'Form Hacking in 2026' - Your Free Report
You made it! Sorry for the pallaver getting your email confirmed, I know it's a faff. Anyway, you're here now, and I can't wait to share Part 1 of the form hacking reports I promised.
In fact, you can download it by clicking here.
When you've had a chance to look through the report, please do leave a comment on this page (scroll down to the bottom) and let me know what you think.
Enjoy, and good luck!
Matt
p.s. here's the download link again
p.p.s. very soon, I'll share the second half of this series. But for now, download part 1, grab a cuppa and have a read. I think it's really going to help you this flat season.
.
I’d love to know what you thought of the report – please do leave a note and let me know. Also, if you’ve any questions, just drop them in here, and I’ll be happy to help.
Matt
Great stuff
Yes up my street cos if you have a system you have something to refer back to. I noticed that several other sites advertised it as well.
Having been involved in sport all my life I remember listening to a chap re Bio Rhythms. As an example he used an in training cyclist who cycled every day. He discovered that his times were not improving and was quite dejected.A sports scientist suggested that he carried on with his usual preparation but when he got to the gate if he didn’t feel right DON’T DO IT.He did this for a month and WOW his times .’ improved! Now how does this have anything to do with HORSES. I would love to know how the trainers know the mood of the horse on a daily basis. Does it wake up in the same mood every day – on race day does the mood change for instance. I have used STABLE WHISPERS but not sure what to believe. Yet another theory for this wonderful sport of racing! Sorry to burden you with this Matt but the trainers do seem to know when the horse is UP FOR THE JOB !
Interesting stuff, Bob, thanks for sharing. Trainers do sometimes slow down training or even more horses to a different environment when they’re not quite ‘feeling it’. Our own Sure Touch is currently on a fortnight’s “Butlins” holiday to freshen up after showing less zest than normal. Whether it helps or not, we shall see…
Matt
Hi Matt,
Very interesting! Great to have a stats plus logic based report to help narrow choices in a scenario equally specific – ie sprints with a bend in the track.
I think one of the most important aspects is it encourages taking a view on, say, a horse in stall 10 (using the 10 stall example) that is not a known front runner but still priced as favourite. Is the market wrong? Or am I missing a big reason for short price?
Equally, a horse with a good background / trainer & jockey combo / on the right ground / won over the distance – and is drawn in 4 or thereabouts and a front runner but is not favourite or short-priced might be a good find? Or, again, what other factors might I be missing?
Looking forward to the next part,
Thanks,
Rich.
I think that’s exactly the sort of question we should be asking in those scenarios, Rich. Gundogan, highlighted in the report, was a great example of a wide drawn favourite that was hard to like given his stall and his run style. They don’t crop up every day but they do appear a few times a week. Well worth looking out for. Obviously, we’ll not get things right all the time but it’s about understanding the impact of those parameters and factoring that into what, and how, we bet.
Best,
Matt
Thanks Matt. Race pace has not been something I’ve particularly investigated, and although I’ve subconcsiously gravitated towards backing horses likely to be up with the pace, i was certainly not aware of the stats regarding their relative profitability. Your spreadsheet is very useful too – to have a straightforward mechanical method to understand where the likely pace of the race will come from is another tool in the box. Thanks again.
Happy to help, djcefc. Good luck with the spreadie, it should be quite intuitive to use I hope.
Matt
What great insight Matt. Thank you for freely sharing these stats and pointers. They seem to make so much sense. I look forward to your pt 2
Thanks Peter, Part 2 dropping tomorrow (Wednesday). I hope you’ll like it.
Matt
Hi Matt – I found it really interesting and hopefully will come in handy.
Your usual crisp guidance Matt. It makes trying to find winners both more likely and more fun.
Thank you, Ross, very kind words.
Matt
Hi, Matt. I’ve been backing horses for longer than I care to remember (nearly 40 years!) and I use a similar, but more simplified method, as Geegeez for predicting front runners. Basically, if a horse has made all recently (last four runs) you can have extra confidence it will attempt to lead again.
