Our Ratings Column Combinations Analysis
Every runner on a One Stop Racing race card carries up to six different figures: LR, HS, SR, OSR, OR and our model Score. Most punters look at one of them, usually the headline OSR, and back the top-rated horse. We wanted to know whether you can do better by looking for horses that come out on top in more than one column at the same time, and if so, which combinations actually matter.
So we tested every possible combination of the six columns across two months of racing. Some of the results surprised us. Here is what the numbers say.
The six ratings columns
- OSR – the overall One Stop Rating
- LR – the Last Run figure
- HS – the Horse Score
- SR – the Speed Rating
- OR – the horse’s Official Rating
- Score – our prediction model’s overall score, which blends the ratings with form, going, weight and the market
How we tested it
We used every race from 3 August to 29 September 2026: 58 racing days and 2,152 races (1,399 handicaps and 753 non-handicaps). For each race we used the ratings card exactly as it was locked in the morning, so there is no hindsight. Every selection was settled as a 1-point win bet at the morning price, and non-runners were removed.
A horse only counts as top in a column if it is top on its own. If two horses share the top figure, neither counts. For each combination, say LR + SR, we took every horse that was the outright top-rated runner in all of those columns.
The more columns agree, the more often the horse wins
The first thing we looked at was simply how many columns a horse tops. The pattern is clear: the more columns that agree, the higher the strike rate.
| Columns topped | Runners | Win % | Place % | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2,610 | 14.8% | 41.3% | −10.3% |
| 2 | 788 | 20.6% | 53.4% | −5.5% |
| 3 | 643 | 22.2% | 51.6% | −8.0% |
| 4 | 789 | 27.2% | 59.1% | −6.5% |
| 5 | 395 | 31.6% | 68.9% | −5.0% |
| All 6 | 65 | 41.5% | 75.4% | −19.3% |
A horse that tops all six columns wins more than four times in ten. But the bookmakers spot these horses too, and they are usually priced too short to show a profit. A higher strike rate on its own is not enough. What matters is which columns agree.
The winning combination: LR + SR in non-handicaps
When we split the results by race type, one pattern stood out above everything else. In non-handicaps, horses that are the outright top-rated runner on both LR and SR won 43.3% of the time and returned a level-stakes profit of more than 25%.
Best combinations in non‑handicaps
| Combination | Bets | Win % | Place % | P/L (pts) | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LR + SR | 240 | 43.3% | 78.3% | +60.3 | +25.6% |
| LR + SR + OSR | 216 | 44.9% | 80.1% | +55.9 | +26.5% |
| LR + SR + OSR + Score | 212 | 44.8% | 79.7% | +53.9 | +26.1% |
| LR + HS + SR | 203 | 43.8% | 79.8% | +49.7 | +25.1% |
| HS + SR | 267 | 42.3% | 76.8% | +53.6 | +20.5% |
| Score top pick on its own | 753 | 35.7% | 69.2% | +67.1 | +9.0% |
| OSR top pick on its own | 743 | 36.1% | 69.4% | +56.8 | +7.7% |
LR + SR does almost all the work. Adding OSR, HS or Score on top barely changes the strike rate; it just trims the number of bets. And it wasn’t a one-month fluke: LR + SR in non-handicaps made a profit in both months we tested, +11.0% in August (125 bets) and +42.0% in September (115 bets).
Why SR is the key
Here’s the surprising part. On its own, SR is one of the weakest columns: its top-rated horse wins only around 20% of races overall. But SR is also the column that disagrees with the others most often. So when SR does agree with LR or HS, it is confirming something the market doesn’t seem to have fully priced in.
Compare that with OSR and Score. They pick the same top horse in about 87% of races, so when they agree it adds very little new information, and the price reflects it.
What doesn’t work
Handicaps. No combination of columns showed a profit in handicaps. The best was LR + SR again, at 24.3% winners, but still a loss of 9.2% at morning prices. Handicaps are designed to level the field, and the ratings agreeing isn’t enough to beat that.
Anything involving OR. Every combination that included the Official Rating lost between 20% and 40%. The official handicapper’s figure is the one every punter and bookmaker can see, so there is no edge left in it.
How to use this on your race card
You don’t need a spreadsheet to use this. On the members’ race card the top figure in each column is highlighted, so in any non-handicap simply check whether the same horse is highlighted in both the LR and SR columns. If it is, you have a horse that has historically won more than four races in ten.
A word of caution: this is two months of data and we tested a lot of combinations, so some results will look good by chance. LR + SR in non-handicaps is the strongest and most consistent finding, and it makes sense, but treat it as a strong pointer rather than a guarantee. We will keep tracking it and report back.
Which memberships include which ratings?
The columns you see on the race card depend on your membership:
| Membership | OSR & OR | LR, HS & SR | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emerald | ✓ | – | – |
| Sapphire | ✓ | – | – |
| Ruby | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| Diamond | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
To use the LR + SR combination you need the full ratings columns, which come with Ruby or Diamond:
- Ruby Membership – Horse Racing Ratings: sign up here
- Diamond Membership – Full Membership (every ratings column plus the model Score, the systems and the Lucky 15): sign up here
- Sapphire Membership – Horse Racing Tips (OSR and OR on the race card): sign up here
- Emerald Membership – Nap of the Day (OSR and OR on the race card): sign up here
Not sure which is right for you? Compare everything on our membership options page.
Figures are based on the locked morning ratings and morning prices from 3 August to 29 September 2026, settled to 1-point level stakes win only. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Please gamble responsibly.