Form Analysts

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Bruce Sherwin- Form Analyst

Bruce Sherwin is regarded as one of New Zealand racings finest thoroughbred and race form analysts.

Bruce, a qualified accountant, at age 24 followed his passion for horse racing by accepting a contract as commentator for the Macau Jockey Club. He had previously learned his trade under George Simon.

Bruce worked 11 years in the betting cauldron of Asian racing. The first 5 years were as the premier race caller for the Macau Jockey Club. Following this period he reduced his commentating commitments to spend more time on form analysis and betting. He continued to work part-time as a race day presenter for both the Macau Jockey Club and Hong Kong Jockey Club. Hong Kong is the domain of the world’s best professional punter’s. Bruce worked shoulder to shoulder with some the world’s great racing minds, analysts and punters, observing first-hand the workings of the hugely successful computer betting teams. He worked closely with a British professional analyst and punter (a former economics lecturer) learning the intricacies of race replay analysis, sectional timing and trackwork analysis. They remain best of friends to this day, unselfishly sharing information.

One of Bruce’s key analytical tools, speed figures and ratings, was learned from one of Asia’s legendary and successful professional punters, Lord Ted Frear. In June 2008, Sherwin returned home to manage and part own a boutique thoroughbred stud farm in Cambridge, New Zealand. He is also a part-time race commentator for the NZ Racing Board.

During his time in Asia he kept a close eye on New Zealand racing. Now that he has returned home he has spent the past 15 months developing, and testing, a database of video form, speed ratings and general horse analysis.

Tony Pike - Form analyst

Tony is regarded as an astute judge of a thoroughbred, a gift that in horse racing makes you money. Horses are in Tony’s blood. His parents raced the great stayer Drum in the early 80’s, before setting up their own successful, boutique, thoroughbred breeding stud, Longlands Stud. As a teenager, Tony competed to an elite level in show jumping, winning the prestigious Bomac series in 1987. He then studied a Bachelor of Management studies at Waikato University, before returning to his first love, horse racing, where he pursued a career as a trainer.

Tony learned his trade under two of Australasia’s greatest horse trainers, Gai Waterhouse and Graeme Rogerson. He then returned home to set up his training operation at New Zealand’s largest training centre in Cambridge. He has approximately 30 horses in training on average. He currently operates a successful training establishment in Cambridge, in partnership with Mark Donoghue. They have specialised in preparing horses for the Australian and Asian markets, but still over achieve domestically, especially in terms of strike rate in New Zealand. A well supported Pike/Donoghue runner must always be paid the utmost of respect.

Being based in Cambridge, New Zealand’s largest training centre, Tony casts his learned eye over many talented racehorses, assessing the horses by conformation, attitude, ability and level of fitness. A high mark in each category invariably equates to a winning turn on raceday.