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These arguments go round in so many circles that I don’t really know what many of you want from racing coverage anymore.
By the time you all agree, there won’t be a sport left anyway.
Late to this thread. Enjoy the programme but I’m in agreement regards the data. The data only tells you what happened not what is going to happen next time you see that horse. Same with sectional times, ratings etc they won’t help you come to a bet. You need to use your own judgement with different circumstances next time and horses improving etc… They can be misinterpreted too, Horse X lost so many lengths at a fence so if it jumps better next time it wins. Only Horse X is proven down the years to jump like a wardrobe so the data is irrelevant.
All racing data can be of value/interest to some to varying degrees just as much as it could be of no value/interest to others but any one individual stream of data should be taken with a pinch of salt and shouldn’t be truly relied upon because at the end of the day there is one variable/x factor that can trump any amount of data you do or don’t use……and that is the horse itself.
Yes getting from one side of a fence in the most efficient and economical way possible will be of great assistance against you rivals but in of itself (just like having a preference for a certain type of ground and/or course or a fast pace or a test of stamina) it will not guarantee that a horse will win if they do have those things in their favour in a race.
Just today at Ascot we had Harper’s Brook who overall was very slick in the jumping department compared to his rivals (would be interesting to see if any data comes up on a future program to illustrate that) but any length(s) advantage he gained through his jumping was made wholly irrelevant when once all the jumping was done he simply downed tools on the run in and got beat.
Il Ridoto’s jumping was a joy to watch in the December Gold Cup and visually he was much slicker across his fences than Fugitif who actually won the race despite making one notable mistake and taking longer in the air over his fences than the runner-up.
Data (from all areas) should really only be used to assist you in coming to your own informed decision/choice but I would rather have as much data on as many variables as possible and then be free to pick and choose which of it I feel is of more (or even less) importance to me.
Personally, I roll my eyes everytime I watch McNae practically wet himself praising and marking horses up that have run fast sectional and overall times compared to others……for me sectionals/times are a product of certain set of factors happening in a race which can’t be relied upon to be replicated consistently enough to where it plays any part in the horse I pick for a race, I view other data (ground, course, distance etc) as more valuable.
Still four months to go but RTV is starting its journey on the Road To Cheltenham again tonight. But remember: the Road is just as important as Cheltenham.
No doubt punters friend Ruby Walsh will tell us precisely nothing about any of the Mullins horses again.
Cork All Star.
Road to Cheltenham starts tomorrow night.
Not that its very informative as you said.
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