By Ben Aitken

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Introduction

I’ve been using Proform to enhance my own betting, as well as to help with the analysis I produce on my own website, for well over ten-years. I primarily used the software for its powerful data-digging properties, sourcing many profitable angles and systems by using the wide range of filters available via the Proform software. Whilst that is very much a method I still use on a regular basis, I have also found myself shifting my attention to the main Proform website, in particular the excellent race cards that are accessible as part of my subscription package.

There is a huge wealth of data available on the Proform race cards alone and there are numerous ways in which they enrich my approach to both my analysis and my betting, but the angle I want to focus on here are the Proform Speed Figures, which are available on both the race cards and in the software itself.

One of the ways I use the Proform Speed Figures...

In all honesty I was never a big Speed Figure follower... it was never something I factored too strongly (or at all!) into my overall approach and for a long time I steered clear of that side of things. After using Proform for a few years, however, I became curious... did some serious digging into the Proform Speed figures side of things... and quickly became a convert!

Now, I would add at this point that I don’t rely on the figures religiously, like most things they are all part of the wider picture, but when it comes to finding a solid statistical gauge to back up (or dampen down) what I see with my eyes, I’m yet to find a more accurate measuring device than the Proform Speed figures.

A recent example of this (a visually impressive performance being backed up by the Proform Speed Figures) is the Nigel Twiston-Davies trained MASTER CHEWY...

He made his Chase debut at Aintree on the 29^th of October and won by very easy 12-lengths, with the race comments reading... ‘prominent, led 9th, shaken up 2 out, soon went clear, impressive’... and visually he was just that; impressive.

But what did the Proform Speed Figures tell me...

MASTER CHEWY ran to a figure of 76 in winning this Class 3 contest, a figure that was a career best effort from the horse (at the time), telling me that he had improved for the switch to chasing. More impressive than that, however, was the fact that the Proform Speed Class Par figure for this type of race was 67... the Speed Class Par figure is basically the median rating achieved by horses winning these types of races (you can read more about the Speed Class Par figures here)... so Master Chewy had recorded a figure 9 points higher than your average winner of this type of contest, this instantly tells me that what I witnessed visually has confidently been backed up by the Proform Speed Figures. Furthermore, the second horse – GENERAL OFFICER – recorded a figure of 70, which would normally have seen him winning a race of this nature quite comfortably... so not only can I see that Master Chewy is a horse that should have plenty more to offer over fences this season, but second placed General Officer has probably been a shade ‘unlucky’ to bump into a horse of the calibre of the winner, and he also goes down as a horse to take note of for future starts. Without the Proform Speed Figures at hand I would have... 1) been relying on just the visual clues as to how good Master Chewy’s performance was... and... 2) would possibly have missed how well General Officer actually ran in defeat... he was, after all, beaten 12-lengths come the line, it would have been easy to overlook the effort...

As it turns out GENERAL OFFICER ran 34-days later at Doncaster (2^nd of December) in a Class 4 (down a class level from the Aintree run) and strolled home by 15-lengths as 9/4 co-fav. He ran to a mark of 68 in victory, pretty much matching what he did behind Master Chewy at Aintree. The Speed Class Par for the Doncaster race was 62 and based of the information gained from his Aintree effort it was clear he had that level, and more, in his locker.

Back to MASTER CHEWY though and he appeared next on the racetrack 13-days later, again at Aintree, and he was into open handicap company this time. This was also a Class 3 race so again the Speed Class Par figure was 67 and he would simply need to run in the ball-park of that effort to be going very close on this second run over fences... which is exactly what he did... indeed he banged in an even better effort and posted a figure of 78 this time round... unluckily for him a Venetia Williams Chase debutant – DJELO – also ran to that figure and managed to get the better of the Twiston-Davies horse by 0.75L at the line (it was 12L+ back to the rest)...

They did, however, omit all of the fences down the home-straight on this occasion (low-sun) and that probably just played more into the hands of DJELO rather than MASTER CHEWY, although that’s taking nothing away from the winner, who is clearly a talented horse also on an upward curve now he’s over the larger obstacles...

This was also another race where it paid to keep an eye on a couple of the beaten horses, with both NETTYWELL (beaten 13L in 3^rd) and REAL STONE (beaten 15.5L in 4^th) posting Proform Speed Figures that were above par for the level, essentially, they ran much better than the bare form suggests they did.

At this point it’s probably wise to address the fact that, as already mentioned, they omitted a chunk of the fences in this Aintree race, so it wasn’t, perhaps, a standard renewal of this type of race. And whilst that is true, I would probably argue that the fact the front four ran ABOVE par for the level was even MORE noteworthy... there was no time for a ‘breather’ down the home-straight and they couldn’t make ground at any obstacles, it was just a case of turning for home and heading off on a ‘straight’ gallop to the line...

That thinking was backed up by DJELO scoring next time out at Newbury by 5.5L (‘only’ posting a figure of 69, but that was still above par for the level, and he didn’t need to be extended by any stretch to record the win) and REAL STONE scoring next time out at Haydock by 20L (posting a career best figure of 76 in the process). NETTYWELL failed to shine on his next start, but he is the more exposed of the 4 and probably needs a bit of respite from the handicapper...

This was another example where it paid to follow the winner after he posted an impressive figure in victory, as well as keeping an eye on the beaten horses in behind, that also ran to a figure on or above par for the level despite being well-beaten come the line...

This ‘method’ doesn’t, obviously, always pay out instant rewards... MASTER CHEWY himself, who has been the main focus of this article, has finished second on both starts since he initially caught my eye with his impressive opening Proform Chase Speed Figure...

He ran again on the 2^nd of December and once more found one too good for him...

It was still, however, a high-class effort from the 6-year-old and he’s now posted Proform Chase Speed Figures of 76-78-76 and on this latest run, at Newbury, he bumped into a horse in the shape of ELIXIR DE NUTZ who was running under his Prime Conditions and also had the assistance of a top-class 5lb claimer in the saddle (Freddie Gingell) to help ease his burden. They also tweaked riding tactics with Master Chewy, riding him at the rear of the field on this occasion, after having him much closer to the pace on his first two chase starts... so certainly reasons for this defeat, but ultimately it doesn’t change the fact that he’s run ‘above par’ on each of his three chase starts and looks an improving chaser very much to keep on the right side of this season. He’s already posting figures that mark him out as a Class 1 chaser, bordering on a Graded Chaser (using the Proform Class Par’s as the gauge), and had I not had access to the Proform Speed Figures I may not have viewed his recent effort in as such a positive light as I do. 

The ‘method’ highlighted in this post is a relatively simplistic way to use the Proform Speed Figures, simplistic but at the same time extremely accurate. You can spend many hours digging into the countless layers of data provided by Proform (I do myself, on a regular basis) but, equally, there are also many ways you can use some of the data already provided on the software/website and it will still enhance your betting and knowledge to a significantly greater level than those that are not using Proform.

By Ben Aitken

Horse Racing analyst and website owner at www.narrowingthefield.co.uk

Race Trends analysis and horse profiling alongside personally researched systems and angles are my preferred analysis and betting methods

Proform user for over 10-years