Can somebody please explain?

[MCFC Stan]

At weekend Malcolm Jefferson made a comment about According to Pete not having qualified to run in the Rehersal Chase on Saturday which begs me to wonder why not? He’s old enough and had a handicap mark from his hurdling career anyway which surely could have been used over fences. He had also won at least one novice chase by the time the weights were published unless it was a very early closing race. I know they keep changing the rules and closing loop holes but I still haven’t worked out why a horse rated 145 over hurdles (132 prior to Saturday’s win) and 137 over fences isn’t able to run in race where he’d have a handy weight off either mark and a great chance of winning. Can anybody answer?

[davidjohnson]

He’s only run twice over fences, I think you may have had to have run in 3 chases to qualify for such a handicap.

[apracing]

This is the relevant rule:

A Novice shall only be eligible to run in a Class 1 or 2 Handicap Steeple Chase or a Class 1 or 2 Handicap Hurdle race if, up to and including the Saturday previous to closing or, in races which close more than six days before running, up to and including the Saturday previous to the publication of the weights in the Racing Calendar, it has run a minimum of three times in a Steeple Chase or a minimum of three times in a Hurdle race as the case may be in Great Britain, Ireland or France collectively except as provided for in Part (d) of this Sub-Order;

[PAULCS]

Presumably poor Granit Jack ran in at least three chases in France then right or has this just been brought in?

[MCFC Stan]

Thanks for clearing that up. I’m still guessing this is a new rule because there was the old automatic top weight rule for horses without a rating and it seems fair enough or you would just run a half decent hurdler straight into a top class chase even knowing it would improve a ton for switching codes.

[Sal]

Granit Jack won 4 chases in France as a 3 and 4yo.

[Author]

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