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What Is Strike Rate?
Strike-rate is basically the amount of times a horse, trainer, jockey or tipster is successful, and it is usually declared as a percentage.
For example, if "Jockey A" rides 100 winners from 500 rides in a season, his strike-rate will be declared at 20%.
Strike-Rates To Look Out For
Strike-rates can also be used to define bigger statistics.
For example, "Trainer A" might have trained 80 winners from 400 runners – giving him an overall strike-rate of 20%. However, many shrewd students of the form-book will delve deeper into a trainer's records; recording specific strike-rates at every course. For example, "Trainer A" might have saddled 20 winners from just 80 runners at Ascot – meaning he enjoys a 25% strike-rate there.
Meanwhile, even shrewder form-book students may also produce strike-rates for horses of a certain age, for example 2-year-olds, 3-year-olds and older horses. Whilst some will produce strike-rates for how individual horses perform on different types of ground, or when ridden by certain jockeys.
Strike Rate As A Guide
However, strike-rates can’t be used to judge the merits of a horse, jockey, trainer or tipster on their own.
For example, a jockey may have the best strike-rate in a season but, if he was always on the best horses, is he truly the best jockey to follow. That’s why strike-rates are often declared alongside figures such as level-stakes profit, and/or Return On Investment (ROI).
Strike-Rates And Tipsters
Strike-rates for tipsters are usually declared on bets that make a profit, be them win-bets, each-way bets or any other type of bet; and it’s hard not to be impressed by a tipster who boasts a high strike-rate. However, whilst a high strike-rate means you shouldn’t have to go too long without a winner, such strike-rates are often determined by the odds of the selections the tipster is picking.
For example, if a tipster only tips even-money shots to 1 Point level-stakes, then a 50% strike-rate would only mean they are breaking-even – or producing a 0% ROI. However, if a tipster only tips 5/1 shots to 1 Point level-stakes profits, and they have a 25% strike-rate – then, for every 4 tips they give, they will averagely produce a profit of 1 Point – and a ROI of 25%.
Of course, tipsters who only tip horses at even bigger-odds than these are likely to have an even lower strike-rate, but this doesn’t mean that their ROI or Profit will be lower.
Balancing Strike-Rates, Return On Investment And Profit
When following a tipster, it is important to always consider strike-rate, ROI and profit, as high strike-rates don’t always mean you’re maximising your ROI and Profit. Always look at the relationship of all 3 figures and, use your own judgement to decide which set of figures is ideal for the way you like to bet.
