Race time
Assessed against carefully developed course-and-distance benchmarks.
How it works
Read the clock, not just the result
Traditional form can tell you where a horse finished. Read For Speed focuses on how fast the performance actually was.
What is a speed rating?
A speed rating converts a horse's race performance into a numerical figure. This makes it easier to compare performances recorded in different races and under different conditions.
The Read For Speed scale
The RFS scale runs from 0 to 100. The higher the figure, the stronger the recorded speed performance.
- Horse A★ Highest figure82
- Horse B74
- Horse C68
Horse A recorded the strongest speed performance in this example. That does not automatically make Horse A a bet. The figure must still be considered alongside today's race conditions.
What Read For Speed considers
Finishing margins
How far a horse finished from the rest of the field.
Race distance
The trip over which the performance was recorded.
Surface
Whether the performance came on turf or all-weather.
Going conditions
The ground a horse recorded its figures on.
Course suitability
Whether the track itself suits the runner's profile.
Current race distance
How today's trip compares with where the best figures were recorded.
Draw and track position
The stall draw and likely early position, where they are relevant.
Recent form
Recent runs and how relevant older performances still are.
Turf and all-weather performances are assessed separately. A strong performance on one surface is not automatically treated as equally relevant on another.
A high RFS figure is an important piece of evidence — not a guarantee that a horse will win.
How members should use the ratings
- 1Identify the strongest relevant RFS figures.
- 2Compare those figures with today's surface, going, distance, course and draw.
- 3Consider the available price before deciding whether a genuine betting opportunity exists.
18+ | Betting involves risk. Never stake more than you can afford to lose.