Desert Orchid
Senior Jockey
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2005
- Messages
- 25,688
I know some on here keep a closer eye on these things than I do so I was just looking for confirmation/clarification of a few little things. (If anyone has a link to where it's written in black & white, that would help even more, ie 'horse's mouth' answers 
)
Am I right in thinking that the BHA recently (last year or two) decided that horses who show seemingly-improved form in Graded races will not have their marks raised? Are Grade 1 events excluded from this initiative?
Were handicap penalties ever bounded, independent of winning distance? Eg, if NdB on Altior allowed a 155 rated horse finish within a length, that the penalty would be a maximum, say 5-7Lbs or would the handicapper take a fair / liberal view? My gut says, as per the question above, the handicapper would take each performance on its own merits but maybe allow to some extent for the better horse not needing to be at its best. I'm not sure myself there as a 'fixed' rise for a seemingly-improved performance but feel the question is worth asking.
Have there been any UK races this year where the official handicapper was seriously taken to task for going to high with an OR because of a false finish in a Graded/Group race?
Thanks in advance.
)Am I right in thinking that the BHA recently (last year or two) decided that horses who show seemingly-improved form in Graded races will not have their marks raised? Are Grade 1 events excluded from this initiative?
Were handicap penalties ever bounded, independent of winning distance? Eg, if NdB on Altior allowed a 155 rated horse finish within a length, that the penalty would be a maximum, say 5-7Lbs or would the handicapper take a fair / liberal view? My gut says, as per the question above, the handicapper would take each performance on its own merits but maybe allow to some extent for the better horse not needing to be at its best. I'm not sure myself there as a 'fixed' rise for a seemingly-improved performance but feel the question is worth asking.
Have there been any UK races this year where the official handicapper was seriously taken to task for going to high with an OR because of a false finish in a Graded/Group race?
Thanks in advance.
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