The User horse Flags (UHF) function allows the user to ‘flag’ one or more runners in selected races for some personal reason and then later, using the System Developer, analyse only horses with specific flags. For example, if you decided to ‘flag’ all horses on which you actually place a win bet, you could then use the System Developer to analyse only those runners.

There are two aspects to consider - the Setup and the Field View Display. The usage should become self-evident when you start to experiment.

Try the following experiment:

On the Menu Bar, click Setup, then User Horse Flags.
The Setup/Edit User Horse Flags... box will open.

To be able to see the User Horse Flags in the Field View, you need to add the User Horse Flags column to the Field View display. Right-click in the Field View (but not on a horse’s name) and choose Select Columns. In the Select Columns box, from Available Fields drag the User Horse Flags across to the desired position in Current Fields and click the OK button.

A detailed explanation of selecting columns for display can be found in the online manual here:

You will then be able to see the new column, UHF, with the 8 columns of numbered flags. Checking or unchecking Display Numbers in the Setup determines whether or not the flags are numbered.

Now, to use them from the Field View Screen use key combinations as follows:

[Ctrl]click will select a single flag for a single horse. You can select more than one flag for each horse

[Ctrl][Shift] click will set a column of flags, for example, all the ‘1’ flags, or ‘2’ flags etc.

[Ctrl][Alt] click will select a row of flags. It is worth noting with this option that if you click the No 1 flag, the whole row will select. If you click the No 5 flag, then that flag and all flags to its right will select. In our example of 8 flags, Nos. 5, 6, 7, 8 will select.

Once you have set User Flags in a race, you must click on a different race. This actions saves the flags to disk. If, for example, you load another meeting straight after setting the flags, the flags will be lost.

See more below on these actions, in A User’s Comments.

In the Setup:

Analysing Flagged Horses

Once set, the User Horse Flags can be analysed by the System Developer. A rule can be used to include or exclude horses that have specific flags. The parameter to use is User Flags which is located under the Horse tab.

This feature has helped users to fine-tune their personal approach by allowing them to critically analyse the horses that they bet on, among other uses. One user also employs it to ‘flag’ selections that are derived from third-party systems that were not derived from the System Developer. This then allows him to further analyse those systems’ selections within the System Developer.

Backing Up Your User Horse Flags

As with most other created data, it is wise to back up your User Horse Flags so they can be restored if they are ever lost through a file being overwritten, or some other computer calamity.

Depending on the various GTX functions that a user employs, a number of databases can be created, and the User Horse Flags database is one of these.

Backing up your User Horse Flags is a two-stage process. Firstly, you save your flags TO the User Horse Flags (UHF) database, then you back up the database.

After setting flags, save them to the UHF database, via Setup>User Horse Flags> then click Save Flags to DB .

The flags are now saved in the UHF database.

Then, at whatever regular intervals you feel comfortable with, you need to backup the database. Simply click the Backup button on the Speed Bar, or on the Menu Bar, go to Program>Database Backup.

In the Backup – Restore Databases box that opens, checkmark User Databases (and any other database you want to back up) and click the Backup button.

The database is now backed up in a compressed (zip) file in the <.\GTX\Backup> folder. Those users who like to copy their backups to remote media such as CDs or external hard drives can simply copy the <user.zip> file to their chosen location.

If a calamity occurs and flags are lost, do the reverse. First restore the database: again, go to Program>Database Backup, checkmark User Databases then click Restore.

Then go to Setup>User Horse Flags and click Restore Flags from DB .

A User's Comments

During the formulation of this section of the manual, several questions were asked of the user who had originally requested the User Horse Flags function. His answers and other comments follow.

(a) When would you set a column of flags?

If you wanted to select every horse in a race. Also, if you wanted to select most horses, you could use this function to flag all horses then de-select the few you don’t want.

(b) When would you set a row of flags?

If you wanted to select all flags for one horse however, it would be unusual if a single horse met criteria for each and every flag (but it could occur).

(c) Why would you Set All or Set Selected over a date range?

Set all and Clear all between a given date range are reciprocal functions. Obviously you would clear all if you wanted to clear flags from all races within the nominated date range. The same goes for Set All

(d) How do you know what Flag No. 3 means? Or 2, or 5 etc?

Unlike with the System Developer where you can type in a description of the rules, the UHF does not have this function therefore I just type up my own reason for each flag and save them in a document in my word processor.

When analysing flags in the System Developer I then enter a short description of the system and name it Flag 1 or Flag 2 or whatever.

A couple of examples...

Flag 1 is used when I back a horse where the TAB price is less than the Trakform Rating Price.

Flag 2 is used when the bet is favourite under the Formline Rating etc.

After you have been doing that for a while you just remember what column is what. Every column is different and with the way I have set up my flags, usually only one horse fits in any column.

The short answer to questions (a), (b) and (c) is… probably never. I have occasionally used the ‘Clear Selected’ function when I am finished with a particular Flag.

The whole idea of the flags for me, is to tag what I want before the race starts so I have a true representation to look back on and not a distortion.

The flags are by far the most important part of GTX for me.

The primary reason for the flags was to be able to flag bets and selections that were made outside the parameters and functions of the Systems Developer and GTX and then have the ability to analyse them within the System Developer using the full "Analyze by" features. The system works wonderfully well and I have found it has helped me control and effectively improve my selections and more importantly improve my betting skills.