. This picture indicates that the horse is:

    • Clear top-rated in “Rating 365”, “Rating Latest”, “Rating 100”, “Rating 200”, “Edge Latest”, “Edge 100” and “Edge 200”.
    • Top rated in “Win %”, “Fastest Standard” and “Average Standard”.
    • The stack best rating is top as is the stack latest.
    • The trend is improving/consistent.

    Everything you want in an investment based on the TrackMate ratings.

    The “Value Bet”

    Sample Value Bet - 2021-01-09 Kempton at 15.30 - TrackMate
    Sample “Value Bet” – 20th January 2021, Southwell at 6pm

    In theory all your bets should be value bets. The race example above is from this year’s ultra competitive Lanzarote hurdle and amazingly the winner “Boreham Bill” was totally unfancied at an incredible price of 66/1 and even bigger on the exchanges!

    In a scenario like this we would prefer the 80% to place and 20% to win staking strategy.

    In a big race like this one you will be able to obtain prices for as many as 6 places on the exchange.

    The “Lay Bet”

    Sample Lay Bet - 2019-01-05 Kempton at 17.15 - TrackMate
    Sample “Lay Bet” – 5th January 2019, Kempton at 5:15pm

    To those of you already familiar with the betting exchanges you will be aware of laying horses. It is essentially acting as the bookmaker and laying odds against the horse winning.

    In the above example the favourite “Luxford” looks like terrible value based on the TrackMate ratings and could potentially be the sort of horse you might want to lay on the exchanges.

    ALWAYS be cautious when using this function on an exchange. Make sure you understand betting exchanges before you attempt to lay horses.

  • TrackMate ratings and going changes

    TrackMate ratings and going changes

    The ground conditions for any race are the most important factor when deciding if you are to make an investment in your chosen race.

    If your horse is unlikely to act on the prevailing ground then you should not bet on it.

    The TrackMate ratings are calculated based on the prevailing conditions of each race.

    This is a very important feature of the TrackMate ratings and will save you an incredible amount of time when looking for a worthwhile investment.

    The default settings for your racecards can be seen on your Myaccount page.

    These settings can be set to display any range of ground conditions you would like displayed on your racecards as default.

    For example:

    Todays ground conditions at Newmarket are described as ‘good’.

    The system will display form achieved only on…

    Good/Firm – Good – Good/soft

    If the horse has form on ground softer than ‘Good/Soft’ it will not be displayed as it is probably not relevant to today’s race.

    You can refine your ratings further if you so wish.

    For example, if the ground conditions are Good – Good/Firm in places you may want to re-rate the race without form on good/soft ground ?

    Equally, if you so wish you can see all form (Max last 8 runs in last 12 months) on all ground/Going conditions by setting your cards that way in your default settings in Myaccount or using your race card options.

    IMPORTANT NOTE:

    We strongly suggest you use the default settings for filtering going conditions.

    If you would like to refine or widen your ratings for ground / going conditions you can do so quickly and easily in the race card option tab on all race cards.

    Beware Going changes

    If you are taking your betting seriously and as we strongly suggest, utilising the TrackMate bet tracking software you should always be aware of the conditions of the days’ races and the potential for them to change, sometimes very quickly.

    It is not unheard of for a beautiful summer’s days and Firm racing ground to change to Soft ground in the space of a couple of hours!

    We strongly suggest that if at all possible you do not bet on these days.

    Horses are entered in races with ground conditions that are ‘expected’ but not guaranteed.

    So a horse entered on Good/Firm-ground on a Monday might be facing much softer ground by the time racing starts.

    The ground conditions are incredibly important when it comes to assessing the merits of your potential investments and you should always be aware of the prevailing conditions.

    The TrackMate ‘Race Factors’ gives you a quick view and assessment of all the runners’ abilities to act under the current racing conditions. Please see the Race Factor guide here.

    WARNING

    Changes in going will alter TrackMate ratings.

    As each race is individually rated to the current race conditions they will invariably alter if and when the ground conditions change.

    The ground conditions are updated periodically in the TrackMate system and will be updated as and when possible during racing.

    You should always double-check your selections before investing if there has been a change in the ground conditions.

  • Betting For Value

    Betting For Value

    If you are serious about making racing pay you should be betting for value.

    There should only be two reasons why you are betting on the horses and they are:

    1/ To have fun and enjoy the sport

    2/ To make money (or at least not to lose)

    In order to make money investing in horse racing the single most important thing you must do is bet for value.

