- This topic has 214 replies, 31 voices, and was last updated 12 years, 11 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
Dettori
getting off his declared mount in the tariff-low Scope Handicap at Newbury today looked like a massive own goal, from many points of view.
Why agree to ride the horse in the first place? Getting off it angered a lot of people, punters not least.
Why choose a race run to publicise such a genuinely worthwhile organisation as Scope – the hugely important charity for children and adults disabled by cerebral palsy?
It simply looks like a piece of Millionaire’s Short-termism.
Very unfortunate. The quote from Frankie made it clear he had been instructed not to ride by Godolphin. I suspect that he agreed to ride without checking whether it was a below tariff race and Godolphin only realised at the last minute. They probably felt they had to ask him not to ride after their very public support of the tariff.
https://twitter.com/#!/RalphBeckett
Performance of the day goes to L.Dettori for sticking to his guns.Even better that he got off it on the day, maximising publicity
While that may just be one trainers expressed opinion, it can’t be ignored.
Southwell has downgraded every race on the card on 17th May.
How is that possible? Is it an all Banded card now?
For some reason, on hearing this news, I was reminded of the time Spinal Tap supported the Puppet Show.
Two class 3 races down to class 4 and 2 class 4 down to class 5. The 0-90 is now a 0-85 although I don’t think that has affected the class of the race.Tuffers, that’s really poxed. We’ve been starved of anything approaching good racing all season round here. There’s been some right drek – the most mundane season I can remember for horses. Highlights? Dubai Hills and Stanley Rigby. Struggling for others.
Last year, there were those sponsored 5f sprints worth up to £18,000. Midweek too! Moorhouse Lad once won one of those (I think) and you can guarantee Dandy would turn up mobhanded.
This year? Nothing remotely similar. I’m not sure what the richest race run at the sandpit this year was – I have a feeling it was 9k to the winner, Christmas time.
However, I would have been interested to see how many runners those matched tariff Class 3’s attracted. There have been some really strange anomalies recently.
Tuffers, that’s really poxed. We’ve been starved of anything approaching good racing all season round here. There’s been some right drek – the most mundane season I can remember for horses. Highlights? Dubai Hills and Stanley Rigby. Struggling for others.
The young lady in my profile pic will be very hurt you’ve forgotten her
Last year, there were those sponsored 5f sprints worth up to £18,000. Midweek too! Moorhouse Lad once won one of those (I think) and you can guarantee Dandy would turn up mobhanded.
This year? Nothing remotely similar. I’m not sure what the richest race run at the sandpit this year was – I have a feeling it was 9k to the winner, Christmas time.
However, I would have been interested to see how many runners those matched tariff Class 3’s attracted. There have been some really strange anomalies recently.
I honestly can’t see a future for Fibresand. It simply isn’t worth keeping a horse which only acts on Fibresand in training and if a horse acts on turf or polytrack then there’s no reason to run on Fibresand either.
For the record, a 0-90 handicap is Class 3, a 0-85 is Class 4, and reducing a race from 90 to 85 top rating saves the track between four and five thousand depending on the day of the week.
AP
I honestly can’t see a future for Fibresand. It simply isn’t worth keeping a horse which only acts on Fibresand in training and if a horse acts on turf or polytrack then there’s no reason to run on Fibresand either.
Spoke to a respected trainer last year, Tuffers, who said to me that if Southwell dug up the fibresand and replaced it with either Polytrack or Tapeta, it would be THE best artificial surface track on the planet.
The bends gently sweep, there is ample time to jockey for the best position, time to get into a rhythm down the back straight, and there is, of course, the long journey home.
Sadly, in the same way they don’t race greyhounds over straight tracks, it will never happen – there wouldn’t be any betting mileage in it.
For the record, a 0-90 handicap is Class 3, a 0-85 is Class 4, and reducing a race from 90 to 85 top rating saves the track between four and five thousand depending on the day of the week.
Thanks for that, AP. We’re back to the daily rate/media rights arguments again because there just aren’t the punters turning up at Southwell this year – not even on really hot days – to fund that kind of difference.
Musselburgh today 96k over the horsemans tariff yet supported by only 54 horses less non runners. Its a good job Mark Johnston, Richard Fahey and Tim Easterby supported the meeting, 19 horses declared on their part. The excuse of its Derby Day dosnt come into it. Neither does the fact the aforementioned trainers only have to travel 180 miles. If the prizemoney is there im sure I would be sending my horses!!
Musselburgh are not alone, for all that yesterday’s card at Musslebrugh was the most over the tariff I’ve seen without a Group/Listed race or one of the ridiculous sales events that are out of proportion with reality.
Nottingham put on a £15k, Class 2, 10f conditions stakes during the week. The reason £15k’s notable is the race value was actually upped £3k to meet the tariff. 5 horses declared, 2 NR = 3 ran. Why bother?
Doncaster, a course criticised by some notable figures regarding the tariff, met the "Saturday" tariff yesterday of £20k for their conditions stakes. Yes, 5 runners.
So get boycotted if you don’t meet the tariff or meet it and get the standard 5 runners for a conditions stakes? Let the downgrading of the race programme continue……..
