In a world full of technology, the problem can be information overload, and you have to make your own decisions having sifted through the many levels of assistance available over the internet. I like to deal in facts not rumours so race times come pretty high on my list. It may seem glaringly obvious but each and every race is always won by the horse in the fastest time on the day, be that after a late sprint or a war of attrition, and looking for a horse who has already recorded respectable times over similar distances is a good starting point.

 

Next on the list is always the going – although some will tell you the best horses will handle any going that is the most unutterable drivel and every horse has his or her optimum conditions which should be glaringly obvious from a quick look at its win record. If the ground is wrong it does not mean they cannot win, but it does mean their chances are reduced accordingly.

 

Course and distance is always a decent measure as well, as here in the UK we have such a wonderful variety of race courses, left handed right handed, flat, undulating, uphill and downhill finishes. Although some courses are comparable, the easiest option is to look for previous course winners as there is evidence they do handle whatever can be thrown at them.