Crazy handicapping system!!

[Brodie]

Think the powers that be, really need to come up with a far fairer handicapping system, than the current one!!

Just looking at the fields for Oamaru on Wednesday.

The first race a 35 to 38 classification has 11 starters lining up at this stage.

There are 7 one winners, 3 that have won two races from many starts!

The remaining one, has drawn no. 1 and has won 17 races, that is right, 17 and is graded the same as the one and two race winners??????

you could say that that is just the system and good luck to the owners!

Yes it is the current system being used at the moment, but seriously just seems like a very crazy system!!!

[the galah]

3 hours ago, Brodie said:

Think the powers that be, really need to come up with a far fairer handicapping system, than the current one!!

Just looking at the fields for Oamaru on Wednesday.

The first race a 35 to 38 classification has 11 starters lining up at this stage.

There are 7 one winners, 3 that have won two races from many starts!

The remaining one, has drawn no. 1 and has won 17 races, that is right, 17 and is graded the same as the one and two race winners??????

you could say that that is just the system and good luck to the owners!

Yes it is the current system being used at the moment, but seriously just seems like a very crazy system!!!

Your right brodie.

Its been so obvious for so long,yet the powers that be have made no changes for some time.

In my opinion the current handicapping system is one big joke.

What you currently have is a system designed to greatly favour horses who in the past were capable of winning 3-5 races. Trainers race them to run them down the track 5 or 6 times,then they get back in the grade where they can win ,then in another 5 or 6 runs they are back in that same grade again,beating the same 1-2 win horses they beat 6 weeks prior. 

Bruce negus said that on the unhinged segment when referring to chris kyle who won at rangiora on sunday.

The people with the horses who used to be 3-5 horses,think its great that they can win every 6 weeks or so.

What is ignored by anyone who supports the current handicapping system is the number of individual horses winning in the below 50 grade is dropping.Its just basic maths. X number of races are run each year. So if horse z is winning 5 or 6 wins a year through going up and down the ratings system and there are more of these z horses about because its rather lucarative for them,then their gain comes at the expense of another group of horses and their owners.

So what we currently have is a system which encourages the connections of one group of horses to race and encourages the connections of another group not to race.

What people in charge fail to recognise is if someone is battling away,they don't need much of an excuse to say,hey this sport looks after some groups far better than others. To hell with this,there has to be something better to do with my time and money. And that is what is happening.

The 2 year old bonus is another example of that. HRNZ somehow think giving the connections of 2 year olds $12,000 bonuses is somehow going to lead to greater participation.Like prioritising a minority over the vast majority is going to somehow be seen as a positive by the majority.

I see on the hrnz website last week that they published the findings of a working group which seemed to recognise the current handicapping system is unfair. They recommended it change from the 1st of august.

Some of their findings illustrate they are more in touch with grass roots than the decision makers of the past. 

One thing i didn't agree with was they wanted to make all 2 year old wins penalty free and they go back to being rated non win when they become 3 year olds. Except a small number of the bigger races. Now that makes no sense to me. The reason being its just another scheme like the current handicapping system where the number of overall lindividual winners will be less,because horse  z will be winning more of the races.

At the end of the day ,the current handicapping system has been operating now for a few years. Ask yourself,has it stopped the decreasing number of owners/trainers/horses. 

Edited March 4 by the galah

[Brodie]

The HRNZ will not want negative news on BOAY or “The Darkside” site, however this is a forum to express opinions and truth and is only to try and hopefully keep harness racing in operation!

I can almost guarantee that the industry will not exist in any great form in 10 years if things continue on its current path!

Wont give where I read it, however the North Island this current season is losing big money for the industry and there is no sign of improvement in the near future at best!

When Auckland has under 60 noms for a meeting this week it ks going to be just another continuation of losses, as punters are turned off by this.

We need owners to be paying training bills for horses to race, and unfortunately with respect there are more owners leaving the industry as many are getting long in the tooth.

Apart from new syndicate members who are buying small % there are next to no new owners coming through.

is it going to improve with the cost of living nowadays and the lack of discretionary spending, and the training costs?

Victoria Harness is in deep shite and they have been getting big assistance from their government which is looking like ending in the future!

Entain have come in and are propping the industry up currently, however there is a pretty good likelihood that they will get the stitch with harness racing unless things change.

Can I see major stake reductions occurring in the future?

I can almost guarantee it and then where do things stand?

Feel free to rubbish what Brodie has stated but it is done with the best intentions to try and get the PAID EMPLOYEES to get things back on track!

Brodie would love to see the once great industry thrive once again!!!!

 

[the galah]

10 hours ago, Brodie said:

The HRNZ will not want negative news on BOAY or “The Darkside” site, however this is a forum to express opinions and truth and is only to try and hopefully keep harness racing in operation!

I can almost guarantee that the industry will not exist in any great form in 10 years if things continue on its current path!

Wont give where I read it, however the North Island this current season is losing big money for the industry and there is no sign of improvement in the near future at best!

When Auckland has under 60 noms for a meeting this week it ks going to be just another continuation of losses, as punters are turned off by this.

We need owners to be paying training bills for horses to race, and unfortunately with respect there are more owners leaving the industry as many are getting long in the tooth.

Apart from new syndicate members who are buying small % there are next to no new owners coming through.

is it going to improve with the cost of living nowadays and the lack of discretionary spending, and the training costs?

Victoria Harness is in deep shite and they have been getting big assistance from their government which is looking like ending in the future!

Entain have come in and are propping the industry up currently, however there is a pretty good likelihood that they will get the stitch with harness racing unless things change.

Can I see major stake reductions occurring in the future?

I can almost guarantee it and then where do things stand?

Feel free to rubbish what Brodie has stated but it is done with the best intentions to try and get the PAID EMPLOYEES to get things back on track!

Brodie would love to see the once great industry thrive once again!!!!

 

I think your spot on with everything you have said brodie.

I, like you, believe in the harness racing product,the horses, the people,but recognise what you have stated is the path we are on unless things change.

 

As far as the handicapping system goes,we have discussed in this thread one of its major drawbacks,namely the same horses winning then quickly dropping back to the same grade they won in,thus being able to race much lower performed horses than themseleves again(often 1-2 win horses).

So the answer is simple enough.

For every win a horse has in the previous year,when rated 49 or below it shall receive an additional point from its previous rating penalty ,after its 3rd win.A win in a non win race would not be included in that.

In other words,retain the current rating penalties for a horses first 2 wins when rated its 49 or below,which say is currently 7 penalty points.

Then its 3rd win if it was rated 49 or below at that time,to be an 8 win rating penalty. Its 4th win,a 9 win rarting penalty,its 5th win a 10 win rating penalty. All based on wins in the last 12 months when rated 49 or below.

Edited March 4 by the galah