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calling The Anorak

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Replies: 62
By:
the dealer
When: 03 Sep 18 14:12
really pleased for them, he has always thought a lot about the horse and he turned down a very decent offer after it won the 2 races at 3. seem to go backwards after that but Ward looks to have got him back.
By:
TheAnorak
When: 03 Sep 18 14:31
That was a seriously good ride to win - connections of French Risk must feel they were mugged as he looked sure to collect. Here's the film:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1L5tI3VJRo1VA-2cZEQtOVL5MLnPElTyX
By:
the dealer
When: 03 Sep 18 14:36
great ride, dont know how that got up

many thanks again
By:
the dealer
When: 11 Sep 18 18:58
the handicapper put him up to  99
By:
TheAnorak
When: 12 Sep 18 09:03
He also raised Wee Jim to 92 the previous week(from 80 I think) for his fifth place. Both very harsh imo, UK handicapper unable to recognise the different level for Listed races here from those in France. It's a big price to pay for the initiative shown by connections.

In the case of Maifalki, he's simply assumed that French King ran exactly to his French handicap rating of 45.5 and put Maifalki on the same mark.
By:
Deltâ
When: 12 Sep 18 09:16
blog on Ann Duffields site linking the R Hughes RP article re handicapping, worth a read



FOLLOWING THE FRENCH?
10-September-2018
by Hayley

Richard Hughes wrote an interesting article for the Racing Post, featured yesterday, in which he expressed his views regarding handicapping.

“My first preference would be to limit ratings rises in handicaps to winners.”

Racing can be an incredibly rewarding but frustrating sport in equal measures. Horses that win races go up in the handicap and horses that lose races go up in the handicap, only the latter don’t collect the winning prize money or the coveted ‘1’ next to their name.

“The main problem with the way we handicap horses in Britain and Ireland is the system encourages people to cheat.”

The problem is, when you honestly and openly campaign a horse that consistently runs well but without winning, the horse will find it very difficult to win a race when it is continually hiked in the weights and punished for running well but ultimately losing.

Take Rosina for example. As a two-year-old, Rosina won three races and finished a creditable sixth in an Ayr Listed race won by Quiet Reflection. Her opening mark was 73 – she ended the season on 90, a climb of 17 pounds. This is not a criticism of the handicapper, she’d had a great season and her rating reflected as much. However, her three-year-old season did not go so well. As a result of her decent rating and now chucked in with the older horses, Rosina struggled. She ran well and went close on several occasions but a win remained elusive. She had eight starts during that season and didn’t win any of them. She had slipped by only eight pounds by the end of the year. Her owner Jen, who had a capable filly that enjoyed her racing, was then faced with a difficult decision to make – to keep in training a horse that was struggling to win, send her to the sales, or go to stud. Happily, she kept her in training and as a four-year-old, after two more fruitless races, Rosina returned to the winner’s enclosure - and was promptly raised back up the handicap. She has since won again at five but we remain in the vicious cycle – such is the nature of handicapping in this country.

“What I'm calling for is what already happens in France. There, if you finish second in a handicap at Longchamp, Chantilly or anywhere else, you don't go up in the weights. The same applies to all losing horses. It is only the winner's mark that can be increased.”

Rosina is quirky, she often has a mind of her own which is apparent for all to see – it’s very clear when Rosie wants to win and when she’d rather sulk out the back, but she is always there to do her best. Something which has both helped and hindered her way to the winner’s enclosure.

“Owners are involved in the sport because they want to win. Not enough get to win, or feel they have a realistic chance of winning. That needs to change. My way of changing it would be rebuilding the handicap system so that in handicaps only winners can have their ratings increased.”



“Part of the problem is the prize-money dished out to placed horses is so poor. Prize-money in general isn't great, but the overall situation would be made much better if the cake was split differently.”

My first preference would be to limit ratings rises in handicaps to winners. If that cannot be done I would love to see prize-money distributed more fairly, so there is no longer such a chasm between what you earn when you win and what you earn when you nearly win. If we could do both, so much the better.

