Mares winning Champion Hurdles (the distance as we all know is 2m) get 7lb weight adjustment in their favour. Even for the NH Flat championship at Cheltenham, they get the same weight allowance (eg last years winner Bambino Fever) WHY IS THIS ? On the flat they get 3 or 5 lb max, yet especially the flat race - what are these horses doing differently from races over 2 miles deemed "Flat" ? Same distance - same opponents - same conditions etc - and don't tell me the extra allowance cant make a difference ! Okay you can maybe argue for 5lb over jumps, especially the longer races - but 7 ? Nah (eg Ascot Gold Cup is 2.5 miles yet the allowance is 3lb - compare that to the NH flat race at Chelt where its 7lb, but a half mile shorter !!!)
Not a farce, but needs to be looked at. Six of the last 11 champion hurdles have been won by a mare. Now there are dedicated mares-only races, they should consider scrapping or decreasing the allowance in festival championship races. Lossiemouth, Honeysuckle, Golden Ace, and Annie Power would likely all have won off level weights (if they'd been entered in races with those conditions).
Not a farce, but needs to be looked at. Six of the last 11 champion hurdles have been won by a mare. Now there are dedicated mares-only races, they should consider scrapping or decreasing the allowance in festival championship races. Lossiemouth, Hon