RatingTheRaces
Draw Bias · Left-handed · Turf

Listowel draw bias

What each part of the draw has really been worth at Listowel, 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 +2.88L per run over 12f to 15f, across 115 runs.

The whole picture, every trip

Every stalled run at Listowel 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+0.17L659
Low-middle+0.10L657
Middle+0.20L641
Middle-high+0.08L660
High-0.55L661

Over 7f to 8f

DrawLengths vs field averageRuns
Low+0.05L456
Low-middle+0.11L460
Middle-0.52L450
Middle-high+0.53L462
High-0.19L457

On good ground

DrawLengths vs field averageRuns
Low+0.33L206
Low-middle-0.13L207
Middle-0.55L204
Middle-high+0.96L207
High-0.62L206

On soft ground

DrawLengths vs field averageRuns
Low-0.17L250
Low-middle+0.31L253
Middle-0.50L246
Middle-high+0.18L255
High+0.16L251

Fields of 8-11 runners

DrawLengths vs field averageRuns
Low+0.80L131
Low-middle+0.95L116
Middle-0.37L132
Middle-high-0.67L114
High-0.68L132

Fields of 12-15 runners

DrawLengths vs field averageRuns
Low-0.33L274
Low-middle-0.27L278
Middle-0.54L247
Middle-high+0.91L280
High+0.16L273

Over 12f to 15f

DrawLengths vs field averageRuns
Low+0.48L125
Low-middle-1.28L126
Middle+2.88L115
Middle-high-1.60L127
High-0.21L125

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 Listowel. A front runner drawn low and one drawn wide are not the same bet, and no course average says so.

DrawLedProminentMidfieldHeld up
Low24.8% of 10912.6% of 2074.1% of 1481.8% of 165
Low-middle18.4% of 8711.2% of 2237.4% of 1483.6% of 192
Middle18.9% of 7412.0% of 1928.1% of 1602.9% of 205
Middle-high18.9% of 7413.4% of 1943.5% of 1724.9% of 206
High15.0% of 8014.4% of 1818.0% of 1503.5% of 228

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 Listowel 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.