This data base contains just 48 races run on each Saturday during the 2017 Melbourne racing carnival, from 21 October (Caulfield Cup day) to 11 November inclusive, and races run on Tuesday 7 November at Flemington (Melbourne Cup day). The races were all run on dry, good tracks.

The data base was created to test performance on a concentrated series of high level races.

The pre-race data were uploaded electronically by My HorseRaces from race files downloaded by the developer from the website of Racing Australia (RA). Races uploaded were restricted to races run on metropolitan Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane tracks, as well as Geelong and Morphettville racecourses and international racecourses on which international horses entered in the racing carnival ran. Racing files containing form over the past two years for each horse were used. Race results, SP odds, TAB payouts and race-day changes to jockeys, weight carried, etc were typed in by the developer. The developer also separately identified starting characteristics of each horse and estimated running disadvantages in each horse's past races.

Of the 48 races:

16 are distance races (> 1900m); and

32 are sprint races (< 2000m).

Of the 32 sprint races:

3 are 2yo races (open group and listed races);

10 are 3yo races (open group and listed races);

7 are fillies/mares races (open group and listed races);

2 are ratings based handicapping (RBH or 'Benchmark') class races - a RB90 (or BM70) race and a RB96 (or BM96) race; and

10 are open listed and open quality races, as well as welters.

Analysis of the data base was undertaken after the compilation of the data base (as with all performance analyses presented here). As usual, past performance is not necessarily a guide to future performance.

Betting for places (on the TAB) was applied only when betting for wins (on the TAB) did not prove profitable.

The analysis options for each group of races in the table were chosen on the basis of a limited number of changes to default settings, drawing on prior year settings for the particular race class (without using My HorseRaces' optimisation facility). Default settings include weight rating analysis. With some sprint races (open and benchmark classes), changes to default settings include a shift from weight rating analysis to speed rating analysis.

Despite the small number of races in each different class of race, the results are a good example of how returns from common analysis options applied across all race classes (20.8% return on turnover from default options in this case) can be increased considerably if options are refined for different race classes (to 65.5% return on turnover in this case when options are changed across race classes as shown in the following table).

Notes to table:

This data base contains 1487 races held in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane (including selected Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast and Ipswich meetings) on most weekends from 1 February to 25 July 2015. 1163 of the races were run on dry tracks and 324 on wet tracks ('slow'/'soft' or 'heavy').

The pre-race data were uploaded electronically by My HorseRaces from race files (restricting races to those on specified Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane tracks) downloaded by the developer from the website of Racing Australia (RA). For the first two Saturdays, racing files containing form over the past two years were used and subsequently racing files containing each horse’s last five starts. Race results, SP odds, TAB payouts and race-day changes to jockeys, weight carried, etc were typed in by the developer.

Of the 1163 races on dry tracks:

182 are distance races (> 1900m); and

981 are sprint races (< 2000m).

Of the 981 sprint races on dry tracks:

129 are 2yo races;

207 are 3yo races, including those 3yo races classed on the basis of ratings based handicapping (RBH or Benchmark races) rather than say on the number of metropolitan wins;

59 are C6 races - broadly, for horses with corresponding number of wins;

75 are fillies/mares open group and listed races;

46 are for horses 3yo or 4yo and above with no restrictions on number of metropolitan wins, as well as those with 0, 1 or 2 metropolitan wins;

223 are non-3yo ratings based handicapping (RBH or 'Benchmark') class races - ranging from RB67 (or BM70) races to RB95 (or BM95) races - including 43 restricted to fillies/mares; and

242 are open listed and open quality races, as well as welters - open to all horses in transition to open listed races.

The 324 races on wet tracks comprise races across all these categories of races on dry tracks.

The analysis options for each group of races in the table were chosen from prior year settings plus some use of My HorseRaces optimisation facility.

Betting for places (on the TAB) was applied only when betting for wins (on the TAB) did not prove profitable.

Notes to table:

1. Variations from default options, which include weight rating only analysis, are shown in 'Analysis options' column. With some sprint races, changes to default settings include a shift from weight rating analysis to speed rating analysis.
2. Class weights for RBH races have been re-optimised (given continuing increase in percentage of races classed as RBH races) and expanded to include races previously classed as 3yo races (specifically 3yo races from RBH-70 to RBH-80).
3. RBH races include those 3yo races or races restricted to fillies and mares that have other associated restrictions, like number of metropolitan wins, replaced by an RBH rating.
4. All options include default reduced class weights for races restricted to fillies/mares (other than for quality and open listed F&M races which have their own class weights): 0kg reduction for 2yo races; 2kg reduction for 3yo races; and 3kg reduction for non-2yo/3yo races, including RBH races.
5. Payouts for a small number of races represent a high percentage of total payouts which means analysis settings may be more attuned to securing those few very high payouts than ongoing payouts.

