Top Tips From Pricewise

Pricewise pearls: top tips from the professionals

Want to know how the professionals do it? Top Pricewise tipster, Tom Segal, shares his thoughts and advice on how to pick a winner.

1. Stick to what you know best

Racing can be incredibly complicated and there are many ways to approach winner-finding, but attempting to use all of them is extremely hard mentally. Work out which method suits you best, whether it be using speed figures or form ratings or whatever, and stick to it because the losers are easier to take when you’ve done all the work that has been successful for you in the past.

2. Watch as much racing as you can

Race reporters do an incredibly good job on the whole but you have to remember they can only read a race through their own eyes and their own way of thinking. More often than not, you will see a race differently and therefore watching races and making up your own mind about horses is hugely significant.

3. Analysis to paralysis

The racing media and fans often make racing far more complicated than it really is. Ground and draws are often discussed to near death before a race and then forgotten about when the actual contest is run. None of us really knows the ground and the draw advantage on any given day and they can change quickly, so simply trying to identify which horse can run the fastest must always be the first port of call.

4. The importance of jockeys

It amazes me that intelligent people still massively underestimate the importance of the jockey. Of course, they can’t make a horse run faster than they are able to, but their actions can prevent a horse achieving its true level of ability very easily and do so in every race, every day.

5. Have fun!

Remember, it’s supposed to be fun – it’s only horses running around a field after all. The whole point of having a bet is to find some enjoyment and help us get through the day with a smile on our face. It’s crucial to work out what sort of betting suits your own personal temperament and not to take it too seriously.

Pricewise are a daily tipping service available online and in the Racing Post newspaper. Click here for today’s Pricewise tips.