Is there any value in watching racing shows

The sport of kings.
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abgespaced
Posts: 176
Joined: Sun Aug 23, 2020 2:25 am
Location: Australia

Some background: I've come to this sport from a trading perspective. I never used to be interested in horse racing, but the more I trade it the more interest I'm developing. There's something really cool and majestic about horses that is piquing my interest.

Now I'm sitting here in Australia watching a racing program on television. Having never been a punter per se, I am finding it difficult to relate to the way they talk about the races.

Maybe it's just me, but I'm not finding it very helpful. It's mostly just speculation and opinion, "top picks" etc. Nothing of actual value to anyone other than those trying to "pick a winner".

I'm questioning whether it's of any use watching these shows to learn something. I'm just interested in learning more about horses and applying that to a trading perspective.

I've heard others say that you won't learn anything studying form, some even say you don't need to know anything about the sport to trade it. This might be true, but then you're limiting yourself to only one form of trading. There are many other forms of "trading" which, if you get rid of the arbitrary separation of from "gambling", opens up a whole lot of other possibilities.

For example, there are professional gamblers who get trackside to read the horse's physical state on the day. This obviously requires a completely different skillset to "trading" and yet they both share the same modus operandi: get on a good price and avoid a bad one.

So anywhere from this ground level approach to the meta game of trading has potential to create many different strategies, so there must be as many different ways to learn about the sport that enhance that potential.

TLDR: Is it worth watching anything outside of the markets, particularly racing shows on television, in order to learn and develop your skills in being able to profit from the sport of horse racing?
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Derek27
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I reckon a racing show (depending on the pundits) is far more useful to punters. That said, knowledge of horses, such as the ones that habitually sweat up or are unruly without any detrimental effect would be useful in recognising unfounded drifts, for example.
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Euler
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I watch pictures and listen to commentary, but only for clues as to what is happening on course.

Most pundits are there to create an opinion and stimulate a bet, any advice is tinged with that so is generally poor advice from a trading perspective.
Tetras
Posts: 144
Joined: Tue Nov 03, 2020 8:23 pm

Having knowledge of the horses can definitely be helpful in anticipating movements, I get them sometimes where "I just know" that the price will move, even if I can't pinpoint why (e.g. maybe I remember the hype about the horse, or saw it win spectacularly a week before).

If it's worth watching shows purely for trading (since much of it is fluff, or not even current), I couldn't say, but these moments do contribute to my being profitable.
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goat68
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Location: Hampshire, UK

Euler wrote:
Thu Nov 05, 2020 3:24 am
I watch pictures and listen to commentary, but only for clues as to what is happening on course.

Most pundits are there to create an opinion and stimulate a bet, any advice is tinged with that so is generally poor advice from a trading perspective.
Is order flow trading not dependent on finding a horse at value? Eg from my research horse A is overlayed, so I can back it based on that value?
So when you trade a reversal on what basis are you trading it?
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Euler
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Joined: Wed Nov 10, 2010 1:39 pm
Location: Bet Angel HQ

Nope, trading order flow is watching where the money is going and anticipating that price action. Very little to do with knowing value.
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