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Epsom Handicap or Epsom Stakes?

Roar Guru
29th September, 2015
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It's Stradbroke time (AAP Image/Dan Peled).
Roar Guru
29th September, 2015
21

Saturday’s Epsom Handicap is officially a disaster. The compressed weights system and a 56kg minimum has ensured the race is anything but a handicap.

After boosting prizemoney to $1 million and providing the winner with a free ticket to next year’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes, this year’s Epsom field is the most disappointing in a long time. There is just 2kg separating the field.

So how can we ensure this incident never occurs again?

1. Allow handicappers to re-handicap races when an uneven weight spread occurs
In last week’s Group 3 Colin Stephen Quality, there was a 56.5kg minimum and just a 1.5kg-spread between top weight and the eventual winner Amelie’s Star, despite a 23-point difference in ratings.

When nominations were taken on Monday, many of the higher rated horses did not accept on Wednesday, similar to this week’s Epsom. When acceptances are taken on Wednesday, officials should check the field and re-handicap if necessary before releasing the field later that day or on Thursday (when acceptances were originally taken).

Yes, it may be unpopular with the top weights, but it will ensure stables like Lloyd Williams and Chris Waller don’t nominate high rating horses in an effort to decrease the spread in weights for their lower weighted stablemates.

2. Increase the ‘minimum’ top weight
Governing body Racing Australia has incrementally increased the minimum weight in races for welfare reasons over recent years, however in the process have not raised the minimum topweight of 58kg.

This is causing more and more ‘handicaps’ to look more like set weights and penalty races. There is a perpetuated myth surrounding the magical ‘60kg’ figure.

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Is it really too heavy a weight for a horse to overcome? European horses have no issues nor do the lesser class horses running in the city midweek, so I cannot see why this is an issue for our best horses.

Additionally, our weight-for-age scale has increased in recent times, so there is no reason the same cannot be done for handicaps.

3. Create more ballot free races and boost incentives for our lesser handicaps
The Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup have plenty of races for home-grown stayers to earn ballot exemption into our famous spring classics. This often creates places for lower weighted horses and increases the spread between the first and last saddlecloths.

For races like the Epsom and Metropolitan, have your five or six ballot free races and turn it into a series, with the winners of each race earning free entry along with the ‘overall’ winner of the series.

This will increase interest in the lead-up races and spark betting interest.

4. Take nominations on the Monday before the race for lesser handicaps
Treat races like the Epsom, Metropolitan and Newmarket Handicaps like normal Saturday races. Have a look at the nominations and then set the weights.

With the rating system, there won’t be too many shocks and it means we can avoid a farce like this week’s Epsom.

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While you may not generate the same betting interest in the future markets, the lead-up series will help build this and a bigger weight spread will create bigger turnover on the day.

5. Have a ‘maximum’ weight for three-year-olds
The three-year-olds add extra intrigue to autumn handicaps, but few ever accept the challenge in the spring. Providing them with a ‘maximum’ weight might spark interest and again has the potential to increase the weight spread.

Imagine Exosphere running the Epsom or Press Statement in a Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes up against the older horses. Yes, the Coolmore Stud Stakes and Caulfield Guineas are marketed as ‘stallion-making races’ but Exceed and Excel and Snitzel’s only Group 1 wins were as three-year-olds in handicaps and they are both flying at stud.

6. Embrace handicaps
Handicap racing is what makes Australia unique in the racing world. A few years ago the then AJC changed the name of the Doncaster Handicap to the Doncaster Mile.

It was only a subtle change, but it highlighted the lacked of respect given the term ‘handicap’. Rather than be seen as a true test of quality, it was seen by the club and major sponsor as a term unfit for Sydney’s greatest race.

Let’s enjoy the spectacle and thrilling finishes handicaps provide us with, like last week’s Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes. If these worrying trends persist, we may see the running of the Epsom Stakes and Newmarket Stakes and our beloved ‘handicap’ may disappear from the Australian racing vernacular.

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