Speed Figures in Horse Racing — How to Use Timeform, Beyer & Racing Post Ratings

What Are Speed Figures?

Speed figures are numerical performance ratings that translate a horse's race time into a standardised score, adjusted for track conditions (going/surface), track configuration, and the specific difficulty level of the race. A raw race time is not directly comparable between tracks — a 1:40 mile at Saratoga's fast main track is not equivalent to a 1:40 mile at a slow-surface provincial track. Speed figures solve this problem by computing each time's deviation from par (the expected time for that class level, track, distance, and going combination) and expressing the result on a unified numerical scale. The result is a number that can be compared across all races: a Timeform rating of 120 at Epsom is comparable to a rating of 120 at Newmarket, Longchamp, or Tokyo.

Timeform Ratings (European)

Timeform, established in 1948 by Phil Bull, is the definitive performance rating system in European flat and jump racing. Timeform ratings are expressed on an open-ended numerical scale (theoretically unlimited, though the best horses in history reached approximately 145–147 for flat and 180+ for jumps). The scale's reference points: a 130+ rating indicates a horse of potential Classic quality; 115–125 is a solid Group 2–3 performer; 100–115 is a competitive stakes level; below 100 is handicap class. Timeform ratings incorporate the time element but are primarily based on the analyst's assessment of the form — how much a horse won by, the quality of beaten horses, pace of the race, and observed physical condition. This 'form-based with time adjustment' approach produces ratings that are more stable than pure time-based systems in Europe's variable going conditions.

Beyer Speed Figures (American)

Beyer Speed Figures, created by Andrew Beyer and published in Daily Racing Form, are the standard performance rating for American Thoroughbred racing. Published after every race, Beyer figures translate finish time into a number (typically 60–120 for competitive horses, with exceptional performances reaching 110–120) adjusted for track variant (a daily adjustment based on how fast or slow the track ran relative to par) and distance. The key advantage of Beyer figures: they are transparent, consistently applied by a single organisation across all US tracks, and published next to past performance lines in Daily Racing Form — accessible to every bettor who opens the past performance page. The limitation: Beyer figures are track-specific par comparisons; cross-track comparisons work well within the same tier of competition but can produce distortions when comparing horses from different-quality programmes.

Racing Post Ratings

Racing Post Ratings (RPRs) are the UK/Irish equivalent of Beyer Figures for bettors who don't subscribe to Timeform's professional service. Published by Racing Post after every race, RPRs are analyst-assigned ratings that combine observed race form with time assessment on a scale broadly equivalent to Timeform (a 120 RPR is comparable to a 120 Timeform rating for most purposes). RPRs are published free alongside every race's result on racingpost.com and are displayed in the Racing Post past performance 'form guide' — making them the most accessible ratings for UK/Irish bettors. The limitation: RPRs are retroactively assigned and can be revised; the first publication after a race may be adjusted as the analyst reassesses the form.

Using Ratings in Practice

The most productive application of speed figures is filtering: identifying horses whose recent figures suggest they are competitive at the race's class level (horses who have run similar or higher figures in recent starts), and identifying horses whose best figures significantly exceed the field average (potential form horses who are better than their current odds suggest). The most common mistake with speed figures: taking the single best figure ever run as the primary assessment rather than the average of recent figures. A horse's best figure might be from a one-off exceptional performance that hasn't been repeated; the trend of recent figures (last 4–6 starts) is a more reliable predictor of current capability than a career-best that may be outdated.