CHAPTER FIVE

.
SPEED FIGURE STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL

As I mentioned earlier, retrieving speed figures from the weekly results supplement or from exercise books can be a nightmare.
I know this from experience because that is how I started keeping them. Finding previous figures for a sixteen runner race and copying them out could take hours. After a few weeks I started to keep the figures on a database. Being computer illiterate I managed to mislay the figures on several occasions only to find them somewhere else later. The final straw came when they were lost altogether after the computer crashed. I decided to do something about it and enrolled on a computer course with Learn Direct.
During a lifetime of hesitation and indecision I had not made too many good moves. This was certainly one of the best. In less than a week, after completing a database course I could use ‘sort records’ to keep the file in alphabetical order, ‘find’ to locate each horse and ‘show marked records’ so I could view only the horses I needed for a race. I was also able to copy and paste these horses to other pages and was soon compiling race cards for entire meetings.
At this stage I was still having to use the results supplement to find out which course and over which distance each figure had been earned. I realized I could save all this time by coupling this information to the speed figure, so I added S for Southwell, W for Wolverhampton and L for Lingfield. After these abbreviations came the distance but limited to three digits to save space. So at Wolver for instance, races shown as 1M are in fact IM100yds and races over 1M 6f 166yds are shown as 1M7. Finally winners were identified by placing an * after the speed figure. A horse that had earned a rating of 70 when winning at Wolver over 7f would be shown as 70*W 7F. With all these improvements in place and my new found computer knowledge I could now run off a seven race card in less than half an hour.


You have now seen where the figures come from and how to store and retrieve them. It is now time to move on and see what they look like. Below are the ratings for runners in the 2003 Winter Derby. Fourteen runners went to post but only eight had run on the all weather since September.

Parasol was top rated last time out and opened at 7/2 before going off 5/2jf with Kirovski. Dettori made all on Parasol quickening 3f out to go 3l clear and just held on from Adiemus who was held up and ran on well inside the last. Parasol posted a rating of 85 and a track record for the new polytrack surface.

1. PARASOL 5/2 JF
2. ADIEMUS 11/4
3. GOBLET OF FIRE 25/1

CHAPTER SIX

PATTERNS IN THE SAND

So how can yesterday’s speed figures help you locate tomorrows winners?
When you examine a horse’s speed ratings it is surprising what they can tell you. In the following examples, as in the rest of the book, the horses last run is on the left. The easiest thing to spot are horses who show a steady improvement :-

SHALBEBLUE 0000II65 S 1M3 II60 S 1M4 III57 S 1M30044 W 1M4
WINDY BRITAIN00I72 L 1M2 II69 W 1M1 II68 W 1M1II 67 L 1M2
WOODSMOKE 000.062 W 6F III61 W 5F IIII51 W 6F IIII43 W 5F

And those who show a steady decline:-

PRIVATE SEAL0059 L 1M2 OI60 L 1M2 0063 L 1M2 064 L 1M4
TINKS MAN 000049 S 6F 00III53 S 6F 0I0II57 W 5FIIII62 W 6F

Some horses show a liking for a certain distance or a certain track :-

BLONDE EN BLONDE I73 W 7F0I66*S 6F II066*W 6F050 L 5F
BYO000000000000000067 L 5F 0I71 L 5F IIIO71 W 5F 071 L 5F
EYECATCHER000000I77 L 7F 0I75 L 7F 0I0I76*L 7F O71 L 7F
HIGH FINANCE000II058 W 7F 064*L 1M 0II64 L 1M 064 L 7F

BLONDE EN BLONDE seems to like the fibresand at Southwell and Wolver but is not so keen on Lingfields polytrack. BYO seems to be equally at home on either surface and would probably handle 5f at Southwell. EYECATCHER is a solid 7f performer at Lingfield, while HIGH FINANCE is equally consistent but at a lower level.

PADDYWACK077 W 5F 0 33 S 6F 0I049 S 5F0I 62 S 5F OI76*W 5F0
PERFIDIOUS I76 L 1M2 I62 W 1M1I 76 L 1M 068 W 1M1 I70 L 1M2

PADDYWACK has produced his two biggest figures over 5f at Wolver but his Southwell performances are not much to write home about.
PERFIDIOUS is not so keen on Wolver and seems to prefer 1m2f at Lingfield.

