James Goodman

JAMES GOODMAN

Veteran trainer, punter and TV presenter James Goodman has saddled over 30 stakes winners and is one of the shrewdest horseman in the game.

James highlights three factors he considers when studying form:

1) Second run after a layoff:

“If a horse comes back from a long rest and runs to its best form, I will always lay it (back against it) in the second run after that layoff.’’

2) Blinker strike:

“I always prefer horses with decent form, who look ready to win, when they are equipped with blinkers for the first time

3) Trainer patterns:

“Follow your favourite trainers and look for patterns. Some never win with first-timers, for example. You can back their runners second time or third time out. Others place their horses over the wrong distances when they are drawn wide, the merit rating drops and they are lined up for a strike later.

James’ favourite bet is the Quartet. He picks his best two horses in each race, and structures multiple Quartets.

- (extracted from The 10 Habits Of Highly Effective Horseplayers: Charl Pretorius , 2006).