For Matt and hoping for comments from Martin/John Visual form book

How I use the Visual form book

Like Martin and John will agree there are so many tricks and so many ways to us the form book its a pleasure to write up how i use it- In conjunction with the book i use other sites

 ATR - Racing Post (min subscription)- trainers sites – especially Hannon for the flat Racecaller and Betfair (betfair radio has a wealth of good comment and views - ideal for the book) if you haven’t joined Bens site Narrowing the field your missing a trick!

These are my ideas and ways they are not put up as anything but an investigation by new users so am starting with logging on to the book.

Updating to today’s meeting is quick and simple – but check the going from the racing post which is first class and read their course correspondent reports of the going as the day goes on – change where necessary per meeting.

Update the cards on the going predicted.

You will also find that using the analyser is a worthwhile experience. I started off by highlighting horses that i wanted an alert form and over the years have accumulated trainers who i want to follow trainer/jocks blink first time and sires – in fact the analyser is the tool that will make you money.

Find the analyser – let’s say you simply want to follow a horse you saw simply hit the reset button to clear the criteria – type the name of the animal in caps- including its (GB) IRE) etc.

Click save and give it name i.e. Ballybriggan won grand nat 11 – the next time you run the analyser it will appear each time the animal is entered. These will show by clicking the dot next to FSP - tip go back to the race and run your analyser  to see the horse has a dot next to FSP.every time you have put up a new entry

 Just one thing more – put a note up on the horse profile about it cos you sure won’t remember.  Where you want to follow trainer sire etc the description is vital – for example Presenting Ascot Cheltenham.  Pipe – blinkered first time. Hannon second run.

Ok where to start?

 Big tip – once cards are updated on the main page view the cards for the richest race of the day and look at this one carefully.  Outside of novice and maiden company It unusual for the top race prize of the day isn’t the best to analyse.

What type of columns? – Well for a start i seldom use the auto selection page – that’s personal choice and others are happy and win money as it suites their punting ranges and styles.

As we are at the fag end of the winter jumps season lets start there

I rely on course distance and ground as my first port of call -   here is the card for the ascot race for veterans today 3miles – you will see the columns are ranged to include Cfe as ascot does take some getting but have included as a norm all of the columns i use daily – just a note that stiff tracks include Cim stats. As Hexham, for example, is a stiff track but soft fences this is a column i change for this type of track frm Cfe to Cim -  Bsp is only interesting when the ground suites Dsr is a vital statistic the others i hope are obvious – as its a handicap i am not so reliant on the Mr figure – the dot next to the name alerts you to notes you have made in the past.

By hitting the control button you will see if there is headgear including first time and again invaluable when you’re watching for trainers who have good record first time headgear. – I don’t have any confidence in horses going up in trip when first time blinkers and think that trainers who do that are just wishing.

 Once you have highlighted the animals your short listing hit the View Form Array button in the top page menu – this is a MUST – this way you can view where they ran how they ran what distance what ground what prize and the rating the form book gave the run and the Or it ran off. check the class it won or ran well in and compare it todays class - Here you can  also see your own rating for the horse – go back to the main race page click on the view form in a line to see its last 14 runs  by hitting control you will see how long since its run before and compare it to todays DSr

Hope this is interesting and informative – am happy to answer questions and put up screen shots --- good punting - click screen to enlarge

Bob