You can read Richard’s article here.

What are your thoughts?
By:
Deltâ
When: 12 Sep 18 09:18
new owners, if they understood the handicapping system, which is where most will pitch, would never get involved ....
By:
the dealer
When: 12 Sep 18 10:45
thanks for the article, really interesting reading.


Wee Jim probably going to Cologne next, Maifalki i believe may go to Saint Cloud, i would imagine with his size a few jump trainers might show an interest in him
By:
TheAnorak
When: 12 Sep 18 11:22
Dealer,

I'm guessing that race at Saint Cloud would be the 1m 6f Listed Prix Scaramouche on Oct 5th. The problem with selling him for jumping would be his age, as most stables would reckon that buying a horse off the flat that turns six during the season would be too late to start a hurdling career. At the very least, it would limit the price they'd be willing to pay.
By:
SHADDER
When: 13 Sep 18 12:05
Anorak
What is the current position with James Reveley?
I see he only has 2 rides at Auteuil, neither of which is for Maccaire
Has he eased off after winning the championship or is he simply out of favour?
By:
TheAnorak
When: 13 Sep 18 16:07
I don't have any specific facts, but my assumption is that Reveley has opted to reduce the number of rides he takes, maybe concentrating on the better horses and/or races, given that in France, almost all of the income for a jockey comes from his percentage of the prize money, not from riding fees.

This year, he's only had 120 rides in total, compared to almost 400 in 2016. But he's still collected 1.34M euros in prize money, so his share makes him much better paid than most NH riders here.

Macaire will always need to have multple rides available, as he has up to thousand runners each year all over the country. Reveley did ride two for him yesterday at Compiegne, which is near Paris.
By:
SHADDER
When: 13 Sep 18 18:17
Thanks for your update
I was unaware the majority of fees comes from the percentage of prize money , therefore it make sense to concentrate on the big money races
By:
TheAnorak
When: 14 Sep 18 11:18
Some useful info here on the finances of French racing:

http://www.ejoneillracing.co.uk/cms/why-finance/
By:
sevey
When: 20 Sep 18 15:30
Are You About Mr Anorak
By:
sevey
When: 20 Sep 18 16:16
Its ok Found Out What I Was Looking For
By:
TheAnorak
When: 20 Sep 18 16:42
There you go, I'm redundant!
By:
the dealer
When: 07 Oct 18 23:00
see the 3rd at Craon won a group 2 at Longchamp on saturday and was promptly sold for £310K
By:
the dealer
When: 07 Oct 18 23:03
Lot 26 ALIGNEMENT , winner of the Gr.2 Qatar Prix Dollar today at @paris_longchamp is bought for €310,000 by @ChantillyBstock, from @WertheimerSales
By:
TheAnorak
When: 08 Oct 18 08:56
Dealer,

Yes, I noticed that - connections will be hoping the UK handicapper missed it, as Alignement has been raised another 4kgs by his French equivalent.

Also spotted that Wee Jim has been entered for the Newmarket sale at the end of this month.
By:
the dealer
When: 08 Oct 18 21:34
cheers TA was unaware that Wee Jim was going to the sales. i would imagine Maifalki may well go as well, if the price is right
By:
TheAnorak
When: 25 Oct 18 14:05
Maifalki was just offered as a supplementary entry at todays Doncaster sale, but was led out unsold, faling to attract a bid at his reserve price of £100,000.
By:
the dealer
When: 25 Oct 18 18:44
cheers TA, didnt know that, i think he thought he would get more for it.
By:
Andrew in Sweden
When: 25 Oct 18 21:53
Lot 26 ALIGNEMENT , winner of the Gr.2 Qatar Prix Dollar today at @paris_longchamp is bought for €310,000 by @ChantillyBstock, from @WertheimerSales

Previous connections got a good price and sold it at the right time.
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