the non trier is a subjective rule at best...........many horses are not trying in certain races--wrong trip/ground, just getting a spin,or a low handicap mark
I can understand the viewpoint espoused by Bob and Oddy but not all h'caps are crooked..despite my weekend banker being "looked after" today. Easily the best way to make money even if it does require a fair bit of race reading and study...and nous tbh. Two types of contender in the main..the exposed ones on the downgrade returning to a potent former mark and the unexposed heading up the weights and still with something in hand. The best way to get a good mark these days is to have a break of 18 months or more...your mark shrivels..no real rationale or reasoning for that tbh from the assessor but it does happen and always catches the eye with those who move Country or stable. Inexact science to say the least but much more fascinating that punting short on Graded events. Both are viable betting mediums of course.
Check out the Lingfield 3.00 today Dex. A horse in there that fits at least two of your criteria. Trip, track and trainer form are also crucial elements to solving handicaps and to a certain degree understanding the jockey bookings also.
The problem is that any sniff of a "plot" and the price is far shorter than it should be. I also laugh at the suggestion that in the big races you are seeing all horses run on merit to their best. You just have to look at the Cole Harden race... there was no way that horse was getting home in the race, yet they still rode him super positively, because they knew that is probably best for the horse longer term. Each race, and each horse has to be taken on its merits, be that a trainers note saying it will come on for the run, or because you know the trainer has a later target with the horse.
