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Newbie - Please Help!

  • 04-03-2006 9:04pm
    #1
    Cnoc16
    Closed Accounts Posts: 50 ✭✭


    Ok this is probrally a lot of questions to answer, but if anyone can help, I would really really appreciate it, as I have tried google, but still cant work it out. :confused:

    If anyone can answer any of the below questions, I would be very grateful.

    Handicaps-

    From what I can make out, each horse is given a handicap number. How does it work?

    1)Is the higher the number, the better the horse? Is it good or bad if the handicapper adds more numbers to the horse?
    2)Is this the same thing as the officail rating?
    3)Do handicap races involve horses of the same number/rating therefore have equal chance as such?
    4)How are non-handicap races paired off? could a really good horse be facing a crap one? are the official ratings redundant in non-handicaps?


    Weight -

    5)Is the top weight, the horse that is carrying the most weight literally, or is related to the hadicap number
    6) I have heard it said that a horse can give x amount of pounds to another horse. what does this mean, is this a good or bad thing.
    7) do the jockeys carry lead in order to even out the weight?

    As you can see, I am very confused, so if anyone had any time on their hands, I would really appreciate a reply to even a couple of the questions.

    Thanks a million :)


Comments

  • #2
    TOm Kelly
    Closed Accounts Posts: 182 ✭✭TOm Kelly


    if I was you I would take up stamp collecting ... but if you want to torture yourself - you could start here:

    http://www.ukhorseracing.co.uk/newtoracing/HandicappingExplained.asp


  • #3
    Cnoc16
    Closed Accounts Posts: 50 ✭✭Cnoc16


    Thanks Tom. That is a great link. Very informative. I think I understand it now.

    just one more question :)

    it says;
    Once the horse has an Official Rating it is used in calculating what weight it will carry in a handicap race. The actual weight is in relation to the rest of the runners' ratings. Basically, the rating will relate to pounds in weight. This means that, for example, a horse with a rating of 55 will carry 10lbs less than a horse in the same race which is rated at 65

    Is the actual physical weight the horse carries made up of both:

    (a) the jockeys weight and (b) lead in the pocets to bring it up to the required level?

    Is this right?:

    Horse A is rated 100 and horse B is rated 90.
    Lets assume the jockeys weigh the same.
    Horse B has to carry 10 pounds of lead.

    Am I getting close?


    ALSO: It says:
    Horse's ratings are assessed once a week by the handicapper, so it is possible for a horse to rattle up two or three wins in a week and being allowed to race off the same rating.

    What day is this done?


  • #4
    TOm Kelly
    Closed Accounts Posts: 182 ✭✭TOm Kelly


    yes, lead is used to make up the difference between jockey's weight and allocated weight - verified at 'weigh-in' ... I don't know if there is a fixed day for reviewing handicaps!!


  • #5
    Cnoc16
    Closed Accounts Posts: 50 ✭✭Cnoc16


    That was very helpful tom thanks.

    Just Two more questions, I promise :eek:

    1. If the race is a non-handicap, does this mean that the horse with the highest rating have an advantage?

    2. What is the 'topweight'. Is this the horse that has to have the most weight added? Is this considered a good or bad thing? Does it always run from stall one, or is there a draw to see where it runs from?

    Thanks a million!!


  • #6
    Cnoc16
    Closed Accounts Posts: 50 ✭✭Cnoc16


    Hi again everyone. Just wondering if anyone could kindly answer the below questions for me. Thanks a million :)
    1. If the race is a non-handicap, does this mean that the horse with the highest rating have an advantage?

    2. What is the 'topweight'. Is this the horse that has to have the most weight added? Is this considered a good or bad thing? Does it always run from stall one, or is there a draw to see where it runs from?


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  • #7
    TOm Kelly
    Closed Accounts Posts: 182 ✭✭TOm Kelly


    Ratings are allocated as a result of a horse's past performance - you have to learn to interpret them.

    The allocation of weight by the handicapper is meant to equalise the chances of every horse in the race - so the higher the weight - the better the horse is deemed to be ... a horse carrying 12 stone is deemed to be 2 stone superior to a horse carrying 10 stone.

    The amount of weight to be 'added' as you put it depends on the weight of the jockey - if a horse has to carry 12 stone and a jockey weighs 10 stone 7 pounds - it will have to carry 1 stone 7 pounds of lead (less a small deduction for weight of saddle etc.) ...

    If you had 2 stone of lead on your back ... could you run as fast as without it?

    The weight has nothing to do with the stall that a horse is in ... that is done by draw.

    Here is a link for you:

    http://homepage.eircom.net/~mysitelink/index.html


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