The website of the British Horseracing Authority (www.britishhorseracing.com) is a very useful source of information to the racing enthusiast and well worth taking the time to explore.
One page in the ‘Stewards’ Room’ section of the site is called ‘Why they ran badly’ and gives trainers’ and jockeys’ explanations as to why a particular horse underperformed in a race.
Sometimes the explanations can be helpful for future betting insight. For example the trainer might say the horse “was unsuited by the good, good/firm in places going” or “the trainer reported the gelding had a breathing problem”, or “bled from the nose”.
If you have watched the race in question then sometimes the reason for the poor run is obvious. The report for Dawn Approach in the Investec Derby reads “the colt ran too free”, which was visible to all spectators.
Other times the explanations offered are tautological – the horse ran badly because it ran badly. Only, it is dressed up in racing speak e.g. “the gelding was never travelling”; “the filly stopped quickly”.
You can also review all the official photo finishes on the site to see how narrowly your selection was beaten.
The blogs written by the BHA handicapping team are also worth perusing. The handicappers write about their views on particular races, the performance of horses, and why they have raised (or not) a particular runner in the handicap.
