Amid the bevy of factors that go into handicapping a horse race, determining track conditions is one of the most imperative and most overlooked. Most novice punters will focus on statistics and past performances, which, while important, should not be the sole consideration.

Think about a competitive runner who trained running on cement verses a marathon runner who trained running on grass. The surfaces are substantially different and each runner will perform better on the condition they are accustomed to and favour. Racehorses are no different than any other athlete.