Raceform Interactive

[Drone]

Having fallen out of love with Computer Timeform I’m planning to give Raceform Interactive (NH only) a trial. I’ve viewed their on-line demo and it looks promising but I’ve a couple of queries that hopefully users here on TRF can answer:

Do they supply speed/time figures for NH?

At what time of day are the overnight decs available for download?

Does it have any bugs, is it prone to freezing/crashing, is the database error-free?

Is database crunching and stat extraction fast?

Is it easy to export racecards, ratings, results and database analyses to a spreadsheet?

Any help gratefully received

[Mounty]

Do they supply speed/time figures for NH?
YES

At what time of day are the overnight decs available for download?
Usually before midday.

Does it have any bugs, is it prone to freezing/crashing, is the database error-free?
When updating I tend to leave it to its own devices for 10 minutes or so, as it can come up with "not responding" otherwise (though I am only using it on a laptop).

Is database crunching and stat extraction fast?
Depends on the complexity of the query. Just asking for strike-rate of Southwell (AW) runners sired by Saddlers Wells won’t take long but if you base the query on past performances (e.g. blinkered horses on Fibresand that have never worn headgear previously) then it might take a while.

Is it easy to export racecards, ratings, results and database analyses to a spreadsheet?
I export data to Access and Excel with no problems.

Have never used full version of Computer Timeform myself but thought the demo version was laughable.

Hope this helps.

[Wallace]

Do they supply speed/time figures for NH?
Yes they include the split second variety of speed figures.

At what time of day are the overnight decs available for download?
The first edition of the decs file is available from around 1:00pm. These are then updated with the final version at 6:00pm.

Does it have any bugs, is it prone to freezing/crashing, is the database error-free?
No database is error free but RI is far more stable than earlier versions. The application is stable but is is worth doing an optimise once a week to clear out files no longer needed. The support from Rodney and David is first class.

Is database crunching and stat extraction fast?
The database is not spectacularly fast but is is perfectly usable. The daily update I do at after 6:00pm takes about 3 to 4 minutes to complete but I always update for the previous 3 days results data as a habit from the old days when data could be missed.

Is it easy to export racecards, ratings, results and database analyses to a spreadsheet?
PDF racecards can be produced easily complete with ratings and comments/notes. Export results data to a text file is very easy. A list of the field descriptions in the export is available from the help section.

I virtually only use RI for the export data and load this into my own SQL database hosted on a private server by my ISP. This is a project that has developed over the last five years and is now my main source of stats and assessment daily. By around 6:30 each evening I have my own custom designed card for each meeting the next day on a single sheet of A4 paper. This saves me hours of work every day as the database has been programmed specifically for me and to automatically produce my ratings, flags, stats and system races highlighted. Horses meeting very detailed criteria are highlighted also.

I think RI is the only computerized database worth having but I have not tested the others for a few years now.

W.

[alan1]

I will back that up. I wouldn’t be without Raceform Interactive nowadays, although the Speed Figures it produces aren’t the best.

[Cav]

I wouldnt be without Raceform Interactive. Havent tried other databases because I’ve never needed to. Well worth the money if data extraction is your game. The customer support is second to none.

[Drone]

Just the job, thanks very much all.

[Author]

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