How to Understand Racing Form Guide
For newbies and beginners in the race betting industry a racing form guide can come as an overwhelming burden of unreadable facts and stats.
The sheer volume of data presented on a racing form guide, which is typically sold at race tracks but can also be found online at a number of sites, is intended to make your life easier and help you understand history of horses and a probability of one winning the race.
These technical documents can come quite handy provided you learn how to understand them.
General Information
Both online and paper-print racing form guides will contain all of the general information regarding the race in the header. Race number, track name and track diagram are some of the information you will find as you get familiar with the race itself before dwelling into details.
Whenever you study a form guide you need to look at it from a relative perspective, compared to the race your horse is running on a particular day.
Analysing a selection that the bookmakers might have overlooked because of what they might think as a poor form could ideally provide great value for a shrewd race form guide reader.
Ground Conditions
Fundamental point of form analysis is the ground conditions as the track can always be of integral importance on the outcome of any race. Every race form guide will present you with key information as to the type of ground with standard descriptions being as follows:
- Heavy
- Soft
- Good to Soft
- Good to Firm
- Firm
Punters will then be able to make their decisions based on the ground in relation to their selection’s performances of different types of surface.
Horse Information
The central part of any race form guide is horse information. From horse and owners’ name to colour of the silks and the name of the jockey, here you will find all the details regarding a selection you need.
An important aspect to consider when it comes to horse-related information definitely is how much weight a horse is carrying. The weights are basis of the entire UK handicapping system and are a significant denominator in any race.
Winners will usually see their weight mark increased and handicap mark pushed up after a competitive offering on the previous racing day, which makes it much more difficult for your selection to win again. On the other side, a string of poor runs can see the handicap drop quickly, which now increases your horse’s chances of getting in the running back again.
Performance History
In relation to the weights and handicapping, a horse’s performance history can also play an important role and needs to be looked at carefully at a racing form guide.
Each of the performance history data begin with a date, race identification, followed by detailed and extensive information. You will be able to pick up on the track-related details and race numbers for that particular date which is followed by fractional times the distance measured in furlongs.
In order to beat the odds and bookmakers using a race form guide you are advised to study all of the aspects above to try and find the value hidden inside the multitude of data and statistical information provided to you.
Best 10 New Bookmakers
 |
£30 | SIGN UP HERE |
|
18+. New Players Only. Min deposit £20. Offer is a £30 free bet when you bet £10 in one single transaction, on any sports at odds of 2.00 or higher. Free bet credited upon qualifying bet settlement. Free Bet can be redeemed on any sports market and used in one single transaction. Winnings credited as cash and immediately withdrawable. Free bet expires 7 days after being credited. Free Bets non withdrawable. Free Bet stakes not included in returns. Affordability checks apply. Terms apply. Please gamble responsibly. GambleAware.org. |
||
 |
£30 | SIGN UP HERE |
|
18+ New customers only. Place a £10+ bet at min odds 1/1 (2.0) within 14 days of sign-up. Get £30 in Free Bets, valid for 7 days on selected bets only. Free stake not returned with winnings. T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org |
||
 |
£20 | SIGN UP HERE |
|
New verified customers only. Opt-in required. Deposit £20 and earn £1 of Free Bet value for every £1 staked on Bet Builders, with each qualifying stake counting towards a free bet builder reward, at combined odds of 2.0 (1/1) or greater. Min Reward: £1 Free Bet / Max Reward: £20 Free Bet. Cash in or claim within 48 hours of promo end. Free Bets expire 7 days after claim. 18+ GambleAware.org |
||
 |
£25 | SIGN UP HERE |
|
New customers only. Bets placed on sports at odds of 2.50 or more to qualify. Bets must be placed 25 hours within registration. £25 free bets must be wagered on sports. Full terms below. Gambling can be addictive, play responsibly 18+ |
||
 |
£10 | SIGN UP HERE |
|
18+. New GB customers referred by selected marketing partners only. Activate the sports welcome offer on your first deposit and opt in to sports bonuses and marketing. Deposit £10+ and place a £10+ sports bet at odds of 2.00+. £10 Free Bet credited after the qualifying bet settles. Use within 24 hours at odds of 2.00+. Free bet stake not returned. Voided, cashed-out or partially cashed-out bets do not qualify. Cash funds are used before free bets. Cannot be combined with the casino welcome offer. Full T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. |
||
 |
£20 | SIGN UP HERE |
|
New online customers only. Register and place a £/€5+ first bet at 1/1 (2.0)+ on sports or racing within 7 days. Get a £/€10 Tote Credit and £/€10 Free Sports Bet within 48 hours of settlement. Voided/non-runner bets don’t qualify. Rewards expire in 7 days. 18+. One per customer. Selected customers only. Full T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org. |
||
 |
£30 | SIGN UP HERE |
|
*New members only. £10+ bet on sportsbook (ex. virtuals) at 1.5 min odds, settled within 14 days. Free Bets: accept in 7 days, valid 7 days on sportsbook only. 2x£5 Free Bets for Bet Builder only. Stake not returned. T&Cs + deposit exclusions apply. Bet Responsibly. GambleAware®. 18+ |
||
 |
£30 | SIGN UP HERE |
|
New customers place your first bet of £10 at minimum odds of 1/1 on any sports market within 7 days of registering. Get £20 in ACCA Free Bets (2x£10 Acca Free bet (2+ selections, pre-match or in-play/live, min odds per leg 2/5 (1.4), max payout £50) . Full terms apply. 18+ begambleaware. Please gamble responsibly. |
||
 |
£30 | SIGN UP HERE |
|
18+ New customers only. Opt in and bet up to £40 (min. £20) via mobile or app on any football (odds 1/1+) within 7 days of registration. Get up to £40 in free bets on selected markets, which expire in 7 days. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly |
||
 |
£100 | SIGN UP HERE |
|
*New UK/IE customers . Place your first Football bet as an Accumulator (minimum four selections) and AK Bets will boost the return by 25% in the form of a Free Bet up to a value of £100. 18+ BeGambleAware.org." |
||
