Horse Racing Application

Race Horse Form Builder

RFB Horse Racing Application Part 1

The RacingFormBook horse racing application is called Race Horse Form Builder. There is always a bit of interest into an application which covers a sport, especially one like horse racing. This is primarily due to the nature of the information found on this subject.

If you got to this page we assume you want to know a bit more about the App itself and how it works. Here we explain the mechanics and hopefully help you to understand what takes place while working with it.

It’s definitely worth checking this page as an overview, so please read the Form Builder App page if you have not done so already. It provides useful information around the horse racing application. While there maybe a lot to take in the App itself is straightforward to use.

While the application is designed to store data in a SQL database it is possible to make use of the App it without a database directly. Please read this Horse Racing Form Builder App page which tells you all about that.

We have split the discussion and examples regarding RaceHorseFormBuilder into three pages, from the original single page. mainly due to people wanting more details than originally released.

Key steps using Race Horse Form Builder

Horse racing results in CSV format ready to load
Set the parameters in the ratings calculation file
Load the CSV files into the RHFB app
Make last minute changes or add notes
Save all results and ratings into database

Using Race Horse Form Builder

Before getting started lets us reiterate the prime functions of the application.

A Horse Racing handicapping application which can rate every runner from any race and store the results/ratings data in a database.

If you do not want to use a database it is still possible to make use of the App with a little copy and paste, as the Using Without a Database page explains.

Now on using the app and first thing to note. Ideally all files for the horse racing application should reside in a folder off the root of the C: drive. (That is not definitive as you could place the files under any folder on any drive)

Important is to ensure the Calculate.csv is retained in the same folder. If not then the Update Calculate File option will do this for you.

Start your horse racing application by running the RaceHorseFormBuilder.exe. Once started you will be presented with a screen as follows

Description for Application Layout.

Load and Import Data this is the main screen and is the one showing.
Update Calculate file. Use this the first time that you start RHFB and select the Calculate.csv file that has the settings you wish to use.
View and Filter Data. A basic way of looking up data for any horse from the database
Exit ….. As it says use to exit the application.
This is server where you have installed the SQL you wish to use. If it is the same PC or server as the application is then enter localhost will work
This is the name of the database as setup in SQL. For this guide it called RHFB Race Horse Form Book
As part of setting up SQL you should have created the sa account. Use those credentials here.
Similarly the Password used in setting up the sa account would be entered here.
Used to test that the credentials for accessing the database are right. Will say Connection Successful if correct.
To load the Main.csv file select browse, or enter the full path to the file. **
To load the Details.csv file select browse, or enter the full path to the file. **
The loaded files data (Main) will appear in this left hand pane.
The loaded files data (Details) will appear in this right hand pane.
To load and save the data to the database – nb. you can edit the data before hitting this button.

** the filenames main.csv or details.csv do not have to be called this. Just as long as the files used have the correct column structure and associated data.

Working with this screen

To ensure that 5, 6, 7 & 8 (credentials) are right then click on the Click to Test button. Provided this is successful then that is all the prerequisites in setup.

The above tasks only need setting up before running any input for the first time. The only other time you would enter the Calculate.csv or Database details would be if you had amended the Calculate.csv or changed the location or login credentials for the database.

At this point we are set to go and input the first data files. There are two files remember, one for the contest or race information (Main) and the other the details (Details) for every runner that competed in each event. For more information see Enhanced Results Files and also the Basic Results Files.

To reiterate the two input files must contain the column headings in exactly the prescribed way.

For the Main files

Id, Course, Date, Time, RaceDesc, Class, Age, PrizeMoney, Ran, Distance, Going, WinTime, Limit, BaseRating

Things to note are that the Id column has to be a unique number for the whole database. That number for the race will also carry into the Details CSV/Table.

For the Details files

MainID, FPos, DistBtn, CardNo, HorseName, Draw, SPFrom, SPTo, Age, Stone, Lbs, Favs, Aid, AgeWt, Jockey, Trainer, Allow, Or, Comments

Things to note, of course the MainID will match the corresponding Id column entry in Main CSV/Table, this then ties the two files and tables together to create the complete race information.

That completes part one in explaining the RaceHorseFormBuilder, so you are familiar with the screen layout. We have also looked at ensuring the connection to the database is correct. Finally the files which are required were briefly reviewed. These files we release on a daily basis and also have previous years data for you should you want build up a quality database.

In Part 2 we look at the actual process of taking the results files and loading them into the App before finally saving them into your database.

About us

Simply put RacingFormBook will help inform and assist you to find winners and enjoyment from Horse Racing. Provide historical horse racing results data.

Our mission

To further anyone’s ambition to use the information, whether this is as a point of reference, a repository for their ratings or to enable the research into racing systems.