Musselburgh are not alone, for all that yesterday’s card at Musslebrugh was the most over the tariff I’ve seen without a Group/Listed race or one of the ridiculous sales events that are out of proportion with reality.
Nottingham put on a £15k, Class 2, 10f conditions stakes during the week. The reason £15k’s notable is the race value was actually upped £3k to meet the tariff. 5 horses declared, 2 NR = 3 ran. Why bother?
Doncaster, a course criticised by some notable figures regarding the tariff, met the "Saturday" tariff yesterday of £20k for their conditions stakes. Yes, 5 runners.
So get boycotted if you don’t meet the tariff or meet it and get the standard 5 runners for a conditions stakes? Let the downgrading of the race programme continue……..
They need to stage these Class 2 and Class 3 races in September/October Jose – drop Saeed a line, he farms those races. Must have a few lined up already.
Speaking of which has anyone seen Peligroso lately?
Musselburgh are not alone, for all that yesterday’s card at Musslebrugh was the most over the tariff I’ve seen without a Group/Listed race or one of the ridiculous sales events that are out of proportion with reality.
Nottingham put on a £15k, Class 2, 10f conditions stakes during the week. The reason £15k’s notable is the race value was actually upped £3k to meet the tariff. 5 horses declared, 2 NR = 3 ran. Why bother?
Doncaster, a course criticised by some notable figures regarding the tariff, met the "Saturday" tariff yesterday of £20k for their conditions stakes. Yes, 5 runners.
So get boycotted if you don’t meet the tariff or meet it and get the standard 5 runners for a conditions stakes? Let the downgrading of the race programme continue……..
I think the problem with those conditions races is that so few horses were entered pre-tariff that those are the races most likely to be the focus of any boycotting activity. As a result a failure to meet the tariff for those races will probably result in no entries.
The tariff is exposing some fundamental flaws in the race programme and although in the short term it’s meaning some financial pain for the racecourses I think it will really focus the attention of the courses on how to frame races to attract good sized fields. That can only be a good thing in the longer term.
The Newbury card this afternoon is a prime example of the degree of dumbing down that courses are doing in order to be able to claim that they meet the tarriff, whilst putting on lower class racing.
Ten years ago, the same Ballymacoll Stud meeting on a Thursday afternoon included just one class 5 race (actually class E then). Today we have six class 5 races, one class 4 and the Listed race.
Then the Listed race was supported by a 0-100 Rated Stakes and a 0-85 handicap, as well as the maidens, to provide a balanced card. Now all four handicaps on the card are 0-75 rated!
AP
The Newbury card this afternoon is a prime example of the degree of dumbing down that courses are doing in order to be able to claim that they meet the tarriff, whilst putting on lower class racing.
Ten years ago, the same Ballymacoll Stud meeting on a Thursday afternoon included just one class 5 race (actually class E then). Today we have six class 5 races, one class 4 and the Listed race.
Then the Listed race was supported by a 0-100 Rated Stakes and a 0-85 handicap, as well as the maidens, to provide a balanced card. Now all four handicaps on the card are 0-75 rated!
AP
Newbury may have downgraded the meeting but unless they were psychic it has absolutely nothing to do with the tariff. The downgrading happened several years ago and the meeting has been run in it’s current format since.
I see the Horsemans Group website has been taken down. Has it been abandoned?
They have a new website http://www.horsemensgroup.co.uk/ although Google still brings up the old, defunct one…
Last year Haydock held a 1m2f heritage handicap on 7th Aug for £75k prize fund.
This year the "equivalent" race is a handicap for horses rated 86-105. the prize fund £20k, a 73% reduction in prize fund. I’m not sure why but the Tote appear to have removed their sponsorship of the race this year.
The prize fund for the meeting last year was £210k, this year it is £139.5k per the programme book, or £137.5k if you rely on the Horsemens website.
Not a good outlook but then I see the prize fund for the Champions Series going through the roof. On one hand funding is being severely chopped, on the other hand it is increasing substantially, there is no consistent approach.
Rather than pumping more money into the Champions Series of races would the funds not be better spent to support the middle/lower levels and provide the less affluent owners with opportunities to cover their costs and potentially re-invest any excess prize money in the sport? Would that not be a better long term strategy to apply?
Oasis Dreamer, there were changes made some time back to what races could carry Heritage status. If you check the BHA list of "principal races" from 2010 and 2011 you’ll see a number (around 40) of Heritage Handicaps have disappeared. That probably also explains the lack of Tote sponsorship, although the Rose Of Lancaster Stakes has also suffered the Tote chop.
This race is rating restricted and it appears Haydock, despite being a JCR owned course, have seized on the chance to meet the tariff. Rating restricted Class 2 handicaps – fitting into the "all other" Class 2 tariff category – can be run for £20k Vs £43.8k for an open handicap on a Saturday. Unintended consequences and the tariff again……..
Ascot appeared to up yesterday’s 5f open handicap very late on to meet the tariff. 12 runners, highest rated horse on 101, don’t be surprised to see it changed to a 0-105 next year.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.