Get ahead of the game this jumps season with the real key to trainer form

This was meant to be the closing Form Hacker of the Flat season, with British Champions Day and, just as importantly, the Catterick Dash at the top of our in-tray. 

Chances to apply any Flat form study are running out, though, with only 25 turf fixtures left between now and next year's Lincoln. Besides, if we are willing to switch into jumps mode a week early, there is a chance to talk about one of the most underrated data analysis tools in racing.

Over the next six months, you are bound to hear a lot about trainer form. Rightly so, as a trainer's skills and habits play a huge part in determining a horse's chances every time they run. The problem is, it is a science of small sample sizes. Last season, only 15 trainers in Britain and five in Ireland had an average of more than one jumps runner per day. This makes it hard to form solid views about the status of all but the biggest yards.