Why the small fields?

All I want as a racing fan is a very close assessment of how good a particular horse is. I understand that the MR system accommodates this. What I object to is all the constraints which are built into this system. Back to small fields...


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I take your points. As for Winx, there is no point in comparing SA with Australia unfortunately, not even to make a point. We have at best 5000 horses in action while Australia has 35,000 horses and nothing compares after currency exchange. But yes, there are many things we can and should do better.

But as an owner, these small fields are great for you. You have fewer horses to put behind you in order to win or earn. In the "old days" you had to run against powerful yards like Terrence Millard with American and Argentinean imports and after a maiden, you still needed to bat your way through Novice s, Graduations and Progresses BEFORE you could get to a handicap. Those top horses had 4 wins spotted to them and were penalty kicks often. Once you got to the handicap we counted the wins. Good luck if your 3x winner met Mark Anthony at level weights when he had won 3 on the way to the Queen's Plate or whatever.

I'm not making any judgements, just saying if you have a horse now, you start getting weight straight after a maiden and the fields can be very small. So for trainers and owners, technically happy days or what am I missing?

On Sat at Kenilworth (let's leave Greyville on Gr1 day) there is a race with 7 runners, 2x with 9 and 2x with 10, and last week five races with 5,6,7,8 and 8. How can anyone argue that people are hard up for a run or to earn? Is it really the handicapping?

Tony
Here is what u are missing -
1)Just leave the few top, Feature race horses that we have out of the equation, for a minute. Please explain to me (and to someone like Neigh, who understands the position which Owners are in, nowadays), the following -

An Owner who has put a few million rand into racing over a few years, without much luck, the odd winner here and there, now suddenly finds that he has found a fairly nice filly . This filly is not a Feature type, but the sort who will be a nice handicapper and who will win 5 or 6 races. So, this 3yo filly runs first time out, runs 4th, and then wins easily in a weak field next time out, by many lengths. The filly and her Owner are both " rewarded" by this great MR system with a rating of 88. This rating obviously skips the normal , lower rated races and "equalises" her chances.

Now please tell me how this is good for that Owner and why he should reinvest in racing.

And when you are done explaining, I will explain to you what my alternative option would be, as the Trainer of that filly.

Please factor into your reply, the fact that Training Fees are expensive and that time is money. By running this filly as a 3yo, a lot of money has already gone into the time that was needed, since purchase as a yearling and racing as a 3yo.

Onlyinthiscountry, you are almost correct, but on the right path, imho.

The International panel rate our horses separately. At present, our top horses are about 6 points higher here than the ratings of the Int panel . Example, our 124 is about 118 on the Int Panel.

This means that our 124 will go to 134 in August, whilst the Int panel stays 118....
This is why Tony Rivalland suggested a sliding scale, as the crowding is at the bottom end and this is why it made sense to me, the sliding scale suggestion.

But hey, we in Africa. We all know what happened to the Zim Dollar under Mugabe . We are used to these sort of things....

but why do we do that, whats the point? Mike de kock said in Dubai they took our ratings for what they are and not the international panel. Not sure if it changed as carnival went on.

Cross Counter won the Melbourne cup and the big one in Dubai. He was a 117, Marinersco arrived in Dubai a 118. Are you kidding me, that our horse is rated higher than Melbourne cup winner! As someone said they have 35 000 horses !

Hermuso Mondo a 104 couldn't even compete in weak grade 3!

Majestic Mambo arrived a 113, lets take a a decent horse , but nothing special Century Dream who finished 0.75 lengths behind roaring lion in a grade 1 at ascot ! Hes a 115. Vivlos from Japan was a 113 and she has proven herself over and over in grade 1 races worldwide. Thunder snow who has won the Dubai world cup twice is a 122, isnt hawaam higher here? I mean come on. If thunder snow is a 122 with that record, then hawaam is no higher than a 110 until he proves himself overseas. He may be a 122 one day.

In what world do these guys think our horses can compete in a grade 1 in the UK. Yes our freaks in the odd year can, but lately nothing!

Who they trying to fool? whats the point? Why not merit rate our horses properly so they have a chance if they decide to travel