British Track Characteristics: Flat and National Hunt
Britain’s racetrack layouts vary greatly. As well as left-handed and right-handed layouts, there are stiff, galloping, undulating and perfectly flat circuits, with most horses preferring certain configurations to others. For example, the helter-skelter track at Brighton strongly favours the handy, well-balanced types and is very much against the long-striding gallopers, who can often become unbalanced on its undulations.
Monitoring the performance pattern of a specific horse will enable a form student to identify the types of tracks on which it performs best. With that in mind, the form student can assess just how well suited a horse will be to the track where it is due to race next.
British Flat Tracks – Here is a list of the varying characteristics to be found at Britain’s Flat horse racing tracks.
This matrix is useful when downloaded into a spreadsheet, where it can be sorted to group similarities together. We can then see which of a horse's previous form is relevant to today's race.
XX means extra; ( ) means slightly; uphill/downhill relates to a significant stretch of track.
British National Hunt Tracks – Here is a list of the varying characteristics to be found at the Britain’s National Hunt horse racing tracks.
Steve Jones – Professional Betting Advice and Strategy (2000-22)