Tracking data now a fact of racing life, but there's still a need for punter DIY
We learn anything by degrees, those mostly imperceptible deposits that slowly fertilise the soil. It is why we can say that most of us will be slightly better judges or race-readers than we were six months ago.
I know I am, and I can tell you why. Dipping into tracking data in particular has unquestionably improved my understanding of the mechanics behind how a racehorse performs.
Take the Shloer Chase on Sunday. It was a speed test, won by Defi Du Seuil who I've long regarded as a two-miler playing over further. Cheltenham should have reinforced my view, but it didn't. I now consider precisely why Defi Du Seuil outspeeded Politologue as something that is allied to trip preferences, but ultimately distinct.
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