'Clarity of selection' ...

[Sheerluck Holmes]

Hi chaps, Wasn't really sure what to call this thead, so I'll try to explain.... I'm basically looking to pick your brains - this may have been covered before - but how do you guys make your selections on a daily basis? The reason I ask is that I spend each evening with the form, the starts and the rest of it, but as time passes, I find myself getting 'bogged down', going over the same things and eventually, not being able to see the wood for the trees! I know what I am looking for; decent recent form (unless obvious excuses), evidence of ability at today's grade, in today's conditions and from today's mark (unless unexposed) and at a price which I consider 'value', all along with the usual trainer/jockey form etc. But just recently, I've struggled to get from those factors, via my thought process, to selections. Am I over thinking? Do I need a break? I love 5f and 6f sprints, and am happy looking at races up to 1m. I also love the AW (don't laugh!) - should I be concentrating on these and not 'pressuring' myself to have a bet each evening? Any comments appreciated.

[Trotter]

Re: 'Clarity of selection' ... Yes, that's a problem I recognise I think the trick is to change the type of races you look at every couple of months so you're looking at something a bit different For example if you've been concentrating on sprints you'll be looking at the draw and maybe speed figures..........have a couple of months on staying races where you'll be looking at stamina rather than speed I think there's a problem when you get too familiar with a sub-set of horses.......you look at a race, recognise most of the names and you'll already have opinions on them which might have been formed half a dozen runs ago but are difficult to shake off. I think it's always good to move to a different set of horses that you have no opinion on every couple of months Another tip........this is something I do. if I'm serious about studying a race I type stuff into a word document as I look at the horses. Otherwise I just keep going from horse to horse and re-thinking the same tin that I thought 30 minutes earlier but had forgotten in the meantime ! Also I start a race by typing out the horses in order of change of OR since last win......so maybe +10 at the top and -6 at the bottom. This gives me a structure to look at each horse in turn with a natural bias to horses in the middle of the list......not a lot higher than last win but not in decline. That's only a first assumption which can change but it gives me a starting point