So, today for example, I would expect She’s Notjoeking to lead at Hexham (3.00) – a decent bet too, and Dartmouth Rose to go on at Fakenham (3.40) where he could well beat the favourite, who I expect will drop in. You have to apply some common sense (for example if there’s another horse in the race that always makes the running, then don’t expect your horse to get an uncontested lead) but it’s an easy way to spot potential front runners in races where it’s not always apparent from the pace scores.
Both of my suggestions are bound to be held up now!
Hi Paul
Good stuff, and thanks for your comment.
Very good point about races where there’s more than one ‘need the lead’ type, too. And, as you’ve implied, run style is super important in jump racing as well as on the flat.
Matt
p.s. it just so happens that all the flat race sprints (Newcastle and Leicester) are run on a straight track today.
Very thought provoking on front running stats and linked to Dave Renham last 2 articles on draws
Hi Colin
Yes it’s all interwoven, and Dave’s articles are great specific reminders of the general points made in the form Jack’s.
Thanks for your note.
Matt
Just downloaded The Form Hackers Guide part one and it makes for very interesting reading and food for thought. Well worth a read.
Thanks Uncle P. I’m glad it’s interesting. I mean, I thought it was but am very glad for some feedback to the same effect!
Appreciate your comment.
Matt
Hi Matt
Something so simple makes so much sense-looking forward to part 2
Thanks
Hi Mel, yes it’s amazing the things we either overlook or under estimate. I have to remind myself multiple times each season about this!
Matt
Hi Matt
Another good read thanks, I operate something like this on the a/w, wolves in particular and it’s quite profitable. I always use the races up to 1m and first of all eliminate anything that’s drawn 4 and above, distance winner a + and the selection must have won on the course and be a front runner or often up with the pace, i then eliminate anything that’s not within 3lb of racing post top rated.
Sounds like a great approach, Cocky. If you have records, I’d be really interested to know how your stall 1 selections have performed?
Matt
Read it earlier interesting I’ve been doing similar when looking at horses runs from bad draws for future races or potentially laying horses.
Hi shell62,
Yes, noting horses from bad draws is a gold mine when judiciously used. It’s a great use of a tracker as well.
Thanks for checking in.
Matt
Was really impressed with the product (and can’t wait for Hack #3) I’m wondering how to use the Geegeez Query Tool to filter the selections for me (I know how to handle the Draw part of it but can’t see how to do the Run Style – maybe I need to mix the QT with the Pace Tab?)
Great work Matt
Hi John
Thanks for your kind words. On QT, it’s coming – just not quite yet! I was hoping it would be ready before the flat season but we had to prioritise work on sectionals and Betfair data. But we ARE now working on including more run style elements to QT. I can’t wait to share!
Matt
Hi Matt
Found your draw analysis really useful. I have been backing horses for over 40 years. I use fineform formula to narrow my selections and look at trainer form and draw bias. I have found your analysis really interesting especially being drawn in 1 and front runners. I am actually showing a small profit from using your racecards. Make life a lot quicker and easier to pick selections.
Keep up the good work
Trevor
Hi Trevor
Thanks for your comment, and great to hear you’re in front from our racecards. We’re doing some work at the moment to introduce more historical run style content in Query Tool which I think will be a huge boost for Gold subscribers in coming months.
Best,
Matt
Thanks Matt very interesting piece, ashamed to admit that I never really took into account the need for stall 1 to break well, just naively assumed it’s the best draw particularly in shorter sprints, the stall 4 stats are very interesting indeed.
That’s my favourite stat in the whole first part, Ryan. I think most people assume what you did, and it’s costing them money!