REDOUBTABLE032 S 6F 0I60 W 7F 0I55 W 6F O37 S 7F 0I63 W 6F
RIVER DAYS I0072*W 5F I46 S 5F 0I065 L 6F 0I72*W 5F I72 L 5F 0
SIENA STAR I069 L 1M2 I76 L 1M2 I61 L 1M4 I70 L 1M2 I76 L 1M2 I

REDOUBTABLE has put in two woeful performances at Southwell, while RIVER DAYS is a 5f specialist at both Wolver and Lingfield. SIENA STAR is another horse that goes well over 1m2f at Lingfield, but look what happened when they tried him at 1m4f.
While the examples above are simple and easy to spot other patterns are more complex. Compared to America all weather racing in this country is still in its infancy, so what can the Americans teach us about speed ratings and the patterns that have emerged? Several theories have emerged over the years I checked to see if there were comparisons in our own figures. Without doubt the most famous is the ‘bounce’ so that is where I started.

BOUNCE
This is where a horse runs an exceptionally high figure or in a particularly hard race. On its next appearance the chances are it will run a poor race with a low speed figure. The horse is said to have bounced. I decided to check last seasons speed figures and see if horses bounce in this country. My database contained speed ratings for all horses that had run on the all weather between the beginning of October 2002 and the end of May 2003. This provided a sample of 3554 horses over a period of 8 months. I looked for horses who may have ‘bounced.’ This produced the following examples.

POSSIBLE EXAMPLES OF BOUNCE

COOLBYPOOL00 58 L 1M2 074*W 1M1o 68*W 1M1 060 W 7F
DENS JOY 00000 i52 S 1M iiiii0D W 1M1 i76 W 1M1 i75*W 1M1 MAKTAVISH 0iii061 S 5F 0oii68*S 5F000 43 S 5F 000ii74 W 5F

I have used the word possible because there is reasonable doubt about each horses apparent bounce.
Take COOLBYTHEPOOL for instance, at first glance you would ask did he bounce? Well the 58 he ran at Lingfield came 32 days after his win at Wolver which is hardly a quick reappearance. Perhaps he simply did not like the polytrack surface. DENS JOY is a much more likely candidate. After winning a handicap at Wolver in November he returned two weeks later to run a 76. Two weeks after that he was back again but this time after being in touch he tailed of and came in last beaten a distance. After two further disappointing runs, he was put to bed , returning in April on the turf.
MAKTAVISH ran a 70 at Wolver, came back nine days later for a 74 and ten days after that appeared at Southwell were he finished 14th of 15 runners with a 43. If he did indeed bounce, the effects did not last long. He returned to Southwell 25 days later winning a 5f handicap in 68. If anyone spotted it congratulations! He was returned at 16/1. Did any of the three examples bounce or were there other reasons for their poor performance. At the end of the day I do not suppose it matters. There are plenty of horses that throw in unexpected bad runs. The secret is knowing why. Whether it is due to a change of surface, an unfamiliar distance, or indeed the speed figure theorists bounce, is not important. The important thing is to spot it and exploit it.

OXOX
Next I looked at what the Americans call the OXOX phenomenon. I call this the zig zag pattern because that is what it would look like on a graph. Some horses produce alternate high and low speed figures but are unable to produce consecutive good or bad performances. It is as if they bounce after every race. This pattern is seen most often in 3 year olds. It is surprising how many horses fall into this category.

EXAMPLES OF ZIG ZAG SPEED FIGURES

J M W TURNER 0064 W 7F0 67*L 5F 076 W 6Fi 67 S 6F 076 L 6F0 66 S 6F
KINABALU00000i 61 L 7F 0i49 W 1M 054 W 1M1 i49 L 1M20 60 L 1M 0
LADY NATILDAii 58 W 5F 042 W 6F0 66 W 6F 047 W 6F 057*W 6F
LEGAL SET 0000i058 L 6F 0i53 L 6F 0077*L 7F 0i49 S 6F0 71 L 6F 060 L 6F
MY MAITE 00000i66 L1M2 75 L1M2 i62 L 1M2 077*L 1M2
PROSPECT COV ii29 W1M1 59 S 7F036 W 1M0 i57 W 1M1o 37 S 1M3
TASS HEEL 00o0ii61 L 2M 0i67 W 1M7 o62 S 1M6 067*S 1M60 58 L 1M50
WHITE PLAINS i51 W1M70 60*W1M4 45 L 1M5 66*S 1M6 42 W 1M4 YALLA LARA00ii 63 L 7F 0070 L 1M 058 L 7F0 65 L 7F 059 L 1M 071*L 7F

If MY MAITEs next run was 1m2f at Lingfield you would expect him to produce a rating in the mid 70s. Conversely on his next outing KINABALU will probably return a figure around the fifty mark.

