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Mark Johnston stated today he would like all flat handicaps to be scrapped and replaced by graded races.
Prize money would increase the further up the ladder you go, so the better you do the more money you can win, currently a moderate horse can win much more than a good one. He considers that the current handicap system encourages too much cheating.
There would be a sliding scale of prize money the further up the pyramid you go.As most horses in a race would have similar ratings to each other there is no reason to believe that the races would be any less competive than the current handicaps, so everyone would be happy.
I think the suggestion has some merit but have an open mind on the subject.
What do others think and what are the pros and cons of such a system?I agree with Mark Johnston. I like the idea’s of graded "races". I would like to think some of the skullduggery in racing would diminish if this system was in place
All Flat handicaps could be scrapped now if the BHA wanted to do so or were interested in doing so, but rather ludicrously I’d assume they still exist in their current form for turnover reasons. The irony given the levy situation.
Mark Johnston speaks a hell of a lot of sense bout his profession……..RFC should listen!!!……………….CLOSELY.
Fairly reasonable suggestion for a replacement actually – taking greyhound racing as the model to follow.
Would most of the BHA handicappers be out of a job as a result? I can’t see it happening as a result.
Still need people to decide which grade the horse should be placed in, unless Johnston’s idea is that the trainer does that.
Would most of the BHA handicappers be out of a job as a result? I can’t see it happening as a result.
Anything to stop idiots like this running loose on the sport given his May 19th response, I’d be in favour of.
Mark Johnston speaks a hell of a lot of sense bout his profession……..RFC should listen!!!……………….CLOSELY.
Completely agree.
This is the direction British racing has been going in for the last ten years, with narrow band handicaps, and we’re already halfway there in terms of implentation.
The point is – it hasn’t really helped.
The most widespread cheating concerns getting a horse’s initial mark. Those doing it are aiming to get their horses in at below their grade rather than getting them in a few pounds light
within their grade
.
Look at any dodgy coup in a handicap in the last year. Pick a couple of your choice. Your likely to find the horses in question were running near the top-end of the handicap rather than beating up superiors off a featherweight.
Maybe there should be two marks given to each horse: a handicap mark and a mark out of ten representing the handicapper’s confidence in that mark.
Low grade handicaps could then use the second mark as the sole criterion for balloting. If the number of such handicaps was pruned this would leave them as the preserve of old family pets and always trying seasoned handicappers. Keep getting balotted? There are maidens, sellers and claimers for you to run in until the handicapper is confident he has your mark.
This would help stem the tide of unfair competition for honest campaigners and maybe even make betting in such heats a worthwhile proposition for the general public again.
Maybe there should be two marks given to each horse: a handicap mark and a mark out of ten representing the handicapper’s confidence in that mark.
Low grade handicaps could then use the second mark as the sole criterion for balloting. If the number of such handicaps was pruned this would leave them as the preserve of old family pets and always trying seasoned handicappers. Keep getting balotted? There are maidens, sellers and claimers for you to run in until the handicapper is confident he has your mark.
This would help stem the tide of unfair competition for honest campaigners and maybe even make betting in such heats a worthwhile proposition for the general public again.
A radical, but eminently sensible, suggestion.
Unfortunately, one of Smith’s remarks in that blog is very revealing and shows why it will never be adopted:
"…I hope he will be available in my office on a Monday to take the complaining phone calls."
It appears you should measure the success or otherwise of an initiative by how easy it makes your life as a result.
I am not sure if it would really have to be out of job result for those BHA Handicappers. It’s is my first time here, a newbie. I am actually active in Horse Racing from Australia. Just wanna be active in every places also…
Thanks to all.
Sorry but I’m missing something here as I cant see the difference between graded racing and handicaps.
My horse hoses up over a mile in B3 grade race on good to firm. My trainer doesn’t think he’s any better than that and the horses next outings are at the wrong trip, on soft ground, going the wrong way round, short of a gallop or two and hey presto four duck eggs in his formline before being heavy backed back at a mile B3 on good to firm and arrives at the furlong pole pulling the Queen Mary. Familiar Scenario??
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Yep, screw races such as the Hunt Cup, The Wokingham and The Cambridgeshire – which generate far more interest and betting turnover each week than dozens of uncompetitive small field graded races – and lets make life easier for him to win with his, generally better class, 200 odd horses. Like his strident opposition to 48 hour declarations and Sunday racing, we all know MJ only has racing’s better interests at heart.
Maybe he could start by boycotting handicaps himself, then we wouldn’t have the situation we had when he christened himself ‘Mr Always Trying’ years ago, then proceeded to run his group class Ebor horse Yavana’s Pace over 10f for most of his qualifying season.
Skulduggery and betting go hand in hand, and it’s no different in countries where the non-triers go up and down in grades, rather than on official marks.
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