    You should be looking for horses that look ‘Overpriced’

    It’s not the ‘Buzz’ of winning short-term that should get you excited but the expectation of building your bankroll in a steady and organised structure.

    The Math is important.

    Ok. So you have a really respectable strike rate of about 30%. That is a pretty impressive wine rate and not easy to achieve.

    The reality though, is that even with a strike rate as good as this, you are unlikely to be a long-term winner !

    Why ?

    Because unless you are regularly backing winners with a price of at least 3/1 and higher you will struggle to make a profit.

    That changes everything or at least it should.

    We are not saying that you should not back shorter-priced horses. What we do suggest though is that you monitor your win rates closely in order to find any potential leaks in your strategy

    By utilizing the TrackMate bankroll management and bet tracking software you can track your profit and loss, strike rates and win rates as well as your ROI.

    These stats are so important to your success and should be used religiously in order to maintain an accurate record of your bets and returns.

    It’s better to miss a winner than back a loser !

    Remember. You should be betting for value.

    It is very tempting to back the really well-rated horses regardless of price. They just look so good !

    But before you back that juicy-looking 2/1 favourite you need to know if it is a long term profitable play?

    What is your strike rate with horses in this price range?

    Is it high enough to warrant an investment or is it best to just let it run?

    By monitoring your ROI and win rates you will over time learn your most profitable angles and price ranges.

    So what should you be looking for when you are making your selections ?

    There are a few criteria that you should be looking for when making your selections.

    • Well rated horses – Use TrackMate ratings to find well-rated horses
    • Choose well-rated races. – Try to select horses in races with plenty of form on offer
    • Try to avoid ‘Dodgy’ races – Races such as Amateur jockey races should be avoided
    • Look for horses with all the race factors in their favour – Does your selection act under the prevailing conditions?

    Once you have made your list of selections we suggest you then check the prices on a site such as oddschecker or your betting exchange of choice.

    This is your opportunity to thin your list based on ‘VALUE’

    Is your 6/4 favourite really worth an investment or do you just let it run?

    Remember you need a very high strike rate to even have a chance of breaking even by backing 6/4 shots !

    We suggest that you try to make as many of your selections as possible Win/Place bets. You should aim for a minimum price of approx evs (2.0) as a target for your place bet and the best price you can achieve in the win market if you can achieve your place bet target.

    Betting for Value – Back to Win and Place for maximum profits

    The best way to profit from horse racing is to back your value selections to both Win and Place and preferably with a betting exchange to achieve the best prices available.

    There is nothing more frustrating than seeing your horses just getting beaten time after time so why not try to profit from these situations?

    Horse racing is after all not an exact science and we are after all dealing with animals!

    The margins between winning and losing are very often very small and you can often miss out by the smallest of margins. In these situations, we firmly believe that the way to combat this is to back as many of our selections with a minimum place price requirement.

    By betting this way and as long as your selections have a fairly good strike rate you will, more than often at least cover your win bet with the place bet.

    Very often, although small in terms of overall profit, the place side of the bet will be profitable in its own right and long term profits are very achievable just from the Place “savers”.

    Over time, this method will almost inevitably result in shorter losing streaks and steady long term profits.

    Use the extra place markets to reduce variance.

    We strongly suggest that you use a betting exchange for your horse racing betting. You are almost guaranteed to achieve much better value on your selections than you would with a bookmaker.

    One of the benefits of the exchanges is the ability to bet on your selections to place only.

    Very often you will find horses that can be backed at very good prices in the place market and we strongly suggest that you should be backing your horses to both win and place.

    Depending upon your level of “tolerance” to losing streaks it is a good idea to sometimes take a look at the extra place markets.

    The exchanges will usually have an extra places market which gives you the ability to cover your win bets with an extra place on offer.

    For example, a 10 runner race would normally pay 3 places. Very often there will be a 4 place market giving you the opportunity to cover your win bet with even less long-term risk.

    Treat your Place bets as full bets.

    When backing a horse to win and place we like to treat the place bet as a full bet rather than part of an E/W bet.

    So for example.

    You are currently staking £10 per ‘point’ on your selections on the betting exchange.

    Your selection is 6.0 (5/1) for the win and 2.2 (5/4) to place.

    You should back this selection £10 to win and £10 to place which is ‘2 points’

    If you are backing to win only you should be staking at 1% of current bankroll or 1 point.

    We strongly suggest that you have a bankroll of at least 100 points (bets) but preferably at least 200.

    A 200 point kitty will give you a bankroll of 100 win/place bets and should be comfortable with a good strategy and selection process.