THREE TIME IMPROVERS
This title can be misleading because the horse may only have improved twice. The criteria is that a horse has three consecutively improving speed figures. For example PRINCE PROSPECT 67 65 57. When a horse produces this sequence how will it fare in its next race? Like me you would probably expect a further improvement in the majority of cases. However you will probably be as surprised as I was to find out this was not the case. An American study showed that only 25% continued to improve, 4% repeated their previous performance and a whopping 71% produced a lower figure.
These statistics are depressing to say the least. I was hoping they would provide a valuable pointer to future winners. However that particular study was carried out in America where they have much more racing on many differing tracks. How would the figures stack up in this country with limited racing and only three courses.
After carrying out the same research on our 3554 horses I found 622 occasions when this pattern occurred. The question was, on their next run would these horses fare any better than their American counterparts. Sadly the answer was, not a chance. They did even worse. The outcome was devastating. Of the 622 horses in the sample the results were as follows :-

143 IMPROVED 23%
19 0RAN THE SAME 3%
460 RETURNED LOWER FIG 74%

Of the 143 horses who continued to improve only 22 of them won (15%). And that is only a miserable 3.5% of the 622 horses in the sample.
What about horses who ran up three consecutive declining figures, would they continue to deteriorate or would they perform a reverse bounce. The American study showed that 32% continued their decline, 4% ran the same figure and 64% improved. Again I looked at our 3554 horses for comparisons. On the 567 occasions where this pattern emerged :-

153 CONTINUED DECLINE 27%
180 RAN THE SAME 3%
396 IMPROVED 70%
Although 70% of horses improved following their three race decline they did not improve enough to make them worth backing.

OGIT PART 3

Fred the spread and placepot phil.

When I print off the ratings for a meeting I highlight the top rated horse last time out in red. Whenever I see Fred in the bookies he’ll shout out, “what’s the red one in the next”. The trouble is the top rated horse might only be 1 point ahead of the field and be running out of form while several others are improving. The horse might have earned that rating over a shorter or longer distance, or on polytrack and not fibresand. Today he may be drawn high in a 5f race at Wolverhampton, or drawn on the stand rail on the 5f straight course at Southwell. When I try explaining this to Fred he stops me short with, “I’m not bothered, I like the red ones.” To be fair there were some cracking priced ‘red uns’ go in last season and if you are betting for fun and do not want to study the form its as good a way to lose your money as any other. So how would you fare backing every top rated horse blind. I checked out 67 meetings and 494 top rated horses between 13th November 2002 and 15th March 2003.

.

ALL RACES 00WINS 00STRIKE RATE 00PROFIT

000494 0000000118 00000023.46% 0000005.80%

With prices from 2/7 to 16/1 the 494 horses produced 118 winners. A strike rate of 23.46% and a level stakes profit of £25.32. A study in America showed that horses with a 3 point or more advantage over its rivals on its last run won 29% of the time. Again I checked the three all weather tracks in this country for comparisons. I checked out the ratings on the 494 horses and split them into three groups, 311 were superior by 0-3 points, 113 by 4-6 points and 70 by 7-17 points. The results were as follows.

.

SUPERIOR 0NO OF HORSES 0%OF TOTAL 0WIN 0STRIKE RATE

0000-3 000000000311000000000062%0000000680000021.76%

0004-60000000I00110000000000023%0000000340000029.92%

0007-17000000000700000000000015%000i000160000022.72%

.

As you can see the group of horses with a 4-6 point advantage provided 34 winners and a strike rate of 29.92%, but the amazing thing was that horses with increased advantage 7-17 points were successful on fewer occasions. Remembering how well horses seemed to do when top rated last time out over C&D, I went back through the figures for the 113 horses in the 4-6 category. The results were most encouraging.

.

SUPERIOR000RACES000WIN000STRIKE RATE000PROFIT

I4-6 POINTS000I0032000000I12000000037.44%0000I00032%

.

