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.
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Since I have been compiling speed figures for the all weather, I have only come across two major anomaly’s with different going allowances on the same surface.
The first was when they re-laid the polytrack at Kempton, this was to be expected.
The second was yesterday at
Lingfield
on the
5f
course, when I looked at the 5f handicap won by Temple Road, all of a sudden every horse in the race improved by
17lb
in a class 5, I don’t think so
I have noticed over the past few weeks that the speed of the polytrack at Lingfield can change dramatically, they harrow for the NH Bumpers, and yesterday, it looks like they only rolled the 5f course.
Going allowances for Lingfield
+0.20s/f
(5f
+0.37s/f
).
Even the sectional times seemed to back up my findings
Mike.
The problem I reported with the speed of the
5f
course at
Lingfield
has happened again, apart from the rest of the track where the going allowance was
+0.20s/
f (standard to fast), the
5f
course was riding at
+0.45s/f
(fast), you then find that the runners in
Burnt Cream’s
race suddenly improving
20lbs+
in a class 6 handicap
AW going allowance table:
Fast +0.50s/f
Stand/Fast +0.18s/f to +0.40s/f
Standard -0.15s/f to +0.15s/f
Stand/Slow -0.48s/f to -0.18s/f
Slow -0.70s/f to -0.50s/fI doubt that anybody is interested in my findings, but I thought that I would mentioned it anyway.
Mike.
Racing Post:
SUSPICIONS that starting prices at British race meetings are being fixed in order to save the betting industry thousands of pounds per race emerged on Friday in an extraordinary warning letter to on-course bookmakers written by management at Wolverhampton.
The shock claim was made in a letter to all Wolverhampton pitch holders from David Roberts, managing director at the all-weather venue, amid concerns they may have been in breach of a rule which resulted in "distorting artificially the betting market or starting price".
In his letter, Roberts said: "The racecourse has recently become aware that some bookmakers may be in danger of contravening [the] requirement by laying off-course hedging money at starting price rather than the prevailing fixed odds price at the time the bet was struck."
If an on-course bookmaker was to lay a big firm hedging into the ring at starting price as opposed to the show at the time, this would result in the layer saving money should the horse win. More importantly, in betting markets with few bookmakers, the firm hedging are aware that the starting price is very likely to be notably lower than the show at the time.
Roberts refused to confirm or deny whether he or any of his staff had witnessed the process happening, but revealingly his letter said: "We have observed the impact of the this practice in the betting ring and it is the racecourse’s view that such behaviour invites accusations of price fixing and collusion which, consequently, may jeopardise the racecourse’s premises licence and compromise the integrity of the betting ring."
There were 1,170 bookmakers in attendance at 97 meetings at Wolverhampton last year, an average of 12 per meeting, and at Friday’s meeting as is often the case throughout the winter they bet from a position inside the grandstand standing shoulder to shoulder.
Wolverhampton is one of a number of all-weather tracks, with a weak on-course market, where on occasions over the last few months starting prices of certain runners have been returned notably shorter than the final show and, in some circumstances, in contrast to a drift of the betting exchanges.
Such instances give rise to accusations of manipulation of starting prices but the organisation which monitors returns, the Starting Price Regulatory Commission has so far opted not to take action.
Robin Grossmith of the Federation of Racecourse Bookmakers on Friday night said he was unaware of any accusations against individual bookmakers.
"It has always been the case that you mustn’t conduct yourself in a manner against the rules," he said. "It is now in the racecourse terms and conditions of entry and it appears all they are doing is flagging up the rules.
"Perhaps, I don’t know, somebody has observed something up there."
Wolverhampton’s shot across the bows of bookmakers was welcomed by the Racecourse Association. Caroline Davies, the RCA’s services director, was pleased that Roberts’ letter raised concerns not only in respect of the track’s legal requirements but also for punters betting on British horseracing.
"We endorse the actions of Wolverhampton racecourse and believe it to be the correct action to take in terms of both the licencing requirements and in protecting the integrity of the SP," she said.
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