How to Read a Horse's Last 200 Metres Against Its Last 600

Recorded September 2025 for Max Bet Ep.8: The $2 Melbourne Cup Clue + Best Early Bet in WA. Any figures mentioned are from that time.

When I look at sectionals, I am not just reading the final 600. I am comparing the acceleration ratings across the run home, and the one I care most about is how the last 200 metres compares with the last 600. If a horse posts a higher rating for its last 200 than it does for its last 600, that tells me something about how far it will get. It means the horse was still building when most of them are stopping. That is a staying signal, and it is the sort of thing that points me towards the bigger distance races later in a preparation.

Why the last 200 against the last 600 matters

Most horses do their best work somewhere in the middle of the home straight and then flatten out. The last 200 rating ends up lower than the last 600 rating because the horse has already used what it had. When you see the reverse, the horse is accelerating late rather than holding on. You do not see this that often, which is part of why it stands out to me when it turns up on the sheet.

The example I keep coming back to is Sir Deleys. First start in Australia he rated 102 on the class speed weight, and that figure is purely the time element of that rating. Then a 100 at 1600 metres first up, which is an unsuitable trip for him, off a slow tempo, and he sat second. The part I love is the acceleration. Over 2000 metres his last 600 rated 123. His last 200 rated 154. A much higher last 200 rating than his last 600 rating. To me that says he will get further than 2000 metres.

Tying it back to the staying races

Once I see that pattern I start thinking about where it leads. For a horse like that, it spells Melbourne Cup to me. He has already run eighth in an Arc over 2400 in France, so the trip is not a question mark. His figures look very good, and he has produced them on a heavy track and on a good track. The one thing he has not done here yet is race in a genuinely fast tempo, and I do not think that will be a problem for him.

That does not mean I am rushing in. He has another three runs before then, with the Cox Plate in the plan, and too much can happen over that stretch of a campaign. I am happy to form the view early and wait to act on it.

Tempo and position sit on top of the numbers

The ratings do not sit in isolation. How a horse settles changes what the sectional means. In that 2000 metre run he did not settle as well as he could have, and the rider was trying to get in rather than wanting to be second. Barriers, early speed in the race and whether the jockey takes a sit or pushes forward all shape the shape of the run. So I read the acceleration figure first, then ask what the map did to it.

So when you are going through sectionals, put the last 200 rating next to the last 600 rating and see which is bigger. If the last 200 is the higher of the two, note the horse down and watch where the trainer takes it over the next few starts.

Every race on the card, rated, with Kingsley's selections and the speed maps behind them. Your first day is free, no card needed.

More from Kingsley

• "How Do You Spot a One-Off Peak Rating in a Horse's Form?"
• "Why Do Some Horses Only Win in Slow Run Races?"
• "What Makes a Trainer Good at Preparing a Cup Horse?"

From the full video: Max Bet Ep.8: The $2 Melbourne Cup Clue + Best Early Bet in WA

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