There were 32 occasions when the top rated horse last time out ran over the course and distance, and 12 of those horses won. That is a strike rate of 37.44% and a profit of £10.24 to a £1 level stake (32%). It must be pointed out that no horses in this study were weeded out. If they were coming back after a lay off, running on an unfavourable surface or over an unsatisfactory distance they were still included. The effect of the draw and the price in the market were irrelevant. The only criteria for their inclusion was that they were the top rated horse by 4-6 points last time out over the course and distance. And yet with no race study, no application of logic and no betting strategy of any kind, the speed figures provided a strike rate of 37.44% and a profit of 32%. Not a bad place to start.

CHAPTER SEVEN

WEIGHT
A lot of people say that there are only two figures you need to know to find winners, time and weight. Some punters are convinced that speed ratings are better if they are adjusted for weight. So why aren’t they. After all common sense tells you that a horses performance will be affected by an increase in weight. The problem is it doesn’t affect all horses to the same degree. Some horses carry extra weight better than others. One obvious reason is the size of the horse. If you have been to see the horses in the paddock you will be aware of the huge differences in size. The going also comes into the equation, horses find it harder to carry weight when the ground is soft. Finally the horses condition has to be considered. If a horse is improving and starts to win races his weight will go up, but often the disadvantage of carrying the extra weight is overcome by the horses increased level of fitness. Despite the added weight a horses speed figure can continue to rise. Who is to say that when that figure eventually drops it is due entirely to the increased weight and not simply the fact that the horse has gone over the top and is ready for a break. There is no simple equation you could apply across the board that would apply to all horses in all circumstances and I am sure that any attempted adjustment would lead to the speed figures being distorted. Because of this I make no adjustment whatever for weight. For the 2005/06 season I attached the weigh the horse actually carried to the rating. There is nothing more time consuming or soul destroying than pawing through the form book to find the weight carried by a dozen horses in their last three races. I now have that information at my fingertips. Below is an example of the new layout. The race was at Wolverhampton on 16th January 2006. Four horses had ratings in the 70s with Oldenway and Bethanys Boy top rated. Oldenway had two impressive runs behind him (76 and 80) but both at Southwell on the fibresand and today he was set to carry 9-1 up 5lb. Bethanys Boy by comparison had run 74 over course and distance and was carrying 8-11 down 3lb. So despite Oldenways superior speed figure the 8lb swing in the weights and the surface put Bethanys Boy well in. Oldenway went of 5/2F with Bethanys Boy 7/2.

Bethanys Boy beat Oldenway by 4½ lengths to register his third course and distance win with a rating of 77.
So although the weight is an important calculation I don’t think it should affect the bare speed figure. ‘Split second’ speed ratings in the ‘Raceform Update’ are also calculated without weight adjustment. The reason for this recent change is a study they carried out. After taking random samples of 1000 horses to check the effects of carrying more weight they found that for every pound more that a horse carried from its previous start its speed figure was reduced by 0.4 of a point. Which is what you would expect, however, they also found that for every pound less that a horse carried its speed rating went down again by 0.3 of a point. This would seem to back up the point I made earlier only in reverse. The improving horse has carried increasing amounts of weight until he reaches a peak of fitness, once the horses performance deteriorates the handicapper reduces the burden but the horse still runs slower because of its lack of fitness. One thought occurs to me, if a horse has its weight increased on a number of occasion and runs slower each time and then the weight is reduced and it slows down yet again, it wont be long before it is standing still.

CHAPTER EIGHT

THE TRACKS
There are five all weather racecourses in Britain. Four are currently active with Great Leighs due to join them in the Autumn. Lingfield is the oldest, and the first all weather meeting in the country was staged there on their new equitrack surface in 1989. Southwell followed and in 1993 Wolverhampton joined them becoming Britain’s first floodlit racecourse. For the next thirteen years these three courses kept flat
racing going through the winter and many times kept the book making industry ticking over when jump racing had been abandoned. In March 2006 Kempton became Britain’s newest all weather track. With the latest generation of polytrack and a retractable floodlighting system Kempton became the first all weather track in the country to run right handed. Great Leighs should have been all weather course number four but construction problems and bad weather have delayed the opening until Autumn 2007.