    A more cautious approach to win/place staking.

    There is a more cautious approach to this form of betting. Remember you should always be betting for value.

    This method places more of your stake in the place market than the win market and the inevitable higher place strike rate becomes more profitable.

    The most common way to split these stakes are 60/40 – 70/30 – 80/20

    This approach is exactly the same as the straight win/place method but uses a slightly more cautious approach to the staking.

    When backing your value selections you should be looking for horses with prices from about 4/1 and higher. These selections will normally have a place price in the 1.8-2.0 + range.

    You will invariably get many more selections that place than win and you should stake accordingly.

    This will reduce your losing streaks and increase returns on your placed selections.

    When betting for value your aim should always be to keep losses to the minimum. By making your place bets as profitable as possible you will see long term growth in your bankroll.

    For example:

    Instead of staking £10 win and £10 place, you would stake £12 to place and £8 to win.

    The place side of these bets will win more often than the win side of the bet.

    This method will improve your place returns but slightly decrease your win returns.

    An even more cautious approach to your staking would be to use just one point per bet and ‘split’ the stake.

    So, when staking 1% of your total bankroll per bet you would just split the stakes as above.

    If your bankroll is £1000 and your stake is 1% or £10 you can split the £10 stake into

    £5 win and £5 place

    £4 win and £6 place

    £3 win and £7 place.

    This will obviously reduce the returns and increase the time it takes to grow your kitty but will be much easier to ‘handle’ the inevitable losing streaks you will encounter.

    Does it really matter how long it takes to grow your bankroll?

    The secret to enjoying your betting is comfort. You cannot and will not win if you are worried or stressed about your bankroll.

    Only bet what you are fully prepared to lose (all of it!)

    Stake your bets in such a way that losing runs are easy to handle and comfortable in terms of losses.

    Read all about losing streaks and how to handle them here.

  • 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

  • Warning – New Flat season starts

    Warning – New Flat season starts

    BE CAREFUL !

    You may have read my previous post When seasons change. If not, it might be worth having a look as it is highly relevant to today’s post.

    This is a funny time of year and one of the times in a season to be very cautious with your investments.

    There are now a huge amount of horses that are starting their new flat turf racing campaigns and have no recent form.

    They are predominantly summer horses and have been trained specifically to run in the summer on turf.

    Many have not raced for the best part of six months and many will need the race to get to full race fitness, equally, others are coming to the end of both the winter all-weather racing and the National Hunt jumps racing season.

    It always takes time for the current seasons form to settle in.

    So What’s changed ?

    The the majority of flat turf races will now start to include horses with no recent form. This makes reading a race much harder.

    Other reasons why early season races should be treated with caution.

    • The horses that have been running all season in both National Hunt and All-Weather races will potentially be ‘over the top’ or basically, they have had enough for the season.
    • There will always be a well-rated horse in every race but not every race is worth a bet.
    • Many horses that are running in the next 4-6 weeks will improve for the run.
    • There will be many races with unrated horses that have yet to run this season.
    • All-weather form does not always translate well to turf form and vice versa.

    What should I do?

    Be careful!

    For the next month or so the flat turf season will be gaining momentum and there will be more and more relevant form for the system to devour and analyse as the days and weeks go by.

    We ALWAYS suggest that at the start of a new season bets should be kept to a mimimum in order to protect your bankroll.

    Weird things happen early in the season when there is little or no recent form.

    Be selective and protect your bankroll

    There is so much racing these days that you can afford to wait. Just because we rate every race does not measn we have to bet in every race.

    One of the hardest things to do is to pick which ones of the many well rated horses there will inevitably be on a daily basis.

    These are a few things you can do when making your decision whether to bet in a race or not.

    Is the race adequately rated?

    How many horses in the race are rated by TrackMate with preferably more than one recent outing?

    We suggest that any race should have a TrackMate rating for at least 2/3 of the field.

    Are any unrated horses prominent in the betting market?

    Unrated horses will always be a danger. More so when well fancied in the market. If unrated horses are in the top 2 in the market we suggest no bet or caution with staking. Maybe a place higher portion of your stake to place.

    Is your horse rated on recent form or older form?

    It is always worth noting how long your horse has been off the track. If there are fitness doubts, be careful. There is no form like recent form.

    What price is your selection in the market?

    We rarely put our members off backing selections at big prices. They do win sometimes!

    But…..

    Not many horses win at odds of over 25/1 and even these are fairly rare and definitely hard to find!

    When picking horses at long odds make sure you are happy to do so with the attached risk. They will not win very often.

