Know where your tracks are and don't forget to check the weather forecast!

[Dorianmode]

3 out of 5 is not bad at all !
My process for race selection always involves a look at the weather forecast. Then at race time, I make sure nothing has changed and it's not raining, or something else, (like an inordinate number of scratches). has occurred.

Be sure you back up all your hard work in multiple ways. When I was constructing the parts of my Excel tools, it took many many hours. Some of the programming I don't even remember how I did it, (the automated regression tools .. I'd have to look it up). But now they're all automated, and update automatically, it's great to have everything working, and just enjoy concentrating on the race, and not worry about how the tools are working.

[Lythande]

So what would you consider an "inordinate" number of scratches? Today GP had scratches in every race, two in one of my five, four in another. Two I was convinced were good contenders were also scratched. Four in one race seemed odd to me but I didn't know what to make of it.

[Dorianmode]

Originally Posted by Lythande

So what would you consider an "inordinate" number of scratches? Today GP had scratches in every race, two in one of my five, four in another. Two I was convinced were good contenders were also scratched. Four in one race seemed odd to me but I didn't know what to make of it.

Well in your example I would have ignored the entire card if it was raining there. If it's not raining, and the reason is not obvious to me for the scratches, (I think this happened last weekend, 4-5 horse were scratched in a race, leaving about 5 or 6, I think), I pass, and look for races with a minimum of 8 runners. If I've prepared the race, and I'm left with 7, I might use it. Otherwise, I move on to something else. There is value in lots of places. At Woodbine last Saturday, on of my choices went off at 7/1 ... and it was obviously one of the two best horses in the race.