As all weather racing becomes more popular, and more tracks come on line the need for reliable information increases. On turf the most important information is the state of the ground, and for any serious gambler an accurate up-to-date going report is essential. And yet despite this fact punters on the all weather have had to endure eighteen years of Standard going. With this third rate information is there any wonder they call the all weather, racings third code. For a start not only does the going vary from track to track it can vary dramatically on the same track from one meeting to the next.
On the all weather there are two factors that determine the going, the weather and the way the track is prepared. Track preparation involves both harrowing and rolling. At Southwell if frost is forecast they harrow deeper which slows the track down considerably. When the track has been rolled after rain it compacts and rides fast. On the eve of a meeting
the course officials are aware of prevailing weather conditions and they know how they are going to prepare the track surely it wouldn’t be too much trouble to give a brief report on how they expect the track to ride.

THE TRACKS

A left handed floodlit polytrack circuit with two chutes for 7f and 8f races and a 2f home and back straight.

Address:
Great Leighs Racecourse, The Showground, Chelmsford, Essex,
CM3 1QP
01245 362 412
Web: www.greatleighs.com
Location:

Five miles north of Chelmsford on the A131.
Train:
Chelmsford Station from Liverpool Street (27min). A bus shuttle
to the racecourse will operate on race days.

Great Leighs is the first new racecourse to be built in Britain since 1927 and has an 8½f polytrack circuit which meets the HRA upgraded specifications for a 135m minimum radius bend. There are chutes for 7f and 8f races. Due to delay in construction it is scheduled to start racing in 2008.

LINGFIELD

A sharp undulating left handed track with a downhill stretch into the home bend and a short run in. The polytrack course is 1m2f round.

Address: Lingfield Park Racecourse, Lingfield, Surrey, FH7 6PQ
01342 834800
Webb: http://www.lingfield-racecourse.co.uk/
Location: South East of town on B2028 Edenbridge Road.
M23 junction 9, M25 junction 6.
Train: Lingfield Station, adjoining course. From London Victoria
journey time 35mins.

The first all weather meeting in this country was staged at Lingfield Park on October 30th 1989, where Niklas Angel won Britains first all weather race. After twelve successful years the equitrack surface was becoming tired and worn. After losing meetings in early 2001 a new polytrack surface was laid. This new surface 70% synthetic with a wax coating can withstand temperatures down to -12° Celsius. It provides more cushioning and subsequently less jarring than the old equitrack which could be like concrete in wet conditions. The new polytrack surface has very little kick back by comparison and is more popular with both jockeys and trainers.
On July 9th 2005 Lingfield Park made history again when it staged the first Group race ever run on an all weather surface. The Ladbrokes Silver Trophy had been re-routed from Ascot and was won by Autumn Glory.

The contours of the track favour well balanced horses who can run down hill. The old equitrack surface was notorious for producing a strong low draw bias. The kickback was so harsh that any horse who made a dash for the inside and ran from the front would tend not to get beaten. But in 2001 the surface was replaced with the more kickback friendly polytrack. For the first few weeks of racing the low bias still existed but in recent years the bias has been negated by specific course work which has made part of the track slower than others.
Polytrack is the easiest surface to manipulate, it is so versatile that the ground staff can vary the going across the complete width of the track. Subsequently the strip nearest the far rail is often slower than the rest of the track. In races over 7f and 1m horses drawn middle to high have the edge. There is a longer run to the first bend which allows hold up horses from higher stalls to secure a good early pitch. The only draw bias of any significance is over 1m2f. It can be hard to get into the race, you hit the first bend after only a furlong and from a high draw you can lose five or six lengths. Horses who exert a bit of energy early on to get a good position are often caught in the final stages of the race.

WOLVERHAMPTON

A left handed oval track with sharp bends and a short run in of only 380yards. The polytrack course is 1m round.

Address:
Wolverhampton Racecourse, Dunstall Park, Wolverhampton,
West Midlands, WV6 0PE
0870 220 2442
Web: http://www.wolverhampton-racecourse.co.uk/
Location:
One mile north of the city centre, off A449 Stafford Road. Follow
the brown tourists signs to Dunstall Park. M6 (jct 10A) follow M54
(jct 2). Approach via A449
Train:
One mile Wolverhampton Station. From London Euston and
from Birmingham New Street (every 10 mins).

There has been a racecourse at Wolverhampton since 1887 although it has changed location slightly since the early years. Floodlit all weather racing was pioneered at Dunstall Park in 1993. The old style course had been re-vamped with a new all weather fibresand track running inside the turf track. The majority of racing was on the all weather with just a few jump fixtures a year. Formerly privately owned the racecourse was purchased by Arena Leisure in 1999.

