We have all seen public obstacles and consensus. The question is, can they really help your disability? The handicappers each choose a hierarchy of three horses and the higher on the list, the higher the score for the horse. For example, a horse chosen as the best horse gets five points. If chosen as the best bet of the day for that handicap, you can score seven points. After the panel of handicappers chose their picks for the day each horse gets a score.
What usually happens then is that the horses with the highest scores are going to post with very little probability. In some races that are more difficult to handicap, there may be five or six horses that find their way through the ranks. Whereas in races where the fields are short or there are not many contenders, only three horses may be chosen.
I always advocate thinking for yourself, but it doesn’t hurt to read the comments made by the publicly disabled because some of them offer a good perspective and will sometimes mention something that you have missed. The problem for the old tipster who reads those opinions and the accompanying consensus is that if you bet on a horse that gets high marks you will not get a very good price, but if you take a wheel on a horse that is not. On the radar of the public handicapped, you’ll take a chance on a long shot.
So what is the best play when looking for value? Usually it is worth making your own decisions, but if you must rely on the selections of others, I suggest you look for a horse that is low in pints but has a good angle that the handicap detected. If only one horse collector chose that one, it probably means that they are trying to get a big one that will give them bragging rights and increase media presence and credibility. Following such a handicap can also lead to more good bets.
If you only pick that one for third place, it could mean that it is only added there in case you win. But if the tipster chooses you for the first place on the panel, it is a very good sign. If three handicappers go with the same horse and your longshot catcher goes with another horse, that horse may very well be a live longshot and is worth a long second look, but as I said before, think for yourself. Look at the horse carefully.