Sectional Time rules

[Flashing Red]

Cue resident legal expert Flashing Red but wouldn't a judge only be able to make a ruling based on how the stewards applied the rule and if they applied it wrong rather than to make a decision that the rule is shit and therefore the fine shouldnt apply?
Eg if Lance Justice was to appeal the Smoken Up DMSO charge to the courts the judge couldn't say well I don't agree with the DMSO rule (ie I don't agree with the sectional time rule) so the disqualification doesn't stand. The judge would only be able to say the rule wasn't applied correctly; ie a sample was contaminated or the steward had a faulty stopwatch.

I'm not sure how that would work here, I doubt anyone would challenge it if they didn't get suspended or the race taken off them, however.... a number of drivers are quite happy to cop a fine if it wins them the race, in many different instances/rules!

[Gtrain]

Sorry FR but slow sectional rule is an absolute blight on the industry and serves merely as a revenue raiser. How someone can keep a straight face whil fining a driver for giving it every chance is disgraceful. Fine the other drivers maybe. But not the bloke who was first to get to the front. I dont subscribe to the theory of it making a more attractive punting prospect either. If there is one thing that can remain consistent in a horses form is its ability to come out of the gate. More often than not it is the MAIN area considered when assessing the form. I see nothing wrong with this. Would abolishing this rule possibly lead to more drivers vigourously attacking for the lead? Could that not lead to more speed in the race anyway? If a horse slams the brakes on, causing interference, fine them, otherwise allow the drivers to do their thing. They need no more to think about!

[Greg Hando]

G'day Gtrain if the rule was abolished it the races would end up slow first half and the fastest half miler would win the driver's won't vigorously attack for the lead now in a slowly run race they are content to sit back and hope they can out sprint them abolishing the rule in my opinion would not help i think all the driver's should be fined for not having a go when they're in a walking race i won a race not long back in 2.10 and am still embarissed (spelling )to talk about it glad we got the money but nothing to write home about and couldn't believe we were let run 1.11 first half she won by 12 mts hard held we didn't want to lead and neither did anything else as it was a restricted meeting no fines so it didn't matter one bit this day to any driver's .

[aussiebreno]

As it is now the sectional times are only a slow-medium pace and if you want to avoid the fine you will be running closer to medium. A medium pace does nothing; it doesn't allow for horses to make a move (like slow pace does) and it doesn't allow for the front markers to drop off (fast pace).

[triplev123]

As I see it the problem the overall class of the horses in a race, not the 'speed' of the race.
US Handicapper Bob Pandolfo put it best in one of his columns entitled 'Defining Class By Late Speed' when he said "Class is the ability to finish well against the pace of the race". He then went on to say " In Harness Racing we often give credit to horses that finish fast off a slow pace. The theory behind this is that it's tougher to gain off a slow pace because the pacesetter and the horses close to the pace have something left. That's true, but a fast last quarter is actually more impressive if a horse has run fast prior to the stretch run".

[aussiebreno]

As I see it the problem the overall class of the horses in a race, not the 'speed' of the race.
US Handicapper Bob Pandolfo put it best in one of his columns entitled 'Defining Class By Late Speed' when he said "Class is the ability to finish well against the pace of the race". He then went on to say " In Harness Racing we often give credit to horses that finish fast off a slow pace. The theory behind this is that it's tougher to gain off a slow pace because the pacesetter and the horses close to the pace have something left. That's true, but a fast last quarter is actually more impressive if a horse has run fast prior to the stretch run".

Love the blue bit even if I do get sucked in by horses finishing late after doing no work on occasions.

Also, this isn't an attack at the merit of the rule rather the application. Why are C0s required to run the same first half as open company? Although in many instances leeway is given to lowly graded horses it doesn't really add up.

[Greg Hando]

Brendan i have never seen leeway given to lower class horse's before and the sectional time's used are for each individual track and no sectional's for restricted or penalty free races and the sectional time's given to the track's are slower than qualifying time's in most cases.

[aussiebreno]

Brendan i have never seen leeway given to lower class horse's before and the sectional time's used are for each individual track and no sectional's for restricted or penalty free races and the sectional time's given to the track's are slower than qualifying time's in most cases.

Next post please at least use punctuation as it is makes it easier to try and decipher what you have written.
Some weaker races at Wagga where they still haven't run home in time have been let out of the fine. I don't really take much notice out of the Riverina but whilst searching the HRA website I came across this http://www.harness.org.au/news-artic...?news_id=11767 where it mentions Victoria will relax the rules for C0s, making them 65 secs instead of 64.
Yes the times are used for each individual track but R0s can race at the same track as C10s etc. Case in point the Melpark Major sectional - possibly within the rules yet it was slow as slow can be for FFAers yet if it was a C1-C2 not much notice would have been taken.
Don't know why you are comparing apples with oranges. Sectional times are over 800m while qualifying time is over 1600. On most tracks they run home in <60 the vast majority of time so to try and draw that comparison doesn't work with me.

[Greg Hando]

Next post please at least use punctuation as it is makes it easier to try and decipher what you have written.
Some weaker races at Wagga where they still haven't run home in time have been let out of the fine. I don't really take much notice out of the Riverina but whilst searching the HRA website I came across this http://www.harness.org.au/news-artic...?news_id=11767 where it mentions Victoria will relax the rules for C0s, making them 65 secs instead of 64.
Yes the times are used for each individual track but R0s can race at the same track as C10s etc. Case in point the Melpark Major sectional - possibly within the rules yet it was slow as slow can be for FFAers yet if it was a C1-C2 not much notice would have been taken.
Don't know why you are comparing apples with oranges. Sectional times are over 800m while qualifying time is over 1600. On most tracks they run home in <60 the vast majority of time so to try and draw that comparison doesn't work with me.

Brendan their is no need to be a making smart ass comment's about punctuation's not all of us can be highly educated. If you want to be a smart ass then know what your talking about and be accurate. Qualifying time's are for distance's greater than 1609 mts .Every track has a minimum sectional time for the first half of the last mile given to reflect the quality of the track and the speed at which all horse's should be expected to run on that track, not the class of horse that race's there.The sectional time's were bought in to try and help the punter so as to give every horse in the race a fair chance not just the first 4 or 5 up front. The reason why i said about qualifying times was that if you don't run (9 times out of 10) under the sectional time for that track you wont qualify,no qualify no race.It was just a comment about times required to race . The part about running home in time (Some weaker races at Wagga where they still haven't run home in time have been let out of the fine) I don't understand what you mean. It is the first half quarter's not the race time or last half that the driver's may be fined for. Leeway may only be given if their is a strong wind,heavy track etc not because of the class of horse. If the race at Cranbourne was a C1-C2 you are right no-one would have mentioned it but it wasn't, more was expected for the class of horse that took part.
PS I don't agree with the fine's either for the race leader but a rule is a rule and we have to live with it.

[Just Saying]

... but a fast last quarter is actually more impressive if a horse has run fast prior to the stretch run".

Exactly my query in regards to Terror To Love!