Originally Posted by
Messenger
Some more thoughts on Tiered Racing that someone sent to me:
Tiered Racing sending the wrong message?
Looking through the tiered racing programs on the calendar the races with the reduced prizemoney are primarily targeted at the most poorly performed of low grade horses with as I expected the "conditions" of the race being the prime determinant of eligibility making the "tiered" prizemoney redundant.
These low prizemoney conditioned races may lead to a reduction in short priced favourites in that race which is desirable but how does rewarding the connections with lower prizemoney and still losing a country penalty encourage people with poorer performing horses to keep them in the game for the longer term or new connections and another trainer trying to improve them when they have the same assessment as better performed more talented horses
Seems that we have not been able to get past the racing tradition of better rewarding better performers to increasing the earnings of poorer performers in order to keep them in the racing pool. Whilst the sport of racing will always recognise and reward superior performers we are now in the era of the business of racing and that means that even the least talented of the horse pool needs to be adequately rewarded to ensure their long term contribution to the wagering pool.
Maybe a better rewarded and more comprehensive " R" tier with conditions excluding better performed horses ( only horses who haven't participated in "C" class or have established poor form in "C" class races can drop back to "R" class races) a better option then "C" class races with varying prizemoney. Win, prizemoney or speed criteria could be added to "R" class to compel the better "R" class horses to race in "C" class if their owners weren't willing to step them up themselves.
Perhaps one of the traditions of racing that needs to change in this country to reduce short priced favourites is the practice of trainers racing higher quality performers ( as evidenced by earnings and previous participation in group level events ) against lesser performed horses in "C" class races expecting to win money enroute to metro and or feature races rather then preparing through trials.
In the U.S. Stakes level horses seldom ( usually only if their form has gone off during the season so that they have become eligible) step out in "overnight " and "conditioned" races which are their bread and butter level but instead prepare using qualifiers ( trials) before stepping out straight back in stakes grade.
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