Horse Racing Tips Today - A Four Point Guide To Check Before Backing Any Horse

Horse racing tips are bought and sold day in and day out across the world. Newspapers print them,radio stations give them, website owners and users throw their hat in to the ring. With so many to consider, what should you consider before following any of the horse racing tips today?

Some punters might argue that indeed the point of a racing tip is to save the time and trouble needed by the end user. Some would suggest that it would be to replace the education and understanding of the end user. Well even if both are true, it is very much recommended you spend five minutes proofing them yourself?

So a check list of what you should check simply online is below. You can either use the Racing Post newspaper or website. The paper is available on the counters of most high street bookmakers, you don't need to buy one.

Clarify these points before backing any of the horse racing tips today:

* Trainer of the selection.

It is no good backing any tip if it can't win. One of the most crucial aspects to check of a horses chance of winning is the trainer form. Trainers dip in and out of form at different times of the year. Some of these patterns are known, others more random. Do not back a horse with confidence if a yard has not had a winner after sending out the last thirty horses! On the other hand, a yard boasting a current 30% strike rate in the last two weeks would be one very much to have confidence in.

* The Jockey's strike rate.

Two things need checking here. The strike rate of winners in the past two weeks. Again if a jockey is zero or one from the last thirty rides it means either the jockey is out of sorts and lacking confidence. Or the jockey's agent is not getting him/her on the best rides. It could be a factor of both. If you see a jockey with this kind of stat do not back it even if one of the horse racing tips today you have been given.

Another stat worth noting is the 'all time' strike rate of your jockey at the racecourse in question. Some jockey's thrive at certain tracks, understanding the nuances of individual courses. If you see a jockey with say a 24% strike rate at your course then they understand it very well. Again if you see the opposite and only an all time strike of 3% then again swerve those type of horse racing tips today.

* Race Distance and Going - Check Breeding

Horses are biologically programmed with a genetic make up to compete well at a certain distance. A quick check on the Racing Post website will show you how the father horse (Sire) fared when racing. It will also highlight the conditions underfoot that the sire raced well at and mostly won. You can check the 'Progeny Statistics' on the website for any sire. This information will show in detail the race winning and place statistics for the offspring of the sire. If on inspection you actually see that no horse from this sire has ever won over fourteen furlongs, do not back horse racing tips today if the horse is running over fourteen furlongs!

* Progressing or Old Hand?

If when checking the horse racing tips today you realise that the selection has raced on many many occasions you need to consider how well rated it is. Depending on the recent level of form the horse will of been assesed by the official handicapper. If the horse has not been winning with a therefore ever declining official rating (O.R) then chances are the horse is starting to race from a mark it might win from. Always consider a horses OR for any of your horse racing tips today. If your horse is five years or older on the flat, ask yourself 'If the horse has never won from a mark this high, why should it improve enough to win from this mark today'?

In handicap races you are looking for the conditions that suit a particular horse in particular, conditions over which it has excelled before. As importantly you are looking for the horse that is potentially likely to improve more than any of the other horse racing tips today.

No matter how confident your source of information is, you should get in to the habit of checking at least the above items. When you do learn these basics, you are more likely to start backing horse racing tips today that have a good chance on the day.