RatingTheRaces
Draw Bias · Left-handed · Turf

Brighton draw bias

What each part of the draw has really been worth at Brighton, in lengths against the field average, measured from every Flat race here since 2014. Positive figures finish closer to the winner than the field does; negative ones give lengths away at the stalls.

The strongest measured effect: Middle draws have been worth +2.19L per run over 12f to 15f, across 227 runs.

The whole picture, every trip

Every stalled run at Brighton together. The trip tables below tell the finer story: a bias at 5f can vanish, or flip, at a mile.

DrawLengths vs field averageRuns
Low-0.38L2,223
Low-middle-0.13L2,278
Middle+0.24L2,345
Middle-high+0.08L2,270
High+0.17L2,219

Over 5f to 6f

DrawLengths vs field averageRuns
Low+0.23L653
Low-middle+0.36L667
Middle-0.11L725
Middle-high-0.07L666
High-0.40L650

On firm ground

DrawLengths vs field averageRuns
Low+0.35L338
Low-middle+0.44L350
Middle+0.02L379
Middle-high-0.22L348
High-0.61L336

On good ground

DrawLengths vs field averageRuns
Low+0.09L264
Low-middle+0.46L263
Middle-0.24L285
Middle-high+0.25L264
High-0.54L264

Fields of 2-7 runners

DrawLengths vs field averageRuns
Low+0.29L269
Low-middle+0.49L350
Middle-0.09L368
Middle-high-0.19L351
High-0.56L269

Fields of 8-11 runners

DrawLengths vs field averageRuns
Low+0.12L318
Low-middle+0.32L247
Middle-0.22L290
Middle-high-0.00L245
High-0.17L315

Over 7f to 8f

DrawLengths vs field averageRuns
Low-0.35L1,017
Low-middle-0.39L1,041
Middle+0.09L1,038
Middle-high+0.12L1,038
High+0.55L1,017

On firm ground

DrawLengths vs field averageRuns
Low-0.28L542
Low-middle-0.13L558
Middle+0.05L561
Middle-high-0.19L553
High+0.56L541

On good ground

DrawLengths vs field averageRuns
Low-0.73L404
Low-middle-0.48L405
Middle-0.05L402
Middle-high+0.42L406
High+0.84L405

Fields of 2-7 runners

DrawLengths vs field averageRuns
Low-0.93L250
Low-middle+0.36L345
Middle+0.12L335
Middle-high-0.27L344
High+0.64L250

Fields of 8-11 runners

DrawLengths vs field averageRuns
Low+0.21L560
Low-middle-1.01L473
Middle+0.21L510
Middle-high+0.06L472
High+0.40L561

Fields of 12-15 runners

DrawLengths vs field averageRuns
Low-0.85L195
Low-middle-0.23L211
Middle-0.56L177
Middle-high+0.91L210
High+0.63L194

Over 9f to 11f

DrawLengths vs field averageRuns
Low-0.54L343
Low-middle+0.14L346
Middle+0.18L355
Middle-high+0.32L346
High-0.11L341

On firm ground

DrawLengths vs field averageRuns
Low-1.75L170
Low-middle+0.50L167
Middle+1.27L183
Middle-high+0.28L167
High-0.38L169

On good ground

DrawLengths vs field averageRuns
Low+0.56L147
Low-middle+0.07L154
Middle-1.24L146
Middle-high+0.36L154
High+0.22L146

Fields of 2-7 runners

DrawLengths vs field averageRuns
Low-middle+0.42L122
Middle+0.02L129
Middle-high+0.14L122

Fields of 8-11 runners

DrawLengths vs field averageRuns
Low+0.06L188
Low-middle-0.16L159
Middle+0.09L168
Middle-high-0.37L159
High+0.31L186

Over 12f to 15f

DrawLengths vs field averageRuns
Low-2.16L210
Low-middle-0.78L224
Middle+2.19L227
Middle-high+0.02L220
High+0.60L211

On firm ground

DrawLengths vs field averageRuns
Low-0.87L110
Low-middle-0.67L123
Middle+1.04L124
Middle-high+0.57L121
High-0.17L111

Fields of 2-7 runners

DrawLengths vs field averageRuns
Low-middle-0.52L106
Middle+1.74L104
Middle-high-1.18L105

Fields of 8-11 runners

DrawLengths vs field averageRuns
Low-3.14L113
Middle+2.23L103
High+1.01L115

Run styles from each part of the draw

Win rates for horses ridden in each early-position style from each part of the draw at Brighton. A front runner drawn low and one drawn wide are not the same bet, and no course average says so.

DrawLedProminentMidfieldHeld up
Low16.2% of 42014.8% of 6289.8% of 54210.1% of 556
Low-middle21.3% of 38112.5% of 69011.8% of 5158.7% of 599
Middle21.4% of 37012.3% of 65211.0% of 54310.4% of 676
Middle-high17.9% of 31914.4% of 6599.9% of 5548.2% of 662
High20.7% of 34713.1% of 58612.3% of 47810.2% of 714

How to read these figures

The draw is read as a rank among the stalls actually occupied, cut into five bands from Low to High, so an 8-runner field and a 20-runner field compare honestly. Fallers and horses pulled up carry no beaten distance and are left out of their race’s average, races with fewer than 5 stalled runners are skipped, and a figure is only published where at least 100 runs sit behind it. The full method is on the draw bias index.

This is on every Brighton racecard

Premium members get the draw read per stall on the card itself, next to the ratings, the pace map and each horse’s own running style. Five days free, no card.