Eddie Wood
Flat Racing course strike rates by Eddie Wood
Part three of his unique stats of strike rates at British race courses
This article completes our “In Search of Winners” series. It will give you an excellent start to the coming Flat season and will lead to a profitable conclusion. In the table below, you will see a trainers’ strike-rate in race categories at specific Great British racecourses. We selected trainers who achieved a minimum strike-rate of 30% in all qualifying race categories. A further caveat was that the number of winners in each qualifying race category was five or more. This represented one winner for every year we researched from 2013 to 2018. Some of the statistics will blow your mind.
When I was a very young man learning the skills of racehorse investing proficiency, I listened to people saying to leave apprentice races, amateur races, selling races and female riders alone. In my mature and more experienced years, I can tell you that on all accounts my informers were wrong. Just think of the female riders today, particularly in National Hunt racing. There are six or more who can hold their own at the highest level.
But personally, one of the most surprising statistics has come from the apprentice race category. Many trainers support these races and have strike-rates below the benchmark of this article, but there are many of them in the 25% to 29% bracket.
If you go to Chester races, you must look out for an Andrew Balding runner in any apprentice race. The strike-rate of 66.7% is a brilliant statistic. If you are a Southern racegoer at Salisbury, Joseph Tuite won with five out of nine of his apprentices during the research period. I applaud both trainers for supporting these young riders, especially with their combined strike-rate of 61.1% from eleven winners out of eighteen runners.
These hidden statistics are missed by most everyday backers. But Jess and I are very much aware of this concept and will right the wrongs in the not too distant future with a series of books on each racecourse in our Winning At series.
Next month will be an extremely interesting start to the negative side of our research. These informative statistics will not only save you money but can increase your profitability, particularly when looking for value bets. The Americans call it the line, we call it a tissue. Here, I refer to the only way you can ensure a longterm profit; it will identify the best horses to bet on if one or more are available at a better price than their true chance of winning.
I am writing a book on this subject called The Masterform Tissue. For more information, please see our advert under Masterform Publications. You will also see details of our recently launched book, The Masterform Horseracing Investor’s Guide. We wish to thank all the readers of Racing Ahead who have supported us not only by purchasing it, but with your letters and telephone calls praising its contents. Until next time, good investing.