Marten Julian’s Weekly Roundup 14 July 2025

I have just had a friend over from the States who has followed racing in the UK closely for over 60 years and it’s always interesting to hear what he has to say, given his distant perspective.

The first thing is that he thinks there are too many pundits in the Racing Post.

Back in my days as a professional tipster … a word I deeply dislike, but it will have to do for the moment … you would be banned from placing advertisements if there was any evidence of multiple tipping. You were forbidden from giving more than one horse in a race, either in your own name or through trading names.

However the Racing Post pundits have a free rein, with any number of selections for the day’s big handicap. Some are obviously more popular than others … Tom Segal, aka Pricewise, will command a strong following after so many years of consistent success, while others may come and go.

But my friend is probably not alone in finding it very difficult to absorb and process all the data and analysis that is available on a busy day.

The second thing he has noted is the drop in the number of sellers. As an ex-owner he used to target sellers with his lesser performers, landing some hefty punts in the process.

The third thing is, inevitably, the difficulty in getting his money on. He has found that even those firms who claim they will take a substantial bet usually ‘refer’ the bet before returning with an offer for a much-reduced stake.

He has also commented on the camera work, when the camera pans in on close-up images alongside the race thereby losing the perspective of a wider distant shot. Quite often you don’t see the horses that are contesting for the places.

He has other observations, but with respect to the number of pundits in the Racing Post we need to account for the amount of data that is now readily available … sectional timings, for example.

People will have their favourites and I am a devoted follower of the speed figures. I like to find one to beat a short-priced two-year-old who won or was placed in a slowly-run contest, either a newcomer or horse that recorded a better time.

I take close regard to speed figures during a spell of consistent ground. At the last Epsom meeting five of the races were won by the horse with the highest or joint-highest speed figure.

I make a point of respecting the higher speed figures on the straight course at Ascot. I may be guilty of confirmation bias, but without access to the returns I am pretty sure they have yielded a substantial level stake profit.

Another way of using the speed figures is when a horse is rated well clear of the others say, by, ten points or more.

Obviously there are other factors that need to be accounted for, but there isn’t a day when I don’t look at the speed figures before getting involved in a race.

Bye for now

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