Insightful Horse Trainer Analysis 2021 (Richard Fahey)

Perfect Power - The best 2yo this season 💯 @RichardFahey

Very exciting horse for next season 🏇 pic.twitter.com/QSD5hoDQuq

— Jake Russell 🏇 (@JakeRuss1000) September 25, 2021

This time of year there may be a lack of two-year-old horse racing but that doesn't mean I put my feet up and whistle in the wind.

Out of season, I start my mammoth horse trainer analysis.

I do all this manually, which may seem a laborious way to work in these days of data retrieval and platforms which do all the calculating in a few clicks of the mouse, rather than pay for a monthly subscription. I would rather update the info and assess it from my own perspective as it helps build a better picture. 

It's a working knowledge: looking at horses rather than data alone.  

I wouldn't say it is a labour of love but more a task to complete. With each trainer reviewed I have a better understanding of how they work. It is simply a way of finding answers to questions. Without this knowledge you are searching for the unknown and that's similar to looking into the distance without a reference point. It's much quicker to find an answer to a question and appreciate what it is saying. Each to their own. It might seem too much like hard work. However, if I asked you to give me a brief understanding of let's say Richard Fahey's two-year-olds for last season, would you be able to detail anything of real note? You may rush to the Racing Post and look at his statistics there and feel you know everything you need to know. Truthfully, you know something but it's the same info which everyone can assess which doesn't help separate you from the crowd. 

My assessment of each and every trainer details information that is freely available, with a bit of work, but in all honesty, is probably understood by less than 1% of all punters. They don't know the information because they either haven't thought about finding the answers or the thought of the work is off-putting. 

It's surprising how many trainers are out there vying for trade. All hoping for the next wonder horse to come their way. 

From the one-man band to the colossus of the leading trainers. 

In fact, there are several hundred horse trainers of two-year-olds. Most lucky to train one winner, even a lowly nursery, but they all have hopes and dreams. It's what keeps them going on cold, winter mornings. 

I completed my stats for Richard Fahey's two-year-olds. The study run from the start of the 2021 Flat Turf season until its conclusion in early November. 

Fahey is a very capable trainer of juveniles. To be fair, last year wasn't one of his best although Perfect Power didn't let the side down with his Group 1 successes and total earnings of £385,943. 

However, from the 72 two-year-old debutantes just four tasted success of their racecourse bow. And even more surprising that just six two-year-olds won on their second start, the biggest odds being 4/1. 

This information details the difference between knowing the facts and simply saying: ''I think Richard Fahey had a decent year!''

When you consider from 72 two-year-olds he had just 10 winners for both first and second starts, it just shows how difficult it is even for the most successful stables to win a race. 

In truth, this is just the tip of the iceberg of information you can glean from any horse trainer. Never forget the strength of data and what it tells you. It helps predict the future. A couple of hours work can help you appreciate the strength and weakness of stables. This tells you where the winners start and the losers end. True, data can only tell you so much. It simply helps you look in the right direction. Any horse can defy the odds. That's why 100/1 shots sometimes win. 

Wouldn't you rather bet with understanding or is finding answers to questions too much like hard work?

By all accounts, it's time well spent. 

Author: Jason Coote