    We have had winners at all sorts of crazy prices as have our members but it doesn’t happen very often and in this day and age the market really is a true indication of your horse’s chance of winning.

    The most profitable price range to be betting in is the 2/1 – 16/1 range and definitely to win and place if the place price allows it in terms of value. We try our hardest to make even money a minimum price on any bet we make.

  • Search Profiles Explained

    Search Profiles Explained

    TrackMate has a huge database of all UK & Irish horse racing stats going back multiple years. Including Horses, Jockeys, Trainers, Owners and Tracks. This page will explain how to search profiles to access the data you need to make your selections.

    Before you think “I know how to search… I don’t need to read this” have a look at Why Should I Use Search Profiles at the bottom of this page. It explains how the search profiles pages will help you understand how to use the profiles information to pick your betting selections.

    Table of Content:

    There are a couple of ways to search TrackMate, but you will need to be logged in to be able to see the buttons.

    How to Search - TrackMate
    Homepage Search Options

    Once logged in you will find a search button in the Members Infobar at the top of all pages (see number 1). There is also a search button on the homepage (see number 2).

    The Search Page

    The TrackMate search page gives you access to the whole TrackMate UK & Irish database for Horses, Jockeys, Trainers, Owners and Tracks/Courses.

    Search Page - TrackMate
    Sample TrackMate Search Page

    On the search profiles page there are multiple search option boxes. Click on the search input box, type the exact or partial keyword of your search then click the search button.

    Search Results

    If your search is accurate enough or only matches one result then you will be sent straight to the profile page for that keyword search. Otherwise you will be shown the multiple search results page.

    Search Results - TrackMate
    Sample TrackMate Search Results for the keyword: PRIDE

    You will see all the possible search results for your keyword as buttons which will link to each profile. This page will include all possible results whether they are a part match or a full match in alphabetical order. You will notice that your keyword has been highlighted and underlined showing how the match was found.

    Find the profile that you are looking for, click on the button and the search profile page will load.

    Search Profiles

    This is a sample profile page for “BARONIAL PRIDE” as of February 2021. TrackMate’s profile pages are constantly evolving to help give you as much relevant and useful information and statistics as possible.

    You can also view this search profile by clicking on a horse’s name on any race card.

    Search Result - TrackMate
    Sample TrackMate Search Profile for “BARONIAL PRIDE”

    This search profiles result for “BARONIAL PRIDE” shows [at the time of the screenshot] the following information for this horse:

    • Its gender is Colt
    • Age is 5
    • Parents names are Mayson and Trust Fund Babe
    • He has entered and run in 14 races
    • 1 win at a win percentage rate of 7.14%
    • 5 top 3’s at a rate of 35.71%
    • His average finishing position is 5.64th which equates to the top 58.09% of the field
    • and that he has won £15,565.46 in prize money

    The list of races show the dates, courses, distances, going, jockey etc. for each race entered/run even including the SP. Each row is a different race and when clicked will load the race card for that race.

    Profile Types

    These are all the different search types currently available on the search profiles page:

    • Horse Profiles
    • Jockey Profiles
    • Trainer Profiles
    • Owner Profiles
    • Track/Course Profiles

    Each search profiles type shows majoritively the same information with slight differences depending on the type. For example any information that isn’t relevant to that type.

    Why should I use Search Profiles?

    Great choice! You have either read the whole page or taken our advice at the top to read this section. Either way it was the right decision. Now let’s look at why you should use the search profiles pages.

    The simple answer to why you should use the search profiles pages is… “to help you pick your selections”.

    Obviously there is no fool proof method to pick winners, but using TrackMates advanced ratings on each race card as well as the profile information and statistics on the profile pages will no doubt help.

    For example… a horse profile page will show you the win rate for that horse as well as what percentage of the time it finishes in the top 3. This information is invaluable to help you decide what type of bet to place. If a horse is fancied to do well in a race and has a high top 3 percentage but a low win rate, you could us this information to help you to decide back the horse to place rather than win.

    As mentioned above, this isn’t fool proof… but it can definitely give you an insight and advantage you otherwise wouldn’t have had.

  • Frequently Asked Questions

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Here is a selection of our frequently asked questions. Most answers to help you understand how Trackmate works can be found in the Guides & Instructions pages, but if you have a question that isn’t answered below then click here to ask us your question.

    If you are looking for the meaning of terms we use throughout the site, then please check out our TrackMate Terminology page.

    How do I sign up for the Free 7 day trial?

