Formbook comments in-running

[Aragorn]

Lee,

How do they compile/gather the bets placed data in the results section? Are bookies required to disclose bets over a certain amount?

Ta
Nick

[Leemac]

Thanks for all your comments!

scallywag76: yes, the Racing Post/Raceform jointly have at least one race-reader present at EVERY meeting, and two at big meetings or ones with lots of runners. I’ll chase up the weather reports for you, hope to get them for all meetings in future

robert99 and others: glad you enjoyed the Raceform Update features about form comments, I was amazed at the time how popular they were! As for info about rail movement – as things stand, I believe it’s reported where a clerk of the course officially announces major changes, but we don’t have anything like "rail in 3m" or similar that you see abroad. That’s an issue for the racing industry in general (and one imo that could be addressed)

Aragorn: the info about placed bets is not something that the race-readers are involved in but, like you, I’ve always found that feature fascinating so I’ll find out and post the answer here later

graysoncolumn: Jeremy, I can visualise you standing on a box trying to take notes in driving wind and rain at a massive track like Larkhill where you need a telescope to see the runners at the far end, don’t envy you that at all! That makes the job that we do seem easy, especially with the video replays

robnorth: pleased that so many of you take your own notes, race-reading was my first job in racing and I’ve done it almost throughout my working life – it’s never lost its appeal. And respect to you if you ever spot something that we don’t mention (though to some extent we have to leave out minor incidents that we believe to be unimportant). That’s how you gain an edge over the rest next time the horse runs

Finally for now, and to answer my own question: "pushed out" = gently with hands and heels; "ridden out" = more forcefully with hands and heels and maybe the odd flick of the whip; "driven out" = forcefully with hands, heels and whip; "all out" = horse could not have found anything more whatever the jockey did

Thanks for all your points, many of which I have answered by pm, do pm me or post on this topic if ever you’ve got a query. But in the meantime maybe I can ask you a question – do you prefer lots of detail in the form comments, or is something concise like "always prominent, led 2 out, driven out" enough for you?

Lee

[graysonscolumn]

graysoncolumn: Jeremy, I can visualise you standing on a box trying to take notes in driving wind

To go all Four Yorkshiremen for a moment… "Box? We were lucky to have a box!!!"

But in the meantime maybe I can ask you a question – do you prefer lots of detail in the form comments, or is something concise like "always prominent, led 2 out, driven out" enough for you?

I suspect the perceived usefulness of the race as a future reference tool (as far as one can ever anticipate future needs, of course) might be the detemining factor in answering that. There might not be too much that needs recording for the first half of most selling hurdles, for example, other than what’s trying to make the running, what’s being waited with, and what’s pulling like stink. For decent Flat sprints, however, I don’t think you can include enough.

gc

Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.

[Leemac]

I now have the answer to Aragorn’s question about the "big" bets recorded in the Racing Post after the horse’s close-up comment

The information is compiled by the SP reporters – the on-course bookmakers volunteer details of any big bets taken, and the reporter then passes them on to the PA. From there it finds its way into the Racing Post

However, there are two specific points to note:

First, bookmakers are not obliged to pass the info on, so some big bets will not be recorded in print. I am told that "most" bookies do give the info to the reporter, but some tend not to

Secondly, if a bookmaker lays off a big bet, it is likely that his money will also be recorded as a "big bet". In fact, it is possible for just one bet to trigger off a chain reaction of money being laid off down a series of bookies. So it may look as if several big bets have been laid, whereas it was in fact only one

Therefore, it’s probably best to treat the info as an entertaining feature rather than a definitive record of everything that happens in the ring

Hope that helps

[Cav]

Wow this is an oldie…

I used to have a sheet from Raceform I think it was, with the definitions of what the various in-running comments signified, “no extra”, “nearest finish”, that sort of thing.

Anyone know if a glossary still exists?

[Purwell]

Some names from the past in this thread.

I've stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains
I've walked and I crawled on six crooked highways

[espmadrid]

Raceform still reproduce a list of in running abbreviations and their definitions at the front of the official form book.

....and you've got to look a long way back for anything else.

[Author]

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