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Just catching up on Saturday’s racing, watching on the Sporting Life results service.
The 2.10 at Kempton, a 2m5f handicap hurdle won by Boombawn, saw West Balboa come from rear entering the home straight and catching the eye to finish sixth, though had no chance of getting to the front three. This is the reference:
https://www.sportinglife.com/racing/results/2024-03-16/kempton/787776/read-nicky-hendersons-exclusive-unibet-blog-handicap-hurdle-gbb-raceI scroll up to see the distances and read the comments for West Balboa as “Held up in rear, lost position and pushed along turning for home, weakened 2 out tchd 11/1”.
Weakened 2 out? The horse did all its best work from two out!
So, let’s see what is in the Racing Post result for the same race. That reads: “Held up in rear, outpaced after 3 out, headway after 2 out, stayed on run-in (tchd 11/1)”
Anyone looking back to see how West Balboa ran last time, who had not seen the race, would be completely baffled by these two contradictory reports.
When we’re looking at back form, I suspect that many of us don’t have time to re-watch every recent race for every horse in a race, so we take the comments on board. How can we trust them when they are so different?
More importantly, why are comments being listed, as they were for West Balboa on the SL site, when they are clearly incorrect? What checks are being made on them?
Does anyone have any insight towards this? Is the RP more often right than wrong? Is the SL more often right than wrong? Is there a service I should use instead (Timeform, I presume). What about those who cannot afford to pay for premium services and trust the comments they read.
I know it’s not an exact science, but I’m just putting these thoughts out there for debate. Your more considered and more useful views are welcome.
Q F,
The comment you quote from the Sporting Life site is also repeated word for word on the Sky Sports, Irishracing.com and Racing TV sites. It’s almost certainly generated by the Press Association, not by anybody working for those sites.
And equally almost certainly a rush job, written by somebody with little or no experience of race reading.
Timeform comment from their site:
“dropped out, still off pace before 2 out, finished strongly”
And so far as I know, anybody can view those comments simply by registering for free on the site, linking to the result and ticking the box labelled ‘Race Notes’.
I’ve never paid any fees to Timeform and accessed that comment with no problems once I’d logged in.
I wouldn’t be surprised if AI comes into use for this from some sites.
I agree Quelle so often the in running comments don’t match what I see with my eyes.
Just make sure you back West Balboa at Aintree. Harry Skelton will be back on board and a more positive ride can be expected.
The only problem is I am sure the bookmakers did not miss his “nearest at the finish” effort either.
I can confirm that Timeform did not miss it.
Know what I mean.
Funny how the horse won the 3m handicap hurdle on Grand National day last year.
I just wonder…Value Is Everything3 mile handicap hurdle on Grand National day. The horse likes the spring time air in Sefton.
But at this rate we will be lucky to get Evens.
Matron!
Where’s Matron!Close the thread before the bookies see it!
Value Is EverythingWhy not? The horse won by 5 lengths off 135 last year and is only 142 now. The rating she was put on after she won.
She won a three horse race at Aintree in November and was raised a pound. She was then last when favourite in the Long Walk. A quiet run in a handicap at Sandown under Tristan Durrell saw her dropped back to 142 before Saturday’s effort.
A nice one for Skelton’s Aintree team, with the Trainers Championship on the line.
Thanks for engaging everyone, and specifically apracing for the Timeform advice. I’ve restored my account there, though I am a tight wad and only have the free access.
The point was more about the reliability of comments than any specific race-planning for the horse in question! That the PA can get away with logging any old nonsense for their comments indicates that people just do not read them and use them. Why aren’t SL management insisting on better from the service they are clearly paying for? Is it down to a lack of manpower? Afterall, surely the SL cares that the comments for each horse are accurate, doesn’t it?
RP comments ran as follows ..
Held up in rear … outpaced after 3 out …. headway after 2 out … stayed on run-in.
Guess SL isn’t the force it used to be?
However providing you check for yourself by watching a replay these comments can & do give useful pointers.
good luck to allMaybe Quelle because they don’t give a toss about the punters having accurate information.
Got a lot of respect for comment writers generally, but imo nothing beats Timeform for accuracy.
Value Is EverythingEvery race replay is available on video, there is nothing to stop anyone from validating or disproving every single comment in running by looking for themselves.
There is no edge in being lazy and simply trusting the validity of comments that everyone has access to.
Well-known form-book expert and pro punter Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac had the right idea: “You can go your own way….”
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Not the point though is it? These people are employed to do a job. Yes you can sit through replays of every race (of what is generally agreed as a congested programme) and make up your own mind, if you don’t have to work or have any sort of life beyond racing. There are also racing enthusiasts who (believe it or not) don’t have access to the internet and actually buy the paper.
If the comments don’t reflect what happened in the race, what’s the point of them?
“or have any sort of life beyond racing.”
Is there life beyond racing?
No one ever told me this!
What else is there, then?
And more importantly, can you bet on it and are there edges to be had?
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
https://mobile.twitter.com/Ian_Davies_
https://www.facebook.com/ThePointtoPointNHandFlatracingpunter/
It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"
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