Introduction to Dark Horse Ratings: Speed Ratings? At the end of each race a time is recorded; the time it took the winner to complete the course. That time is used to calculate a rating based on the winners speed and includes calculations to take into account the going, and the distance beaten - because horses will run faster or slower depending on the conditions underfoot and a beaten horse must have run slower than the winner.  On most occasions the fastest horse wins any given race, but the winner of any race does not necessarily receive the highest rating. The mathematics are a not important here and now, unless you want to calculate your own ratings, and if you do you should immediately purchase books on the subject to compare the methodology of different writers and find one that you can understand the reasoning behind. My own book, Three Mistakes, is available and described elsewhere on this site - accessed through the services button on the homepage.  Why? To me, it's all about beating the bookmaker with something I have created. It's a satisfaction that many people will never know – because they follow Official Ratings and maybe use collateral form, or what their favourite tipster fancies – or the colour of the riders silks, or maybe the second favourite on the third Thursday of the month.  Speed ratings will also select some of those same horses too, but very often a well constructed set of ratings for a race can also bring about longer priced winners.  The main reason for creating your own ratings is that not many others are doing it; they are relying on other peoples opinions and missing the cutting edge that your own creation can give. Time, as well as being used to create ratings, is also taken up by the calculation of ratings. It is a time consuming process – but I can take that drudgery off your hands and do the work for you. What about the variation in race courses? Each track in the UK is different, the distances are slightly different by a few yards here and there, the undulations, inclines, and cambers are different too - and these differences make the use of something rational even more important.  You can take away the arguments about easy and difficult courses, because you can create your own standard time to guide you in assessment of any course. A mile with a downhill finish may be easier than a stiff 6f with an uphill finishing straight – and when horses go from one course to another are you in possession of all the facts? Ratings can provide the clues. Standard time for the stiff 6 furlongs will be slow in comparison to other 6 furlong races and comparison of like with like will tell you what you need to know. I calculate all my own Standard/Average times each year, for both UK and Irish and continental courses - and have only recently completed a full 5 years draw analysis for each distance of a mile or less at each course too - anything for an 'edge', for  that vital advantage.  How do you Begin? You start by beginning to think differently, and by assessing this new weapon you have in your armoury. Now you can calculate an average rating and begin to look for consistent performers capable of repeating the same level of performance - or for those performances that show a horse is improving, on an upward curve..  But don't be fooled; it isn't quite that simple to find winner after winner – but it is that easy to improve your chances. Ratings are the starting point, the rules by which we make our choices. Services, like mine, based on true speed ratings - are suited to those who do not have the time to keep records or complete spreadsheets day after day. You can look at trial results on the site, or take out a one month subscription, or buy Three Mistakes and start your own profitable hobby.