Trap bias at Sheffield: which traps actually win

Trap bias at Sheffield measured on 5,780 races over 2 years: share of wins by trap against fair share, by distance and by grade, with the noise called noise.

Over the last 2 years at Sheffield, 5,780 races, trap 3 has been a clear plus at +1.9 points against its fair share and trap 5 a clear minus at -2.5; the other traps sit inside noise. The track is 442 metres round, measured from our own split times.

All distances

Trap 1 is a clear plus at Sheffield: it wins 19.6% of races against a fair share of 17.8%, +1.8 points on 5,568 runs. Trap 2 sits inside noise at -0.4 points. Trap 3 is a clear plus at Sheffield: it wins 18.9% of races against a fair share of 17.0%, +1.9 points on 5,327 runs. Trap 4 sits inside noise at +0.5 points. Trap 5 is a clear minus: 12.4% of wins against a fair share of 14.9%, -2.5 points on 4,665 runs. Trap 6 sits inside noise at -1.3 points.

By distance

Only distances with at least 1,500 runs get their own chart; a bias that shows at one trip and not another is usually the run to the first bend at work.

500 metres, 3,857 races

Trap 1 is a clear plus at Sheffield: it wins 20.1% of races against a fair share of 17.8%, +2.3 points on 3,752 runs. Trap 2 sits inside noise at +0.1 points. Trap 3 sits inside noise at +1.2 points. Trap 4 sits inside noise at +0.4 points. Trap 5 is a clear minus: 11.7% of wins against a fair share of 14.8%, -3.1 points on 3,109 runs. Trap 6 sits inside noise at -0.8 points.

280 metres, 1,687 races

Trap 1 sits inside noise at +0.4 points. Trap 2 sits inside noise at -1.5 points. Trap 3 is a clear plus at Sheffield: it wins 20.6% of races against a fair share of 17.4%, +3.3 points on 1,565 runs. Trap 4 sits inside noise at +1.6 points. Trap 5 sits inside noise at -1.7 points. Trap 6 sits inside noise at -2.1 points.

By grade

Grade letters grouped: A for graded races, D for sprints and dashes where the track uses them, S for stayers, and so on.

Bias in points against fair share; * marks a clear bias.

The market and the fields

The Betfair favourite won 37.4% of 4,908 priced races here over the window. 72% of races went off with six runners; the rest had a vacant trap, which is why fair share is measured on runs and not assumed to be one sixth.

How to read this

Fair share is each trap's share of the runs, so a vacant trap 6 does not hand trap 5 a bias. A bias is called clear only when it is at least 1.5 points and at least 2.5 standard errors from fair on the runs behind it; anything smaller is a difference inside noise, and the page says so. The window is the last 2 years, refreshed whenever this page is rebuilt. The live version, with the going and our own accuracy at this track, is on the track page.