Form And Fitness: The Importance Of Assessing Premier Information

I am often asked what means and methodology I use for making selections and which
factors ultimately lead ourselves at Premier Information to the decision on whether to bet or not.

Everyone has their own ideas. "Many men, many methods" as the saying goes. But over the coming articles, I will take you through the main factors that I consider a solid base for the selection process.

Today, I will take a look at Form and Fitness.

Form is a major consideration in making a selection. Form is a factual record of
performance; a record of exactly what has previously been achieved. It is the sole means
of reliably assessing and comparing ability. The higher the grade of race, the more reliable
form tends to be. Whilst never forgetting we are dealing with flesh and blood, high class
horses running in high class events tend to run reliably to form. Lower class racing is not
considered quite so reliable. Everyone interprets form in their own way. Form is a factor
which can never be underestimated. Ultimately though, how that form is interpreted is
down to the individual.

Fitness is also an important factor. Fitness can influence form. Is a horse at peak fitness?
When did it last run? Is it likely to improve and strip fitter for its last run? In years gone
by, one would be very wary of a horse making its seasonal debut. Many horses need to
“have a run” in order to get them properly fit. These days, modern training methods are
so well honed that good trainers can have the horse fit and ready to go even after a long
layoff. However, I generally like to see a horse run within two weeks of its last start. One
can assume that an animal running within two weeks of a race will be pretty fit.

If a horse is not fit it can invalidate the form.