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If you watched the 3M novice handicap chase at Newbury last week, you’ll have seen Fistral Beach continue his sequence of second places, beaten nine lengths by Far More Serious, although that margin owed much to Fistral beach being eased. The pair dominated the race and the third was a very distant twenty seven lengths further back.
The winner has been raised 11lbs for his success, which seems reasonable to me given the extended distances back to the third ands fourth in what looked a competitive race on paper.
On that basis, I’d have expected a 3 or 4lb rise for Fistral Beach, but amazingly, his rating has been left unchanged on 125.
Now I know it’s Christmas, goodwill to all men and such like, but do Paul Nicholls and Graham Roach really need much help to win races? It smacks of the handicapper taking into account the string of seconds run up by Fistral Beach and using that to justify an unchanged mark – but isn’t the official just supposed to act on the form?
Btw, the third home has also been left unchanged, so that’s a 27L defeat, but no weight turnround if they meet again!
Clearly Philip Hobbs forgot to send a card to the handicapper, as at the same meeting, his Duke Of Lucca had the temerity to beat a Henderson hotpot in the novice hurdle and has been lumbered with a mark of 138 as a result.
AP
A far more formulated approach would be very beneficial as far as im concerned.
It should not be the case that trainers are left bewildered or delighted at the handicappers discretion, instead it should be an understood acceptance of the amendment due to occur.
I guess any such system is more wishful thinking though.
Richard,
I didn’t back him, but against that I didn’t lay him either, which I had done on his last six starts.
It’ll be interesting to see whether Heathcote gets the same sort of lenient treatment for finishing second. I somehow doubt it ……
AP
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