Matt
Solid reasoning presented in a logical and easy to understand way. Think it will hold more sway on the sharper tracks especially AW
Probably right, LR, though the run style component is very useful on straight tracks in my opinion, too. But yes, definitely favourable on tight/sharp tracks. (That said, beware over-acceleration at Chester: sometimes there’s too much early and races get blown apart. That’s a section for another day, I think!)
Matt
A great piece of research and an easy read. Thanks for that. Bring on Part 2.
Nigel.
Thanks Nigel, not just for the comment but for your support since, I think, the very start!
Matt
This crystallises a lot of the research I have done and I found it provided much food for thought. One thing I hadn’t realised was the fact that to be drawn one was potentially such a huge disadvantage, although I was generally aware, particularly at Chester for example, of the need to break quickly. Many thanks.
Hi Martin
Good to hear we were largely on the same page. And yes, I think that stall 1 point is really interesting. It’s considered a terrible draw in US racing, where there is such a focus on ‘gate speed’ especially on the dirt.
Best,
Matt
Another nice piece of work Matt. It certainly helps me (re)focus on key aspects. And I’ve definitely being over betting the inside draw!
Looking forward to part 2.
Adam
I think “re-focus” is a good word, Adam. Most of what I wrote is probably generally known by many readers, but nuances are everywhere – and it does help, I think, to have a bit of data with which to back things up.
Cheers,
Matt
No surprises here if you are a Gold Member of Geegeez and also an avid reader (as I am) of Dave Renham’s articles on the site every Wednesday. Pace and Draw are perhaps the least understood of all the race variables so to have such information so readily available is invaluable.
Thought the points you make with regard to the ‘inside’ and ‘outside’ stalls, particularly in Sprint Handicaps was very useful. I guess that if there is something to add it would be that some courses exert a stronger / weaker draw bias than others.
Hi Alan
Yes, my report was very general in nature – I wanted to give an overview. And, as you say, Dave often gets granular with a specific course to tease out the those stronger/weaker nuances. He is a genuine draw expert!
Matt
p.s. thanks for being a Gold subscriber!
Enjoyed that Matt and lots of food for thought. I must admit I’d never really considered the stall 1 fact despite in hindsight it being blindingly obvious particularly when it’s a similar case with greyhounds where if the 1 dog doesn’t lead it’s very likely to get caught up in trouble or boxed in. Looking forward to the final part.
Just thinking re stall 1, is there any difference with Kempton? I’m just thinking whether the cutaway gives that stall 1 horse’s jockey a bit of a safety net where they can stay on the rail tuck in the second or third duo and wait for the cutaway rather than elsewhere where they will likely need to come out and find space.
Hi Matt
Great point re greyhound racing – there are definitely parallels in spite of the people steering in horse racing!
Regarding Kempton, I used 6f handicaps (because there are very few 5f ones, and they use the inner loop with a low max field size) of 10-12 runners.
Stalls 1 AND 2 perform moderately, as you can see in this image:
https://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Kempton6f_10-12runner_handicaps_byActualDraw.png
But, see how stalls 1 and 2 fare based on the run style of horses exiting those positions:
Group Runs Wins Places Win % EW % SP P/L BSP P/L EW P/L
4 44 10 21 22.73 47.73 2.39 8.12 2.04
3 56 6 24 10.71 42.86 -21.87 -17.43 -21.97
2 145 11 48 7.59 33.1 -87.05 -79.5 -114.26
1 66 2 14 3.03 21.21 -54.12 -51.66 -90.83
Matt
Thanks Matt.
Yet again the similar traits appear then! Interesting that stall 2 also fares as poorly. I think it’s fair to say the cutaway has no real bearing on it then.
That stall 4 again though!
thats alot of pages take me couple days to digest it all
It’s not that many, Graham. Glass of wine/beer or cup of something, and it should be finished by the time you are.
Matt
Often it’s the simple stuff that makes the light bulb in one’s head switch on so brightly. And all written with the Bisogno hallmark of clarity, punch and wit. Bring on the next one!
