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Thanks Galejade, very interesting stuff.
On a related point, your post had me wondering about sales of horses and indeed whether it would be easier just to sell a horse rather than go through the palaver of putting it into a claimer and hoping someone would claim it. You mentioned the sales – how often are these held and would it not be easier for an owner to simply sell their horse to another owner at any time – or is this not allowed?
This is an area of the sport where I admit I am far too ignorant
Aranalde,
We have no real handicap system here as you do, the claiming value is the handicap.
A trainer runs his horse to give it its best chance of winning in its grade, ie, its value. If the horse is dropped in at too low a value, although it may have a good chance of winning, there is a great probability that it will be lost.
Whereas claiming races with you are viewed as low class, or to quote Galejade, "many higher echelon trainers seem to think its beneath them", here is very different. Recently, Colorful Judgement was claimed for $60,000. This G2 winning 6yo by Diesis had run his whole career in Stakes races and was soon snapped up by Alec Fehr. Next time out, he was a convincing winner of the With Approval Stakes, picking up $45,000 to repay his outlay.
Races are framed accordingly, <br>Maiden Claiming, 3yo+ Filles and mares, $20,000-$22,000. <br>Claiming, 3yo $77,500-$80,000. <br>Claiming, 3yo+, Non winners of 2 races, $45,000-$47,500.
Of course it is a game of chance and not all horses are dropped in price to gain a win. Many stables do not have the horses name on the door, but refer to them with nicknames to make life a little more difficult for prying eyes.
Some trainers specialize in claimers, looking for horses that they can improve. Some claim, hammer them with every legal additive allowed, injecting joints etc and then send them out for a win next time out.
If a claimed horse runs within 30 days, it has to run for a price, 25% above its claim price.
The claiming system also gives the smaller guy the opportunity to get going by himself or with others. The prizemoney is so good, that a decent little horse that can get placed on a regular basis, can earn its corn. On the otherhand, a consistant horse like that will catch the eye. If you’re an owner here, you’d be best advised not to get too attached to your horse if it runs in claiming class.
Aranalde,
No problem selling your horse privately to anyone you or your trainer can find. Agreeing a valuation on a averagely moderate horse is often difficult, however, particularly if you paid quite a bit for it.
Tattersalls at Newmarket hold 3 sales a year where you can sell a horse in training in february, july and the real big one at end of October. Entry fee is up to £500 and you have to pay someone 2 days pay to show the horse to potential buyers and lead it round the auction ring plus there is a 5.25%(inc levy) commission to the Sales company. Doncaster hold 2 sales annually and Ascot the occasional one. As you can see if it sells for £4000 you actually end up with around £3000.
If in May/June its decided to sell a horse which is overhandicapped you have probably missed the entry date for July and you are facing £ 5000 in training fees before the next sale. You might judge it to be best to drop it into a claimer for a £3000 tag and hope to pick up some prize money. If no one takes it then you can have some fun doing it again as essentially you are fixing your own handicap mark. Its another option and it costs you £10- £30 entry fee plus around £100 for the jockey. Obviously if you are attached to the horse you will not go this route but then you wouldn’t be selling it anyhow. If ,like me. you breed and race horses you just dont have pockets deep enough to keep all of them so claimers are another useful arrow in the quiver.
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