During the winter of 2000/01 problems were beginning to develop. The surface which had been in use for seven years had inevitably become worn and tired. This was reducing its ability to drain properly. In extreme cases of wet or cold the track was becoming unfit for racing. During July and August 2001 Arena Leisure laid 140 new drains and 7000 tons of fibresand.
In 2004 the fibresand track and the turf track were replaced with a polytrack surface. The new track is slightly bigger as it has encompassed what was left of the old turf course. This has brought the action closer to the stands and made the bends slightly less severe. Each year has seen the fixture list grow and in 2006 Wolverhampton hosted 110 fixtures.

Although the new surface is similar to Lingfield, it is riding much slower and front runners are being collared close to home. In 5f races draws 4-6 are best. The low drawn horses can be trapped on the rail and those drawn high have too much ground to make up. In 6f races, horses have the length of the back straight to sort themselves out but coming out of the 7f chute they are soon into the bend and horses drawn wide can be at a severe disadvantage.

SOUTHWELL

A left handed oval fibresand course, 1m2f round with a straight 5f.

Address: Southwell Racecourse, Rolleston, Nottingham, NG25 0TS
01636 814481
Web: http://www.southwell-racecourse.co.uk/
Location: Southwell has free parking for 1000 vehicles and is situated
at Rolleston, 3miles south east of Southwell and 7miles
west of Newark. Access from the A1 and M1 via the A46
and the A617
Train: Station Rolleston adjacent to course on Nottm - Newark line.
Journey times six minutes Newark, 20 minutes Nottingham.

Southwell is the only track with a fibresand surface and was extensively refurbished in August 2000. With its long straights and sweeping bends it is ideal for relentless gallopers. However the surface can be deep and testing particularly after dry or frosty weather. Subsequently Southwell rides the slowest of the all weather tracks and tired horses often get caught. Hold up horses fare better, and in the longer races you need to look for horses with form beyond the distance they are running as they often prevail, particularly during the winter season. The kickback is considerable and races up to a mile usually develop from the front. In longer races it is more difficult to make all the running. In October 2004 further refurbishment was carried out using tons of second hand fibresand from the old Wolverhampton surface. Drainage was improved and the track actually raised a few inches. This altered the draw bias. Before the refurbishment a low draw was essential to get into the race, but now on the round course low numbers are at a big disadvantage. In fact in the first 125 starts over 1m following the refurbishment, stall one only won once, a strike rate of 0.8%. In races from 6f to 1m consider laying any fancied horse in stall one. On the 5f straight, horses drawn low have a significant advantage. They get the faster part of the track over the first few furlongs and can then grab the favoured middle of the track when they join the round course. Beware of publications and pundits who still think that high is disadvantageous, since the refurbishment it isn’t.

KEMPTON

S H Hyde a 19th century businessman and Tory party agent was enjoying a carriage drive in the country when he came across Kempton Manor and Park for sale. Hyde leased the grounds formed a company and a racecourse was built. The first fixture took place on Thursday 18th July 1878.
Kempton Park has been the home of the prestigious King George V1 Chase since 1937 when only four runners went to post. Past winners include Arkle, Wayward Lad, One Man, Best Mate and the legendary Desert Orchid who won the race a record four times.
During the two world wars Kempton Park was requisitioned by the War Office. In 1915 it was used as a depot for military vehicles and in 1939 it became a prisoner of war camp. Kempton reopened for the Easter meeting in 1947 and raced non stop until closing on May 2nd 2005 for re development. On the 25th March 2006 Kempton Racecourse proudly opened its new £18.5 million floodlit all weather track.

A right handed polytrack course. 5f and 1m2f use the inside course. The rest use the outside.

Address: Kempton Park Racecourse, Staines Road East, Sunbury-on-Thames, Middlesex. TW16 5AQ 01932 782292

Web: Kempton@rht.net

Location: On the A308 Kingston Road, 1/2mile from M3 Jct 1 and is well signposted from the motorway.

Rail: Kempton Park Station, from London Waterloo (1/2 hour)

Air: London Heathrow, (6 miles)

The new polytrack surface took time to bed down and for the first few months high numbers were doing badly. In the summer horses drawn high started to win.

In races over 5f, 6f and 7f there is a slight advantage to be drawn high. Over 1m and 1m4f it is better to have a low draw. To date there seems to be no advantage from being drawn high or low over 1m 2f.