Banded races

[vegyjones]

These Banded races...

They ain't handicaps are they???

I know Piggy don't like 'em,
Judging from the weight allocations in them, they look similar to handicaps!

I don't know,

My family don't call me stupid for nothing you know!! :peek

[piggy]

they are just made up to let a rubbish horse win a race ;fire

[vegyjones]

so if you was doing a system that involved
non-handicap races... should you include them?

[Merlin]

so if you was doing a system that involved
non-handicap races... should you include them?

:yikes::yikes::yikes:

[vegyjones]

:laugh

You make me laugh Merl!!!

[vegyjones]

However, no one has answered my question yet!

Big C started a reply but looks as though he has stopped,

[bigcumba]

Big C started a reply but looks as though he has stopped,

:D I'm back - as far as Racexpert are concerned - their software treats banded races as non handicaps

[vegyjones]

Okay, cheers bigC... will try it!!!

[Win2Win]

ALthough the BHB would call them handicaps, even though they are classified stakes, but they won't agree to that :doh

[Merlin]

Veg...heres an article from the Racing Post related to Banded Racing....make up your own mind.....but if you want my opinion......I would say they are neither handicaps or stakes races:yikes:....however, put a gun to my head and I would shout handicap....:yikes: However.......the ratings are not public.........:yikes:
...................................................................................................................

Class H races set to take place on the Flat


by Howard Wright



BRITISH racing's lowest form of competition, Regional Racing, which will feature at least 70 fixtures in 2004, has introduced a new category of race for the Flat, Class H, and an addition to the list of race types in the form of banded stakes.

The innovations, inspired by the BHB racing review committee, are revealed publicly for the first time in this week’s Racing Calendar, which includes the programmes for the inaugural Regional Racing fixtures, on the all-weather tracks at Wolverhampton onJanuary 3 and Southwell the following day.

As expected, a total of £12,000 – from a daily BHB grant of £25,000 – will be offered as prize-money on the six-race cards, which will carry the strict Regional Racing qualification of being confined to horses rated 45 or lower. Added values at these two tracks vary between £1,750 and £2,250.

All races in this new sub-form of the British sport will be ranked as Class H, though eventually they will be accommodated in an overall numerical system.

Regional Racing does not allow for handicap races, and no-one - other than the official handicappers and members the BHB racing department - will know the exact rating of the horses involved.

Instead, as a result of a racing review committee decision intended to ensure competition in Regional Racing, horses will be placed in one of four bands – A, for horses with unpublished ratings of 41 to 45, B (36-40), C (31-35) and D (0-30) – and races framed accordingly, though there will be none specifically for Band D.

BHB racing executive Stuart Middleton said on Thursday: “The review committee recommended that precise ratings for horses below 46 should not be published, in order to make it more difficult to calculate the impact of any given run on the rating of one horse against another. In other words, to provide more competitive racing.”

Banded stakes will be run at level weights, with penalties for winning horses if the handicapper has been unable to reassess them before they run again. None will be forfillies only, and fillies will not receive a weight-for-gender allowance.

Middleton said: “We are as confident as we can be that banded stakes will fill with sufficient runners.

“Horses rated 45 and below account for 25 per cent of the horse population, so the numbers are there, and these horses usually don’t get the opportunity to run in other races.”

Middleton confirmed that banded stakes are due to be followed by the introduction of narrow-band handicaps, with a weight-range of 10-15lb, for horses rated 0-60 from the start of the next turf Flat season, and for all handicaps from September 1.

Racecourse officials are expected to learn about the intricacies of narrow-band handicaps for the first time at a meeting with BHB counterparts nextweek.

[vegyjones]

Cheers for that Merl.

Looks all very dodgy!