    You can find the promotional code on the membership page. Select the membership package you want to sign up for and enter the code when entering your card details in the purchase form at the bottom. You will then get the first 7 days for FREE.

    How do I see Today’s FREE Race Card?

    You will need to register for a FREE Account and be logged in. Then there will be notification at the top of the page to direct you to “Today’s FREE Card”. If you are a subscribing member then “Today’s FREE Card” is renamed “Card of the Day”. There is also a link on your myTrackmate page.

    Can I use TrackMate on my Phone or Tablet?

    TrackMate has been designed to work on all devices, but will work best on a computer or tablet. As long as your device can connect to the internet you can view the TrackMate race cards and ratings.

    How much does TrackMate cost?

    You can join TrackMate for FREE by registering for a FREE Account. Free members can view the “Today’s FREE Card/Card of the Day” and as many historical race cards as you want. You can also see our subscription membership options on the Membership Options page.

    I’m new to racing… will I find it too complicated?

    Maybe at first, but then that is true for anything new to you. But TrackMate has been specifically designed to make selecting your horses easy and most of all fun. The simple colour coded ratings make it easy to spot the contenders in seconds.

    Find out more about how easy TrackMate is to use in our Guides & Instructions.

    I need some help… what do I do?

    No problem… we are available 7 days a week. Contact us with any questions you may have on our contact us page and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

    Why can’t I see the ratings?

    FREE Account members can view all race cards but will only get ratings on “Today’s FREE Card”. You must be logged in and a subscribing TrackMate member to see the live race cards.

    There are four ways to view the TrackMate ratings. Top right of your page on the menu you will see three icons:

    • The “Races & Results” button.
    • The “Today’s Races” button.
    • The “Race Picker” button which i an icon that looks like a clock.
    • The “Date Picker” button which i an icon that looks like a calendar.

    Click here to view the Guides & Instruction page for more information about what each button does.

    How does TrackMate work?

    You can find all the information you need on the Guides & Instructions pages.

    What are mySlips?

    mySlips are the TrackMate version of a betting slip. The difference is that the information you input is stored in your personal myTrackMate database where you can monitor your selections profit and loss figures, strike rates and more.

    Check out the Guides & Instructions pages to find out more about mySlips and myTrackMate.

    Should I bet on the Contenders?

    That is entirely up to you. The contenders are selected to give our members an idea of how to read the ratings. You will soon see a pattern in the “picture” we select. These selections should run well and are generally profitable to follow.

    Why do the colours change when I make alterations in the Race Card Filter options?

    The colours on the race card represent the order in which the horses are rated based on the conditions of today’s race and any historical form under similar conditions. When changes are made to the race card default settings such as the ground conditions, the system will re-rate the race based on the new filtered options. This will often change the ratings of the runners and consequently, the colours will change to reflect those changes. Similarly, if you remove a runner or a race from the rating calculation the colours will also change.

    Click here for more information on the Race Card Filters.

    Why do you only rate the last 8 races?

    At TrackMate we are firm believers that the most important form is recent form. The last 8 runs should be more than enough data to gauge what sort of form a horse is capable of achieving.

    Why can I only see soft ground form?

    This will be because the race you are rating is to be run under similar conditions. The TrackMate ratings are set by default to only rate form over the last 200 days and under similar conditions.

    If a horse has form on good to firm ground and today’s race is on soft ground there is no point in rating the horses Firm ground form. It will be totally irrelevant. If however, you want to see all the form from this horse this season you can alter the settings in your myAccount page.

    For a full explanation see our Guides & Instructions pages.

    I don’t understand the STACK. What is it exactly?

    The STACK is a graphical representation of a horses’ form. There is a full explanation of how to understand the images on the Guides & Instructions pages.

    What’s the difference between Bright Green and Green rating boxes?

    Both greens indicate a “TOP” rated horse, but bright green signifies that the horse is “CLEAR TOP” rated. Clear Top means that the horse in question is comfortably better rated by a few points for that rating category.

    Why are there so many GREY boxes on the race cards?

    The grey boxes on the race card will indicate one of 3 things:

    • The horse has not raced this season so is technically unrated.
    • The horse has no “relevant” form to rate for this contest
    • The horse is rated “in the middle” of the pack. There is no need to “colour” a rating worse than 3rd

    Why is this horse that ran last week not rated?

    This is probably because it doesn’t qualify (which could be for various reasons) for the race card race you are currently looking at. Reasons could be that it didn’t run on the same ground or in the same race type.

  • 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.

