MERIT RATING APPEAL

How many times should a horse run to a rating before it is allocated that rating. if a horse usually runs to a 88 and suddenly runs a 95 and then return to the 88 should it be rated a 95 or 88?

Well it will take 3 to 4 runs to be even considered dropping this horse - watch! That is why I say very harsh - this horse will not win in 3 starts. That is what the handicappers wanted and the appeal panel.

Why would we not want the horse to win again any time soon? There's nothing in it for anybody.

Lips - you tell me

Trying to stop the horse from winning again soon never entered the discussion, and has nothing to do with handicapping. We believed on form that she ran to a 95 or a 96, as Rob Faux has independently calculated, and that it would be wrong to say that she ran well above exposed form as she had also won her previous start, beating several subsequent winners, including Crimson Glow, who was in the race again. Queens Command beat Crimson Glow much more easily the last time around and like many fillies she is evidently improving rapidly at this stage of her life.

As an aside, while understanding the financial reasons for it, it has long been a pet belief of mine that many fillies are retired too soon. Many of them thrive when they are five or older (look at River Jetez or even Polo, for instance).

It is very unfair to say that stopping specific horses is part of the handicappers' or any appeal board's remit. Nobody has a vested interest in a horse "not winning" a race for which he or she has not even been entered yet!

magiclips Wrote:

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> 2cents Wrote:
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> > Just heard that QC ran to a 98
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> You sharp, hey? Never mind what Pirates
> says...lol.<

@Magic

Very curious to know if QC ran a 98 in that race, who the line horse is?

It would have to be far back, like 4th or 5th. It can't be further back or QC would have to go 100 or more.

Given that in a hcp all horses are weighted to win, using line horses many placing and lengths back is a compounding error. In this case it would mean everything between the winner and those that far back, would all have to go up too then.

Or is the line horse a state secret too?

BTW, can you have a line horse who you put up at the same time?

Line horse was Miss Maddie. I think it should have been Crimson Glow, which makes Queens Command a 95 anyway.

Magic I just wanted to ask a quick question if I may. Do you work purely on the official winning margins or would you also occasionally factor in where a horse who is well clear with a 100 meters to go and is geared down to only win by a length or so when they could have won by 5 or 6 lengths. Thanks.