Thank you as always, Arthur. You’re a gent.
Matt
Thanks Matt I’ve never used the draw as a betting tool maybe have a look at tomorrow’s flat racing and maybe get a few winners , thanks for everything and I’m looking forward to the next two parts.
All the best
Kieran
Good luck Kieran. Might be an idea to paper trade a few races first, but we’re all grown ups so you do you!
Hope it clicks quickly for you.
Matt
Matt, you KNOW you don’t need to ask us about your work; it’s always good and even the negatives are positive. I refer of course to the negative attached to a #1 draw and utopia of finding your horse drawn in #4 on a turning course!
I applied for your latest offering through Gavin Priestleys’s email because your own email came in after his! Needless to say I was pleasantly surprised when I realised my favourite racing guru was behind the publication. The detail about things that others fail to contemplate always make your thoughts worthy of careful consideration. We’ve exchanged messages before about my contrarian tendencies so you’ll not be surprised when I say that all of this new booklet will be immensely helpful to most people who haven’t come across your work before. The detail you’re able to produce thanks to the Geegeez software is truly thought provoking and, we know from years of experience, very reliable. The evidence for the caveat on stall 1 is obvious once you lay out the mathematical case. The “bonus” of the positivity for stall 4 is gold…Geegeez Gold! I guess you can look forward to a surge in new subscriptions to Geegeez but worry that, the cat now being out of the bag, there’ll be knowing ‘nods and winks’ in the betting ring on course followed by the phrase ” it’s drawn in stall four y’know!” Here’s hoping the prices are strong enough on occasions for those of us who seek true value to be able to take advantage. Well done! Like others before me, can’t wait for the next installment(s).
Hi Richard, you’re really very kind, thank you.
I think it’s correct that all edges erode over time, but some go quicker than others. The stall 4 one probably feels a bit too quirky to be ‘real’ for a lot of people; and the run style dependance of the stall 1 one may be too much work for many… which is a verbose way of saying that I hope these two will stand up for longer than many shared angles.
Of course, there are tools out there where we can check the performance of such angles over time… 😉
Matt
Many thanks Matt, a good read. Being a member I knew most of it, though surprised how big the bias is sometimes, and also the comment regarding badly drawn horses running well.
Although it’s obviously a straight 7f I thought I’d have a look at the 4:22 at Leicester (a course I find difficult and therefore tend not to bet at much). Draw and pace led to a closer look at This Farh, noticing that the last pace score of 1 was because he dwelt at the start. Then noticed the T/J combo of 2 runs, 1 win and 2 places over the last year. Backed it, and happy days we have a winner……and although I didn’t back it, picked the forecast as well.
Looking forward to pt2
Hi Gary
Yes, negative draw bias is a great angle – as Dave Renham flagged last week on site. Well worth keeping on side throughout the season.
As for This Farh, I too noted it missed the break last time but didn’t want to comment on that because I felt it wasn’t an easy one to have found. Em Four was another of interest on the straight at Leicester today, and he ran well though just got caught, finished third.
It’s very gratifying for me that different readers are majoring on different elements of the report. Thanks again for your comment.
Matt
Very interesting matt… But.. In the race you show on last page the winners are the fastest but the draw numbers are 8,6 & 12.
That seems to blow Hack 1 out of the window.
Am I missing something please.
Hi David, good question… and yes, you are missing something – because I didn’t explain it.
The Curragh’s sprint track is straight (no bends), and so the draw content from hack 1 was not relevant. I should have made that clear in the guide.
Matt
Thank Matt. Makes sense now to a simpleton like me.
