Race class

[mardigras]

Great post Freda.

"But this notion of ' Saturday'  and  'midweek' classes is all wrong for NZ, yet  keeps getting traction.

The only way I can see it working is to have maidens, and [ say ]  R 62, 68 midweek and at modest stakes.  Let the higher rated horses have the weekends and better money.   That way there are opportunities to race, as well as work towards a better sort of option.

  Years ago - and you would recall this - clubs 'tiered' themselves, to what they could afford.  The  provincial clubs had their day, but happily catered for the lesser lights, and the handicapper reflected this when/if a country Cup winner went to the city.  But handicapping and systems have changed, and not necessarily all for the good.  Horses like Over the River, winner of multiple handicaps, is one standout under todays model - but few have his durability.    Yesteryear, many good but not top-class horses could win open races around the smalls, but would never be competitive in a city class handicap.     One such horse I recall [ County Antrim, raced by Richard Taggart, brother of trainer Barrie ] won races like the Westport Cup, Wyndham Cup,  etc....then the tinkering started.  Too many open races, they said.  So those 'cup' races became Cl 3 handicaps with the open races pushed towards the city clubs.   Richard, knowing full well how slim the chances were of him racing a Grp winner,  said, when Bob is finished, I won't race another one.  They're stuffing racing.  How right he was.

Then things got changed again.  Races like the Kumara Nuggets became ' iconic' handicaps, with significant injections of prizemoney.  Now all the big guns attacked, and again, the country handicapper got left in the cold.   More changes and rearrangements since, but the steady dismantlement of systems that worked had done the damage.

The Aus model of city [ midweek and Saturday ] provincial, country and bush/non-tote works really well,  but we just don't have the numbers, the geography, or the organisational skills to make it viable.  You would think that the Aussie imports we have employed might have an idea, but seemingly not."

[Maximus]

agree mate.. we have a huge opportunity to reset and a simple two-tiered system of midweek and Sat class would be fine with stakes limited for midweek class  (unless boosted by local sponsorship). We need to cut our cloth to what's affordable/sustainable and let the cream rise to the top, with the 'big money' on offer at the metrop courses. Pretty much how it works in Oz. I also like the 'Highway' system in NSW

[Freda]

Thanks for the kind words, Mardi.

To be fair, it is by reading the informed comments on these websites that has helped me start to understand how the whole industry is structured.  Still a lot to learn, but each and every one - from the original managed by Ange and Dave, through Racechat and onwards, has had a part to play, because, boy, I was ill informed. 

Many participants are in the same boat, they either don't understand or won't make any effort to become more aware, and sadly, I don't see how our industry can progress without some enlightenment....but would love to be proved wrong.