Win-and-your-in handicaps at Newcastle today

They put on handicaps today rather than conditions races and were rewarded with a cracking, competitive card, but guaranteed a place on finals day for winning a handicap (I presume this is qualification for a conditions race)?

Surely you want the best horses to be qualifying, which, for example, in the 4.45 was Sommelier, given he was conceding 11lb to the winner.