The British Horse Racing Authority employs a handicapper to assign ORs (official ratings) to horses. The main reason is that many races in the United Kingdom and Ireland are handicaps, in which the weights horses carry correlate with their BHA Rating.
As all horses that have raced three times or more are assigned an OR, these ratings are then also used to assess the ratings of other horses that run against them. The official BHA handicapper has the right to adjust ORs as he sees fit, be it after a horse has run or when collateral form suggests the horse should be rated higher or lower.
RPRs differ from ORs because the Racing Post is a publication that gives tips and is therefore always trying to find horses that they think should be rated higher or lower than their official ORs. This is one way that Racing Post tipsters can find value bets in a race.
RPRs also tend to consider the most recent performances of a horse, while the official handicapper may react more slowly to poor performances.
For example, a horse may have run-up to an official rating of 150 three starts ago but has only run up to 145 on his last two starts. The handicapper may not yet have shown any leniency and still has the horse on a mark of 150. However, the Racing Post may think that the horse should be rated 2lb lower, and so gives the horse an RPR of 148.
As all horses that have raced three times or more are assigned an OR, these ratings are then also used to assess the ratings of other horses that run against them. The official BHA handicapper has the right to adjust ORs as he sees fit, be it after a horse has run or when collateral form suggests the horse should be rated higher or lower.
RPRs differ from ORs because the Racing Post is a publication that gives tips and is therefore always trying to find horses that they think should be rated higher or lower than their official ORs. This is one way that Racing Post tipsters can find value bets in a race.
RPRs also tend to consider the most recent performances of a horse, while the official handicapper may react more slowly to poor performances.
For example, a horse may have run-up to an official rating of 150 three starts ago but has only run up to 145 on his last two starts. The handicapper may not yet have shown any leniency and still has the horse on a mark of 150. However, the Racing Post may think that the horse should be rated 2lb lower, and so gives the horse an RPR of 148.
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