Gorak 3-35 only 14/1?

How to destroy a good handicap mark.

Doesn't effect his handicap mark for Bunbury Cup at Newmarket

Won't get in off that mark will he?

The entries were in the Post on Wednesday, and they say that there's a 6 lb penalty for races won sfter 10 June (today).

So, on the face of it, the horse will run off today's mark of 86.

Having said that, going by the time, compared with the next race, also over 7f, I'd give it a speed figure of only 77. So, maybe flattered in a slow race.

Only 0.29 secs faster than a 3yo running off 82 and carrying 4 lb more. And Gorak was beaten a couple of lengths as well.

Even if the 3yo (Chartwell House) improved 10 lb in winning, I still only come up with a speed figure of 77 for the 4yo Gorak.

The last in last year was off 88.

If he was lucky enough to get in, and didn't place, the mark is blown anyway. Presumably he will run on Thursday if there are no issues, but he could have done that without running today and frying the mark. The only upside is that he will be able to get into the big handicaps from the revised mark, for social purposes!

On the other hand, a 7f firm-ground horse with an official rating of over 100 is worth a lot of money. And it's a lot easier to raise a horse's official mark by a stone by running it in a small-field Listed race than by trying to win a load of big-field handicaps.

I'm not looking for an argument, Cider. Just trying to think why they did this today.

You know, to sell it to race somewhere like Hong Kong or California.

Same here. I was responding to the bunbury cup entry specifically.

If you've got a 4yo gelding rated 86 that is thought to be 100+ in true ability, there's got to be more profitable ways of achieving the official rating than running 4th in a g3 for £4K place money.

Unless he isn't actually worth a triple figure rating.

There is fortunately the other entry next week to fall back on. I've never plotted a horse's race plans for real, but it's not the approach I would have taken.

Got allotted 105 and swerved this week's entry. Buck Palace entered.

Won his group !