Weight as a handicapping factor is one of the most misunderstood tools a horse player can use when picking winning bets. The problem is that there are so many factors now available to people who are trying to make sense of the races.

Years ago, when punters were trying to pick a "good one," they had very little information available to them. They could read who the trainer and jockey was and perhaps whether the horse had won its last races, as well as how much weight the racing secretary had assigned to the runner, but there wasn't anywhere near as much horse data available as there in now.

For instance, there was no such thing as speed points or speed figures, or even track models. Therefore, weight was considered an important tool to find a winner. As more information became available, weight was forgotten as a handicapping tool.

One of the big problems is that no one ever really knew how much weight affected a horse's performance. The old saying is, "Enough weight will stop an elephant." But usually, the difference in weight that each runner will carry is only a matter of a few pounds. It just doesn't seem that important.

But I still look at the assigned weights and use that information. The way I use that information is to understand which horse fits the conditions of the race the best and also how the racing secretary handicapped the runners. Racing secretaries are experts at comparing horses and therefore, when they assign weights, they are letting you know what each horse's chances are of winning the race.

So the next time you handicap a race, look at the weights and read the conditions and see why each horse is carrying its assigned weight. Think of what the racing secretary is telling you about each horse. The racing secretary is really helping you to handicap the race and he or she is an expert well versed in each animal's running lines, don't pass up the chance to use that expertise to your own advantage.