Country horses will be given a helping hand when competing in the city as Racing NSW recently announced the upcoming introduction of a new secondary rating.
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The secondary country benchmark will be brought in from January 16 and is designed to increase the competitiveness of country horses taking on metropolitan rivals.
Introduction of the new system was made to get a likely indication of a horse’s rating in the metropolitan area.
The reverse will also hold true, with metropolitan runners nominating in the country will be given a country rating to provide a fairer indication of the relativity between sectors.
The benchmark system will also be undergoing some other minor changes, which include bringing down the rating of unplaced horses quicker and avoiding rapid rating rises.
Another change – already implemented – which could assist travelling country runners is the introduction of an eight-kilogram weight spread in NSW metropolitan races.
The spread now sees a minimum weight of 53kg and a topweight of 61kg.
Racing NSW CEO Peter V’landys said there is no doubt that the greater spread of weights has worked in improving field sizes.
“… the increase to a possible eight-kilogram spread will provide even greater opportunity for competitive racing in the Metropolitan area compared to the previously compressed weight scale,” he said.
The remaining major change coming into effect from Racing NSW is a reduction of weights in non-feature races.
This is if there is no horse on the minimum weight.
This means, for example, if the lowest weighted horse has been allocated 55kg in a metropolitan race it would be taken down to 53kg and if the topweight in that race was allocated 61kg this would be taken down to 59kg.
All weights in such circumstances would be taken down at declaration of weights and again at acceptance time until there is a horse on the minimum weight.
Racing NSW general manager of industry and analysis, Scott Kennedy, said the changes will help connections better understand where their horse sits in the pecking order.
“Say you’ve got a horse that’s made it to a 73-75 rating in the country, a decent level. If the horse won a handful of races to get to that level he might have made 10 to 15 points,” he said.
“However, relative to a Sydney trained horse that number might be an unfair comparison and he would more likely be around say a 68.
‘This country benchmark is to give a better indication of where country horses sit in comparison.”