Chief Stipe

The prize-money on offer for young stayers was the catalyst for New Zealand trainer Paul Richards to… View the full article

Godolphin sprinter Impending scored his second Group One win today and will now return to Doomben in… View the full article

Wiremu Pinn continued his flying start as an apprentice this afternoon at Trentham, guiding Grinner … View the full article

With a quick back-up and a step down in class and distance, Awapuni trainer Lisa Latta turned Platin… View the full article

Premier jockey Jeff Lloyd brought up 100 Queensland metropolitan winners with a patient ride on Tyzo… View the full article

Champion trainer Darren Weir produced another masterstroke when Heavenly Thought emerged from midwee… View the full article

Rosewood’s latest success has earned her a return to black-type company. View the full article

Trisha Lea added another victory to her breakthrough season with a relentless front-running performa… View the full article

Tough stayer Rising Red showed he had developed the maturity to win a big stakes races with his vict… View the full article

Apprentice jockey Madan Singh completed a feature-race double at Trentham this afternoon when Redefi… View the full article

Duca Valentinois scored his first weight-for-age win in today's Lord Mayor's Cup at Doomben, but it … View the full article

Order Of St George has won the Listed Saval Beg Stakes for the third year in succession at Leopardst… View the full article

The 1400-metre Listed Auckland Futurity Stakes has been added to the programme for the Auckland at T… View the full article

Glyn Schofield isn't ruling out Another Dollar avenging a defeat to stablemate Youngstar when the du… View the full article

The Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board has imposed a fine of A$90,000 fine to go with a life disq… View the full article

A wet week in the north has taken its toll with tomorrow’s Counties Racing Club meeting abandoned. View the full article

Windsor Park Stud stallion Shamexpress is on a roll, with two-year-old filly Embrace Me becoming the… View the full article

A mobile mile win from the outside of the front row is about as good a lead up as one could hope for… View the full article

Sydney jockey Deanne Panya will join a select group of women riders if she can win the Gr. 1 Queensl… View the full article

Le Romain is on track to give trainer Kris Lees back-to-back Gr. 1 Kingsford-Smith Cup victories aft… View the full article

It has been a tough few weeks for Balcairn’s Don and Peggy Burrows but the weekend could bring some … View the full article

Peter McKenzie isn’t planning too far ahead with his wet-track performer Our Bandit. View the full article

Connections of the Group One performer Hiflyer are looking at their offshore options. View the full article

Magic Circle has further enhanced his Melbourne Cup credentials with a striking success at Sandown i… View the full article

24 May 2018, 2:32 p.m. Changes to the handicap rating bands will be introduced by New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing for the 2018-19 racing season. In addition, from 1 June 2018 most races will have a re-rating ceiling for the first five placegetters. The changes follow NZTR’s annual handicap review meeting, which was held this month. No winner will be given more than 12 rating points, with a maximum of five points for finishing from second to fifth. The maximum re-rating will not apply to Listed or Group races nor to races that are restricted by age. Jumps races and maiden flat races will also be excluded from the re-rating ceiling, with the policy of re-rating maiden flat winners at 62 or higher maintained. The introduction of a maximum re-rating is to provide a clearer indication of the likely impact of running horses out of their grade, particularly in Open handicaps. It is felt that the changes will encourage greater participation, while still providing sufficient discretion for the Handicapper. The changes in the rating bands, which will take effect on 1 August 2018, are designed to help horses move through the grades more quickly, which should lead to a boost in Open class numbers. Rating 65 races will be retained but Rating 75 races will be replaced by Rating 72 races and Rating 85 races will be replaced by Rating 82 races. This should produce a greater spread of weights in the “new” Open grade (R83+), at Feature meetings, with horses rated at 97 carrying 60kg and horses rated above that carrying another 0.5kg per rating point. Under the current template, horses rated at 99 are allotted 60kg in the open races at Feature meetings. However, from 1 August the connections of the top-weighted horses will also have the option of using an apprentice rider, with apprentice allowances to be claimable in all Open races - excluding Group and Listed races - on Feature days and below. At present, allowances are usually only available in one Open race per Feature meeting. A minor alteration will also be made to the balloting conditions for set weight and weight-for-age Group and Listed races. The timeframe for Group II placegetters and Group III and Listed winners to have priority entry has been reduced from 18 months to 12 months. The same timeframe will apply to horses who were placed in a Group I two-year-old race. The full handicapping policy that will apply from 1 August 2018 is attached. Martin Burns GM Racing & Equine Welfare Handicapping Policy from August 2018.pdf