This data base contains 1206 races held in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane (including selected Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast and Ipswich meetings) on each weekend from 3 December 2011 to 1 December 2012 (as well as the occasional Monday meeting). 917 of the races were run on dry tracks and 289 on wet tracks ('slow' or 'heavy').

The pre-race data were uploaded electronically by My HorseRaces from race files (restricting races to those on specified Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane tracks) downloaded by the developer from the website of Racing Australia (RA). For the first two Saturdays, racing files containing form over the past two years were used and subsequently racing files containing each horse’s last five starts. Race results, SP odds, TAB payouts and race-day changes to jockeys, weight carried, etc were typed in by the developer.

Of the 917 races on dry tracks:

139 are distance races (> 1900m); and

778 are sprint races (< 2000m).

Of the 778 sprint races on dry tracks:

94 are 2yo races;

167 are 3yo races, including 48 classed on the basis of ratings based handicapping (RBH or Benchmark races) rather than say on the number of metropolitan wins;

51 are C6 races - broadly, for horses with corresponding number of wins;

53 are fillies/mares open group and listed races;

111 are for horses 3yo or 4yo and above with no restrictions on number of metropolitan wins, as well as those with 0, 1 or 2 metropolitan wins;

186 are non-3yo ratings based handicapping (RBH or 'Benchmark') class races - ranging from RB67 (or BM70) races to RB95 (or BM95) races - including 59 restricted to fillies/mares; and

116 are welters - open to all horses in transition to open sprint and open quality races - plus open sprint and open quality races.

The 289 races on wet tracks comprise races across all these categories of races on dry tracks.

The analysis options for each group of races in the table were chosen from options determined using My HorseRaces optimisation facility on prior-year data bases.

Notes to table:

1. Variations from default options, which include weight rating only analysis, are shown in 'Analysis options' column. With some sprint races, changes to default settings include a shift from weight rating analysis to speed rating analysis.
2. Class weights for RBH races have been re-optimised (given large increases in numbers of RBH races).
3. RBH races include some 3yo races or races restricted to fillies and mares, with other associated restrictions, like number of metropolitan wins, replaced by an RBH rating.
4. All options include default reduced class weights for races restricted to fillies/mares (other than for quality and open listed F&M races which have their own class weights): 0kg reduction for 2yo races; 2kg reduction for 3yo races; and 3kg reduction for non-2yo/3yo races, including RBH races.

This data base contains 467 races held in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane (including Sunshine and Gold Coast courses) on each weekend between 3 January and 2 May 2009 (as well as on Monday 26 January 2009). 418 of the races were run on dry tracks and 49 on wet tracks ('slow' or 'heavy').

The pre-race data were uploaded electronically by My HorseRaces from race files (New Form files but restricting races to those on Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane tracks) downloaded by the developer from the website of Racing Australia (RA). Race results, SP odds, TAB payouts and race-day changes to jockeys, weight carried, etc were typed in by the developer.

Of the 467 races:

60 are distance races (> 1900m), 8 of which are on wet tracks ('slow' or 'heavy'); and

407 are sprint races (< 2000m), 41 of which are on wet tracks.

Of the 407 sprint races:

66 are 2yo races (7 on wet tracks);

84 are 3yo races (9 on wet tracks);

38 are fillies/mares open group and listed races (3 on wet tracks);

34 are C6 races (7 on wet tracks) - broadly, for horses with corresponding number of wins;

54 are for horses 3yo and above or 4yo and above and restricted to those with 0, 1 or 2 metropolitan wins (5 on wet tracks) - 22 of these are restricted to those with 0 metropolitan wins;

45 are races for horses 3yo and above or 4yo and above with no restrictions on number of metropolitan wins (2 on wet tracks);

9 are welters (1 on a wet track) - open to all horses in transition to open sprint and open quality races; and

45 are open sprint and open quality races (5 on wet tracks).

32 are ratings based handicapping (RBH) class races (17 on wet tracks) - comprising 4 RB72-RB78 races, 20 RB80-RB89 races and 8 RB91-RB95 races.

