Define what your selection rubric is trying to assess
A useful rubric describes the decision, not an impressive-looking score. Identify the criteria, explain why each matters and record missing evidence. Avoid adding points merely because information is available. If the score has no validated link to outcomes, present it as a way to organise research rather than a predictive rating.
Three checks worth keeping
- Define each criterion before applying it to a runner.
- Separate an unknown answer from a negative answer.
- Check whether any two criteria are counting the same evidence twice.
Put the question to work
Use the checklist to structure questions, not to manufacture a best-horse claim.
Use the research checklist to organise the next step, then explore the worked example.
No runner is rated and the domain name is not a claim of proven superiority.
Continue your racing research
For a related racing resource, explore PTPTips horse racing ratings and form. Check the source for changing race information.
Surface terminology reference: Racing Australia track-rating definitions.
Terms used in this guide
- Barrier
- The starting-gate position listed for a runner; check amendments and provider notation.
- Form line
- A compressed record of one earlier run, interpreted using the provider legend.
- Margin
- A recorded separation in a race result; interpretation needs race context.
- Going
- A description of the surface condition at a stated time.
- Field
- The runners associated with a particular race at a particular stage.
- Race conditions
- The published race details and eligibility context, checked at the relevant source.
Related reading in the network
- how to read a horse racing form guide — Read a form line as a record of a race, with context attached to every finishing position.
- race meeting research planner — Plan a manageable research session without pretending that every race needs a selection.
- daily horse racing research routine — A repeatable research routine that makes updates and skipped work visible.