Race 2 at Addington Today – A Case Study in Confusion and Failing Integrity
Race 2 at Addington today has become one of the most confusing and contradictory races we’ve seen on paper — a direct result of the flaws in the newly implemented handicapping system.
Margo Nyhan is a smart trainer and deserves credit for using the system to her advantage. But her actions simply highlight just how poorly thought out this new system is, and how out of depth those behind it truly are when it comes to handicapping. Worse still, these changes were made with no data, no modelling, and no transparency.
What are we asking our customers to bet on? When a one-win trotter can start off level marks with non-winners, but others with the same record are off 20 metres, it’s not only confusing — it completely lacks logic and integrity. This is not racing like-with-like, it’s guesswork disguised as policy.
But it doesn’t stop there. Earlier in the week, fixed odds were released with Blair Orange — our country’s leading reinsman — declared to drive the horse. Many punters would have backed it on that basis. Now, just 24 hours before the race, the driver is changed to a junior concession driver. This is no reflection on the junior — but what message does this send to punters who placed their bets in good faith?
It’s disgraceful that the same people who demand trainers declare drivers within 24 hours of fields being published — citing integrity and certainty — are the very ones allowing these last-minute changes with no accountability.
Blair Orange, our leading driver, is now sitting in the stand while punters tune in expecting to see him drive the horse they backed. What confidence does this give the betting public? What does this say about the credibility of our product?
These are not isolated issues. They are part of a pattern that shows the HUG process and those who signed off this system were simply not fit for purpose.
We must urgently have a full review of the Horse Utilisation Group’s actions, decisions, and the changes made — along with the data and modelling (if any) that were used to justify them.
Let’s stop pretending this is working. Let’s return to a system that had structure, transparency, and most importantly, integrity.
— Mark Jones