Handicapper: Ratings tweak will ensure fairer penalty for horses winning low stakes
By Barry Lichter • 12 May 2020
Harness Racing New Zealand has approved changes to the handicapping system to reflect the proliferation of low stakes races for the rest of the season.
An additional level has been added to the race winners’ matrix for races up to and including $7500, so horses winning less money are not penalised as much.
Under the old matrix, the lowest stakes band was $6000 to $9500, but the new one sees one category for races worth up to $7500, and another for races worth between $7501 and $9500.
Under the revised system an R55 horse which wins a $7500 race will be re-rated six points whereas under the old scale it would have got seven points.
Horses rated between R53 and R59, who previously raced for $15,000 or $20,000 at Auckland, and got eight points, will now be penalised only six points if they win a $7500 race at Cambridge.
No change has been made to the one point reduction for R60 horses who finish further back than fifth.
While minor, handicapper Andrew Morris says the changes make the penalties more fair for the lower grade horses, who will be in the majority until the end of the season.
The changes, recommended by the handicapping working group, have been approved starting the resumption of racing at Addington on May 29 until the end of the season when it is hoped prizemoney will increase.
HRNZ has confirmed that no races will be programmed for a stake of less than $7000 to the end of July.
Under an agreement between the racing codes and the Racing Industry Transition Agency, all funding that has been allocated to clubs for the latter part of the season must be applied to stakes.
The board has approved a standardised stakes breakdown based on 12-horse race fields to be applied to each race.
Stakes will be paid back to fifth with first 55%, second 15.5%, third 8%, fourth 4.5% and fifth 3%. All other starters will receive 2%.
The issue of paying all starters will be reviewed at the end of this season.
The new matrix follows. None of the concessions listed below have changed.
Summarised concessions and notable conditions
● 3YO+ fillies & mares -1 point & to a maximum of R54 for first win ($20k or less).
● 3YO+ fillies & mares: 1 point concession for every win R50 or greater.
● 2YOs: Maximum rating R50 for first win $20,000 or less.
● 2YO colts & geldings: 4 points if first win over $20,000.
● 2YO fillies: 3 points if first win over $20,000.
● 2YO colts & geldings: 4 points for all subsequent wins.
● 2YO fillies: 3 points for all subsequent wins.
● 3YO concession: 4 points every second win up to $20,000.
● Unplaced: -1 for horses rated R60 & below.
● Unplaced R60-R80: May be re-rated after 3 unplaced starts, maximum -3 points.
● Unplaced R81-R99: May be re-rated after 2 unplaced starts, maximum -3 points.
● Unplaced R100+: May be re-rated, maximum -3 points.
Unplaced = 6th or worse.
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Ray’s comments
Friday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Spirited Belle
4.46pm
Delany: “I saw she’d been punted but somebody must know something we don’t as I’ve been working her myself and, while she feels all right and hasn’t put the boot in like at Auckland, I think she’ll need the run. She hasn’t got any high speed but feels like she will stay. She has improved a bit but I’d be surprised if she won.”
Race 1: Lincoln Maree
4.46pm
“It’s always hard from these draws but she’s a tough mare who will make her own luck at some stage. She’s going well enough - her drivers have all been happy - and she’s a little warrior who tries like hell.”
Race 2: Major Copy
5.12pm
“He’s only two and very inexperienced but he feels like a good colt and there’s a lot of improvement in him. He certainly caught a lot of people’s attention last time. I don’t know how good he is yet but he’ll be right there.”
Race 2: Prince Lincoln
5.12pm
“If he can lead without having to do too much work I can’t see anything beating him. I thought he went great last start. He pressed the winner hard ’til the corner then just flattened out in the run home, but he had every reason to do that after all the work he’d done.”
Race 4: Spirit Of God
6.12pm
“She’s been undone by bad draws. If she led easily from three she’d be hard to beat as she’s a good front-runner.”
Race 4: Spirited Peggy
6.12pm
“We’ve had her for only two weeks but she’s seven now and has had her chance to win one. She has a bit of speed but I think she gets pulling so we’ve got the Hidez (compression) hood on her and plugged her ears up.”
Race 6: Copy N Paste
7.10pm
“We won’t see the best of him for another six months. He’s been a slow developing horse but is improving all the time and getting stronger.”
Race 6: Jessie Lincoln
7.10pm
“If I was having a bet on one of them in the race it would be her. She deserves to win one. Her last two have been really good - she just ran into one who was a bit slicker last time in Major Copy.”
Race 6: Lincoln Dealer
7.10pm
“He’s a bit one-dimensional - you’ve got to feed him track and let him run - so the second row draw is a big handicap. To his credit I was surprised he finished so close last time after all the work he did. When he gets a decent draw and crosses them they’ll know they’re at the races. He’s got a big motor and tries hard.”
Race 8: Rivergirl Bella
8.08pm
“She clawed her way to the front last time but had nothing left at the finish. That won’t happen this time and she should lead easily from one.”
Race 8: Angelic Copy
8.08pm
“She’s had terrible draws but has been going good races. The others last time were just better than her but this is a big drop in class. With the right trip she could get some of it at huge odds.”
Race 9: Sugar Ray Lincoln
8.35pm
“He’s not quick away from a stand but he won’t muff it completely. He steps from the front line and Peter Ferguson was quite happy with his last run.”
Race 9: Lincoln Wave
8.35pm
“He bombed the stand the first time but to be fair all those horses were rushing up at him from the back and that panicked him a bit. He’s on 10 metres this time so that won’t happen.”