Hi matt
Very good read. I have followed racing for 50 years and now realise for most of that time I have bet a lot of the time with blinkers on. Horse held up finding trouble finishing well were my staple diet. I got winners but realise it’s the first way to the poor house. My eyes have been well opened and seeing racing in a new better light. I listen to WH racing radio and that helped see racing in a different light. Geegeez is helping take me to a new better light of form study. Front runners with a good jockey have such a strong bias. Your insights and platform just hammer that home. Being well drawn is the cherry on the top. A lot of races are 2-3 furlong sprints and where is the best place to be ie on the pace. Your view on the draw is enlightening as well. I have always thought the place to be drawn mainly is not too low and certainly not too high esp on the aw. Your piece backs that up. Look forward to part 2
Thanks matt
Thanks for your comment, Andrew. Every day is a school day in racing, and the goalposts move often. So regular revision helps. Writing these guides has been a very pleasant revision exercise, I must say.
Thanks again
Matt
I think the key to being profitable isn’t necessarily finding the good bets (although thats clearly important). It’s more important eliminating the number of poor bets that you make. Using draw and pace stats should help with that. Obvious form horses get beat all the time when faced with a negative bias.
Yes, exactly, MW. If we can eliminate more of the bad plays, or bad value based on what we know about circumstances, we’re a lot closer to being profitable – and it’s fun to see those horses and take them on!
Matt
Hi Matt
Having been a Gold subscriber for a couple of years I am aware of draw bias but like others have commented I had never really considered draw 1 to be a negative. Now I know! It’s also good to have a refresher when the flat season starts. Great read and very well written as always, looking forward to part 2.
Andy
Thanks Andy. It a refresher for me, too!
Matt
Hi Matt
Having now re-read (twice) your document and downloaded your spreadsheet I do have one question. I’m probably missing something here so apologies if that’s the case. Seeing how you mapped the race using the spreadsheet is really interesting but doesn’t Geegeez present us with that data via the pace map for any given race anyway? I fear I’m missing something and hoping you’ll tell me what it is!
Thanks
Andy
Hi Andy
Yes, it does if you’re a subscriber! Not everyone is… yet 😉
Matt
As Chester is my local track with one of the most obvious draw biases in the country I always consider draw and pace in shorter races.
The Report was easily accessible, it didnt go over my head, and was informative.
As a Gold subscriber, the pace and draw features are essential tools when working out races.
Looking forward to the second part.
Reading part one was time well spent.
“Time well spent” – that’s all I’d wish for, so thank you.
Chester is a great draw/pace track but not always in the way people think, as Dave Renham highlighted recently.
Need to look out for too much speed in flat 5f races – and having good gate speed if drawn inside is critical.
Thanks for your comment, Paul.
Matt
Hi Matt,
This is an great article on the importance of draw position, pace and run style which gives a greater understanding of how a race may pan out.
Leigh
Thanks Leigh, really glad you liked it. More coming soon!
Matt
Really interesting thoughts here and the bonus of the mapping spreadsheet. Looking forward to trying this out
You’re welcome Andrew – glad you found it interesting/useful, that’s very good to hear.
Matt
Hi Matt, Excellent article .I may have to take up my Gold subscription again ,to enjoy the benefits provided in the draw and pace access. Look forward to the next
article. Which may tip the balance re Gold .
Thanks Matt for another thought provoking article, being gold subscriber i often use the pace heat map , buts its not a mainstay in my betting, looking forward to hack 3. Thanks one again
Matt, successfully downloaded after a bit of faffing with subsequent emails (probably user error).
I found it an easy and interesting read giving me some firm evidence for factors I am aware of when looking at a flat race, but definitely do not focus on enough. I will be looking to use this going forward though.
Hi DAGeeG,
Glad you were able to get to the report and sorry for any faff – hopefully not our side, but it sometimes is!
Matt
handy to know how many turning tracks these sprint races are run over…chester is a prime example…..very good read
Thanks Malc, happy to hear you enjoyed it.
Part 2 inbound tomorrow (Wednesday).
Matt
Really interesting
Some very interesting findings, for example the impact of not being a fast starter when drawn in stall one hadn’t really struck me. Looking forward to part 2. Thanks Matt