The selection of the following range of options does not need to occur in the order noted below.
For simplicity's sake, the explanations described here follow the options as listed from the top of System Developer's options pane to the bottom. You can for example, select the date range of data before you select the system to run - it makes no difference. Click the 'Run' button last, of course.

More detailed notes will follow, but basically, to run a system you need to...

(a) Select the system

Now, in more detail: To run one of your saved systems, (1) You need to make sure the radio button is beside 'system', (2) Then click on the green arrow to open the System Name drop down list, (3) Click on the required system name to select it. (You don't need to put a checkmark in the checkbox beside the system name, that's only for selecting systems to include in a saved group of systems). (4) With your system now selected and highlighted, click on the same green arrow again to close the list.

For your information... Your system name doesn't need to be showing in the system name text box; your system is still selected.

The title bar of the System Developer window displays the name of the currently selected system.

(b) Select the range of data

You also need to select the range of data that you want the system to analyse. You have three options... Using...Loaded Races If this option is selected, System Developer analyses only those meetings that are currently loaded into GTX; that is, only those meetings you can see in the Field View. The main purpose of this option is for running your proven systems over today's races to isolate the winning chances as defined by the rules of that system. Using...This month This option instructs System Developer to analyse only the meetings that have taken place within the current month. Please remember therefore, that only meetings that you have downloaded during the current month are available to be analysed. Using...Selected dates... This option allows you to analyse all the meetings within a period defined by a start date and an end date, both of which can be specified using the two drop-down calendars, which are activated using the down arrows. The option would be used mainly for developing and refining systems.

Please note that when using this ‘selected dates’ option, to protect the integrity of the results, it would be necessary to have imported historical meetings from:

(b) A CD containing further historical data that was purchased from TRB.

(c) The Import>From Website>Meetings function, which imports historical meetings complete with all post-race information including results and dividends.

Or you have imported, via daily downloads, all the meetings that you need to analyse. These will have been updated with all post-race data, including results and dividends, by the twice-weekly results file. Bear in mind that if you have not ‘connected’ for some time, such as being away from the computer when on holidays, you may have missed some results files with the result that your data may not be as complete as you would like.
 

(c) Include or exclude other options

Check this track only

If you enter the three-letter code for a particular track in this text box, for example 'FLE' for Flemington, then only Flemington meetings within the specified date range will be analysed by the Current System or Group. Leave the box blank if you want all tracks to be considered.

This option requires the three-letter track code as contained in the filename of the race. The complete list of track codes can be found on the Track Codes page.

This option is disabled when you have specified 'Loaded races only' for Systems and Groups.

Use RPD

The RPD (Race Profile Database) is a feature of the System Developer that allows faster operation of a System Analysis where a system contains rules that define the types of races to be analysed; that is, there are rules in the Race parameters section of the system. The more defining, or limiting, the Race parameters are, the quicker the analysis will be, as only those races described in the Race parameters section of the system will be analysed, rather than the whole database of races.

As an example, consider a system that contains the following rules:

Race Rules:
Include if Distance between 0 and 1350
Include if Weight Rest = WFA

There may be only 40 such races in the entire Race Profile database, so the System Developer will analyse only those 40 races, taking only a matter of seconds as opposed to a much longer time an analysis of the whole database could take, depending upon the amount of races contained in it, and the speed of your computer.

If the 'Use RPD' option is used, the System Developer can analyse only the races that have been loaded to the Race Profile database, therefore it is imperative to keep the RPD up-to-date. Basically what this entails is that when you first import historical data into GTX, you create the database. Each time you add further historical data such as a further month's historical data, you need to update the RPD. To see how to keep this database updated and current, please refer to 'Race Profile Database'.

This option is disabled when you have specified 'using...loaded races' for Systems and Groups.

NSW-QLD-VIC-AUS-SP

This option allows you to specify which TAB dividends that you would like factored into the calculations of the financial analysis.

As a punter backing a horse for the win, you can bet with a bookie, you can bet on a tote, you can even compare various totes as you will obviously want to get the best price that's available.

This option is a simple comparison function which allows you to see how much better off you would have been if you had made a comparison of prices before the start of the race and made the best decision. It’s meant only to be an indicator of possibilities, as it’s obviously impossible for GTX to be aware of all prices offered by all services. Maybe one day.

The System Developer then uses the ‘best of’ the dividends on offer from the selected totes and/or Starting Prices for calculation.

Please be aware that Austote no longer operates - leave that option unchecked.

For example, if the final dividends for a winner were:

The System Developer would use the NSW dividend in the calculations.

This will indicate to you that comparing prices from as many sources as you can make available to yourself, will lead to greater profits.

In contrast to the following option, if one of the selected totes was not operating on a particular meeting, the best dividend from the remaining totes would be used.

This option is disabled when you have specified 'using...loaded races' for Systems and Groups.

ALL selected totes/SP

When this option is selected, the System Developer will bypass any race that does not contain dividends from ALL the selected totes/SP. The races affected by this option would include those meetings which are covered by say, two of the TABs, but not the other.