Notes to table:

1. Variations from default options, which include weight rating only analysis, are shown in 'Analysis options' column.
2. Class weights have been re-optimised with some previous groups of RBH classes disaggregated.
3. All options include default reduced class weights for races restricted to fillies/mares (other than for quality and open listed F&M races which have their own class weights): 0kg reduction for 2yo races; 2kg reduction for 3yo races; and 3kg reduction for non-2yo/3yo races, including RBH races.

This data base contains 418 Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane races from 2008, 323 on dry tracks and 95 on wet tracks ('slow' or 'heavy').

The pre-race data were uploaded electronically by My HorseRaces from race files (New Form files but restricting races to those on Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane tracks) arbitrarily selected and downloaded by the developer from the website of Racing Australia (RA). Race results, SP odds, TAB payouts and race-day changes to jockeys, weight carried, etc were typed in by the developer.

Of the 418 races:

73 are distance races (> 1900m), 16 of which are on wet tracks ('slow' or 'heavy'); and

345 are sprint races (< 2000m), 79 of which are on wet tracks.

Of the 345 sprint races:

43 are 2yo races (7 on wet tracks);

52 are 3yo races (14 on wet tracks);

27 are fillies/mares open group and listed races (9 on wet tracks);

20 are C6 races (4 on wet tracks) - broadly, for horses with corresponding number of wins;

23 are for horses 3yo and above or 4yo and above and restricted to those with 0, 1 or 2 metropolitan wins (7 on wet tracks);

55 are races for horses 3yo and above or 4yo and above and with no other restrictions (10 on wet tracks);

11 are welters (2 on wet tracks) - open to all horses in transition to open sprint and open quality races; and

35 are open sprint and open quality races (9 on wet tracks).

79 are ratings based handicapping (RBH) class races (17 on wet tracks) - comprising 11 RB72-RB79 races, 56 RB81-RB89 races and 12 RB91 races.

Notes to table:

This data base contains 158 races in the Canberra region of south eastern Australia (Canberra, Queanbeyan, Goulburn and Wagga) during 2008, 141 on dry tracks and 17 on wet tracks ('slow' or 'heavy'). It is included with My HorseRaces but with all races deleted ready for Australian non-metropolitan races to be added.

This data base contains 734 Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane races from 2005, 617 on dry tracks and 117 on wet tracks ('slow' or 'heavy').

This data base contains 315 Sydney and Melbourne races from 2004, 272 on dry tracks and 34 on wet tracks ('slow' or 'heavy'). It is included with My HorseRaces to demonstrate the benefit of building up a data base of races (and their results) over time.

The race data were typed into My HorseRaces manually before some analytical features were available; such as, winning consistency measure and class weight changes for prize money. The data base, therefore, does not include wins/starts statistics for horses or race prize money.

Of the 315 races:

60 are distance races (> 1900m), 8 of which are on wet tracks ('slow' or 'heavy'); and

255 are sprint races (< 2000m), 26 of which are on wet tracks.

Of the 255 sprint races:

42 are 2yo races (3 on wet tracks);

62 are 3yo races (6 on wet tracks);

51 are fillies & mares races (6 on wet tracks);

56 are races for horses 3yo and above or 4yo and above and restricted to those with 0, 1 or 2 metropolitan wins (4 on wet tracks);

18 are races for horses 3yo and above or 4yo and above and with no other restrictions (1 on a wet track);

1 only is a welter event (on a wet track) - open to all horses in transition to open sprint and open quality races; and

25 are open sprint and open quality races (5 on wet tracks).

Notes to table:

1. Variations from default options, which include weight rating only analysis, are shown in 'Analysis options' column.

This data base contains 168 Sydney and Melbourne Saturday races from 2000, 136 on dry tracks and 32 on wet tracks ('slow' or 'heavy').

The selection of races is biased towards quality distance races and sprint races for 2yos, fillies & mares and horses with restricted numbers of metropolitan wins.

The race data were typed into My HorseRaces manually.

Of the 168 races:

35 are distance races (> 1900m), 10 of which are on wet tracks ('slow' or 'heavy'); and

133 are sprint races (< 2000m), 23 of which are on wet tracks.

Of the 133 sprint races:

47 are 2yo races - mostly quality ('group') races or 2yo races with no other restrictions;

33 are fillies & mares races - mostly quality races or races with no other restrictions;

44 are races for horses 3yo and above or 4yo and above - mostly races restricted to horses with 0, 1 or 2 metropolitan wins;

6 are welter - open to all horses in transition to open sprint and open quality races;

3 are open sprint and open quality races.

Notes to table: