The Whisperer has always based his selections more of his own form analysis. As we mentioned above, Matthew learnt his trade from one of the best in the game, Matthew Lips, as understanding the handicapping system is probably the most important aspect of analyzing form. Matthew uses this knowledge of handicapping and combines it with detailed video analysis, spending no less than five hours on each race meeting and watching up to 100 re-runs for each race meeting. Watching re-runs is essential in form study, as a form book never tells the full truth of how a race was run.

There are so many factors that can influence the outcome of a race and any horse’s individual performance, and the only way to pick this up is by watching re-runs and reading Stipes reports and doing your homework thoroughly. The pace of a race for example can influence the result of a race dramatically, tactical riding, and I have learnt so much more about this from Champion Jockey Anton Marcus, someone who I have built a very good friendship with in the last few years. We get on really well and have a mutual respect for one another’s knowledge, so much so that he now calls me for advice when choosing his rides.