This option is disabled when you have specified 'using...loaded races' for Systems and Groups.

Include place totes

This option specifies that the system results will display place totes, and the analysis pane will contain the financial analysis of those place totes, as well as the win totes. Leaving this option unchecked will result in only the win totes and analysis being displayed.

Notify me when finished

When a checkmark is placed beside this option, and provided that you have a sound card and speakers installed on your computer, GTX gives you an audible indication when a system or group has finished its analysis. This can be quite handy when a large amount of data is being analysed, as depending on the options you have selected, that analysis could take many minutes, and you may have nodded off while waiting.

The default notification sound is created by the file 'alarm.wav' which resides in the <\GTX\Data> folder. If you would prefer a different sound, you can replace this file with another .wav file of your choice. Place your new file in the <\GTX\Data> folder and rename it to 'alarm.wav' (without the quotes), however you will first need to rename the original 'alarm.wav' to something else, eg 'alarm orig.wav'.

Save results & analysis

Use this option if you would like results and analysis that are currently displayed in the System Developer window to be displayed again after the System Developer has been shut down and reopened. If this option is not selected, the Results pane and the Analysis pane will contain no information each time the System Developer is opened.

It should be pointed out that this option should remain unticked unless it is absolutely necessary for you to see the results and analysis of the last system run when you next start the System Developer, as it is possible that having it switched on could cause a much slower analysis.

Use prop staking

Proportional Staking is essentially betting to collect a certain amount of money if your chosen horse wins. Consequently the size your stake will vary depending on the price of the horse. For example, if you were aiming to collect $100 and the horse were $2.00, you would stake $50 on it. If the horse were $5.00, you would stake $20 on it.

The logic of Proportional Staking is that the size of your bet reflects the risk associated with your selection. Shorter priced horses win more often and have lower losing streaks, hence a larger bet can be contemplated. Longer priced horses on the other hand win less and have significantly larger losing streaks, therefore a smaller bet is needed to ensure your bank roll isn't wiped out.

Proportional Staking is an alternative to level stakes, where your bet size would be the same regardless of the horses price.

Set Up In The System Developer
By default the System Developer analyses history using a level stakes bet of $100. However by using the use prop staking option, the System Developer will analyse your historical data based on Proportional Staking.

Before running your analysis, it's essential to choose the settings you wish to apply. Click the ‘spanner’ button to open the Setup box…

Starting Bank: Enter the amount with which you wish to commence the analysis.

Fixed Target Return: Selecting this option will result in every bet being made to collect the same target amount, in this instance $500.

Variable Target %: Selecting this option will result in the collect target changing, depending on the size of the bank after the previous bet. In the example above the target is set at 5% of the bank. For the first bet the target will therefore be $500. However if the bank goes up to $11,000 the collect target for the next bet would be 5% of $11,000 or $550.

As the bank goes up, so will the size of your collect target and bet. Alternatively, as the bank reduces so will the collect target and therefore bet size.

Comparing Level Stakes and Proportional Staking
In the long term, assuming the analysis edge is the same as all price levels, the profit on turnover from level stakes should be very similar to that from proportional staking. However, proportional staking will always have a lower maximum drawdown figure and therefore lesser bankroll risk compared to level stakes. Why? Because the ratio of losers increases with price and under proportional staking the bet size allows for this with a corresponding decrease, where as level stakes keeps the same bet amount regardless of the implied losing ratio.

If the analysis edge is greater at the short end of the price scale, then proportional staking will provide a better profit on turnover and lower risk compared to level stakes.

If the analysis edge is greater at the longer end of the price scale (unlikely in the long-term) then proportional staking will provide a lower profit on turnover, but still a corresponding lesser risk.

Set UHF

Order Selections by...

Following a system analysis, the results appear in the centre panes of the System Developer window; the analysis at the bottom and the list of selections in the centre-top pane. The selections can be sorted in either of two ways using the 'order selections by...' option.

This option can be selected before or after the system has run. For example, when you have the selections showing, change from Post Time to Track and you will see the selections automatically re-sort.

Date - Post Time.
This option will sort selections by date and then order of post time.

Date - Track.
This option will sort the selections by date and then track; meaning that within each date, all selections at Track A will be listed, then all selections at Track B and so on.

(d) Click the 'Run' button

(e) Print Selections and/or Analysis

The selections, or the financial analysis produced by a system system can be printed (or saved to a file) at any time. Right-clicking inside the System Developer window - anywhere over the Selections pane, the Analysis pane or the system rules text box - will invoke the following context menu. Clicking on 'Print Selections' or 'Print Analysis' will send the corresponding data to Windows® Notepad®, from where it can be printed or saved.

As you can see on the menu, a system's rules can also be printed via the same method.

Quite often, some of the more advanced users of Windows® replace the rather basic Notepad® with other freely available similar programs containing more fully-featured formatting and page setup features that allow much more flexibility in printing and/or saving files.