  • Daily Contenders

    Daily Contenders

    This is a list of possible contenders we have picked for today’s races. They have been identified solely using TrackMate’s colour-coded ratings and graphical tools available to all members.

    These contenders are purely intended as an insight into how to read the race card ratings on TrackMate’s system. They are NOT tips or any kind of inside information. So must be treated as just a starting point to help guide you towards reading the ratings for yourselves.

    They should run well though!

    Further explanations on our race guides, ratings and strategies are available on our Guides & Instructions pages. You are also welcome to contact us using our contact form at any time with any questions you may have.

    We are a form guide and ratings service… NOT Tipsters!

    We provide an incredible tool and our unique ratings are integrated into the race cards. This enables members to quickly and easily spot which horses to concentrate on when making their selections for the day.

    The ratings are simple to read and we have extensive TrackMate guides available to help you to learn how to utilise TrackMate to its fullest and understand how you can pick winners.

    There is a lot of racing these days providing us with plenty of opportunities to find profitable bets… so we should be as selective as we can.

    We rate every race, every day so nearly all of these contests will give you a horse that looks like the best in the race. This does not mean you have to back them all.

    Very often the hardest thing when backing horses is deciding which ones to invest in. With up to 60 races a day it can sometimes be very hard to decide. There will often be quite a few horses that look worth an investment.

    If you haven’t looked already you can view today’s contenders here.

  • Coping with Losing Streaks

    Coping with Losing Streaks

    You will encounter losing streaks in any system you decide to follow, whether it’s just plain old form study, paid for information, or selections given by computer programs.

    The secret to enduring losing streaks is to stake correctly according to your bankroll size and always have a mentality that you will stick it out. If you are fully prepared to lose your kitty when you start then you must have the balls to see it through to the end.

    There is no such thing as a system without losing runs. It’s going to happen and there is nothing you can do about it.

    We have seen staking plans take kitties down to the last couple of bets only to turn around and end up profitable at the end of the season. If you have staked an amount you are fully prepared to lose in the first place and this worst-case scenario happens you can always start again!

    How Can I Reduce My Losing Streaks?

    This is not an easy question to answer. It is all about comfort and allowing your head to “detach” itself from losing. It will happen regularly and you must be able to cope. If not, then I am afraid this game is probably not for you.

    Estimates longest losing streaks
    We suggest you take the worst case scenario and double it to set your stake size.

    Your estimated longest losing streak can be roughly estimated based on you strike rate and this information is available to you if you use the bet tracking system in your myTrackMate page.

    Just add the odds and your stake size and TrackMate will do the rest.

    It’s All About Comfort

    If you feel comfortable making your bets, everything else gets easier.

    Do not get complacent though. Do not get tempted to start “chasing losses” when in the middle of a losing run. This is a BAD thing to do.

    Stick to your staking plan and you should be ok.

    If you are using a method similar to us, which is 1% of bankroll per bet, you will have at least 100bets before your kitty runs out.

    With careful selection processes, this should be more than enough.

    The “Odds” of your selections.

    Generally speaking the higher the odds of the selections you are backing, the less often they will win.

    There is a lot of knowledge in the market and the odds offered are normally a fairly good indicator of the chances your selection has to win.

    The secret is to find selections that the market look to have priced in your favour and offer good value should your horse win or place.

    “Place Only” Bets

    One way to reduce the length of losing runs is to start your journey with “place” only bets.

    By using a betting exchange you have the ability to back your selections to place only. Although the profits take longer to accumulate, your losing streaks will definitely be shorter and your strike rate higher.

    “Win / Place” Bets

    Another good way of reducing “variance” is to place bets in both the “win” and “place” market. One of the many benefits of the betting exchanges is the ability to back your selections with “weighted” stakes.

    For example: If your selection is trading at 5/1 or 6.0 on the exchange.

    With a bookmaker, generally you would have to back the horse each way in order to get a return for the horse placing and bookmakers are not known for their generosity when it comes to pricing horses with firm place claims

    You should be getting at least 4/1 when betting each way or your return on the place side of the bet is poor value. The minimum return on an e/w bet should be as close to break-even as possible.

    On a betting exchange you would be able to split your stakes and back the horse in the “Place only” market. You would probably be able to achieve anything from 5/4-7/4 place only.

    In this scenario if you placed what we call a 70/30 or 80/20 bet.

    If you split your stake and placed 70% to place and 30% to win. You decrease the variance significantly and as long as your selection places your bet will be profitable.

    You should always be looking for long term slow and steady profits. This is not a get rich quick scheme.