S.P. Read Esq. No reason to go high at Sandown Wednesday

Our daily columnist and pundit S.P.Read Esq. looks ahead to racing at SANDOWN PARK on Wednesday with a view to going low on the distance market with Star Spreads, the home of sports spread betting.

When you can’t find any angles into buying distances the correct decision is often to sell.

That needs a little further justification. My methodology on distance betting is to assume that every race will be close unless I can find reasons for thinking otherwise.

The temptation on summer flat cards is often to buy when you see a starting spread of around 10 – but you’d be surprised the number of times the make-up comes in around 6.

The key angles I look for to convince me into buying are pretty obvious:

• Non handicap races on the cards will always produce bigger distances.
• Size of fields (remember to keep a check on non runners), bigger fields generally produce closer finishes.
• Amateur / apprentice races can often produce false pace and exaggerated distances.
• The general make-up of races. It might be a 12 runner race but if the market says it’s more of a two horse race and one of the two has question marks over the distance, for example, there are increased chances of getting a wide margin winner.
• Length of races – clearly you fancy your chances more in a two miler than a five furlong race of getting a decent winning distance, even more so when some of the field are unproven over the trip.
• Most importantly of all – the going – horses are entered with a specific going in mind. The moment it changes the more the chances of horses not running to form and increased non runners.

Of course, the market makers have access to all that information too and many times it will be ‘built into’ the spread. But do your homework and bet when you think you have an edge.

At Sandown on Wednesday I am selling distances at around 9.5 with Star Spreads as I am struggling to see any of the races producing wide margin wins.

CLICK HERE FOR THE SANDOWN MARKETS ON STAR SPREADS

RECOMMENDED BET (scale 1-100 points)

SELL DISTANCES at around 10.5 with Star Spreads for 10 points

• Any spread prices quoted are indicative and as always prices are subject to fluctuation.
• Please note the opinion, views and forecasts above are of the author and not of Star Spreads.