I can’t copy it here, perhaps Kev can, but doesn’t the very design of the ratings matrix make it clear it is designed to include races less then $4500? I didn’t attend any meetings so no idea what was said. Did no one think to ask if races could be for lower prizemoney? I don’t see how the matrix and ratings system can be expected to work without a significantly tiered sliding scale of prizemoney from the lowest rated horses to the highest as an incentive to achieve the best possible finishing position and progress up the scale.
Even with tiered prizemoney it looks attractive, and without it even moreso, for someone or someone’s to exploit it, and not necessarily a big stable for a hobby owner trainer driver could do the same thing. How do they stop someone getting a horse who’s ability is in excess of its rating ( NZ the obvious place) and setting up camp somewhere with races in the say$2500 to $4999 or $5000 to $8499 prizemoney bracket for its rating and winning, getting the 3 or 4 points added to its rating, then being driven “dead” for the required 3 or 4 starts to bring its rating back to where it was, obviously still below its ability and then utilising it’s superior ability to win again. And repeating that over and over again, with in effect the horse rating never really changing, add winnings from the punt for when they are trying and it could be very lucrative.
Don’t know what they have in mind to stop someone doing that. Can only imagine seasonal or overall earnings would need to be included in race eligibility conditions and horse whose earnings exceed the limit would have to be permitted to race in a higher rated race.