Poll - Where do you Study

From a member

As you know I am totally clueless when it comes to IT and socI also media .

As I have seen you before create a topic to do a poll and gather data I was thinking last night that as I am having Breakfast with a big wig on Friday that I would definitely like to bring up the Formgrids story and the importance of the site.

Therefore in order to have my facts sort of right can I ask you a favour to create a poll as a thread - the object that since Formgrids has been down - what publication do the ABC members use in order to study . As discussed before one expample of not having having a Formgrids is the easy use of seeing collateral form . Now oneven needs to almost do it manually and Computaform is so behind when looking at let's say runners vs winners since.

So a simple question like What Publications “Do you use”

Computaform
Sporting post
Winning Form
TAB free sheets
Local news paper
Online publications sites
Tellytrack
Other
Etc

I would create the post but have no idea where to start in creating it.

Your assistance in this would be appreciated and would make for good argument depending on the results .

Have a great day.

Computaform and Gallop

Just have a read through on the daily ABC threads, you will soon get to know who you can follow.

Don't punt on SA racing too often, but use www.winningform.co.za when I do.

Computaform online and used to be formgrids, but now using gallop due ot downtime.

Your poll only allows one choice. That's fine if you just want to know people's favourite, but I would expect that many people use more than one source.
Back in the 70's and 80's, I used Computaform, and then switched to Sporting Post as I enjoyed the editorial and write-ups, it was better value for money in giving multiple cards, and I found that the ratings were closer to my own. It also helped my growing interest in breeding.
When I had lots of time as a scholar and a student, I kept my own data manually, and in the 70's started writing my own little data and comparison programs.
There was no substitute for attending race meetings and seeing the horses in the flesh in the parade ring and the canter past, and learning to "read" a race.
Visiting the training tracks on a Saturday morning is another experience that the armchair punter misses out on.
The early days of television coverage changed the game, with the ability to tape the races and watch the races that you couldn't attend.
As an owner, getting to know trainers, breeders, agents and jockeys and getting the benefit of their knowledge and experience has made a huge difference.
Punting for me is a recreational activity, not dissimilar from playing a game of bridge or poker, doing a crossword or sudoku puzzle.
As such, the object of the game is to pick winners and winning bets myself- I enjoy exchanging opinions and views, but at the end of it, every bet must be my own choice.
Newspaper coverage used to be helpful- for more than a decade it has been nothing more than the fields and the occasional article.
On line sources have become most important- trainers websites; podcasts; USO on tellytrack; forums such as this.
Formgrids is a very good data source, although I personally use it more for statistics than for form analysis.

When i seen the post was tempted to reply "in the shit house"

However for overseas i like to check Betfair the betting as a guide and the comments / racing post

Plus the site, as chicken says you get to know the better posters

I enjoy the hard copy of Sporting Post

Ja Peter, I just Copy and pasted the message

My problem with poll you can only choose one

Thank you Peter D

I was thinking the exact same thing as you have expressed in the above.

This brings me to why the Powers at be insist that this "new generation " are not willing to do the hard work or be creative . I have tried to write programmes to improve my chances - most of them Unsuccessful. I learnt ever since I could read at a very early age by studying the Photo forms in Computaform. After years and closer to a legal age I stole my father's Computaform and with hours of studying learnt daily. Later I moved on to a combination of Computaform and SP especially because of the breeding aspect. I still do today however I feel Computaform have rearranged their product to much and don't trust their data especially times.

That's what made this game great for me . To put in the hours to be "right or correct." To find that 30/1 shot that no one looked at. Being Right or Correct is important to a human and that is what brings them back the next day.

Going back to this New Generation story - The powers say that everything should be transparent - correct - all information must be avaliable in order to make an informed decision - correct - however at a push of a button in a tote with free WiFi the answer to the result must be produced for the punter to follow.

Example this new TT insert before a race of a computer generated race as to how the race will unfold . What a load of rubbish.

If this is what is expected then they are in the wrong place and should rather try a slot machine at a casino. That is a Rush .

Horse Racing deals with the relationship between an Animal and a Human to prepare in order to create an athlete. Not some computer graphic predicting the outcome.

Those that choose to follow other members or the media . Good luck nothing wrong . However there is no better feeling being right and knowing you did it on your own. That's my view.

Many of those publications have their own "online publications" too. I voted Winning Form but I do it online.

.....I find that relying with all my racing interaction now online.....I have become a willing prisoner in my own home.....get all freaked out if I'm invited to the course and they have bum 3G and no Wi Fi for internet and I have to resort to using a race card and placing my bets with incompetent tote operators(hardly been a visit on course where bets weren't screwed up).....at the recent sales I was worried that I would not have decent 3G connection and went to buy a card.....the prices were horrific and the paper that they were printed on was no whiter than the lowest value one ply one can buy.... ....fortunately TBA had excellent Wi-Fi.....yet no tote facility....but I was able to do my thing with my little tablet....