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Please do not read this article. To continue reading past this point will be dangerous. You will know what is going on in both the UK and the rest of the world. You might possibly begin to understand why things are developing the way they are.
I get people coming up to me and asking about various matters, which have been written about in the Calendar. Not because they have read the article/section and want to develop a discussion but because they simply have not read what has been printed. They “Know somebody” who “knows a lad” who “knows a bloke who had heard something” about a particular matter and that smidgen of disinformation is enough to ‘fire ‘em up’. Disinformation is a powerful tool, there is the apocryphal story from the first World War, the classic order: “Send reinforcements we are going to advance” which became: “Send 3 and fourpence we are going to a dance” No where is the disinformation bandwagon rolling backwards down hill more on the issue of handicapping. And if you really want to be confused about handicapping, log on to the Wales & Borders website. Firstly the organisation has nothing to do with the BHRC, secondly the information imported is unofficial . The panel of people dealing with this matter are in the process of converting all marks. This will soon be reported on the BHRC website (official) and be in the April Calendar. If you have a serious issue please contact Brian Reynolds or Ray Jenkins. However, no horse which raced in 2007 or before will be worse off under the new system. More on that later. Of course you might not want to read the Calendar. It’s a free world, its not compulsory. Back in 2006 the American import Stubbys Fool, a talented horse with about a 1.53 record and some money on his card came to Britain and was receiving start from very modest horses. Ephie Mather sought my father out to explain the injustice of this and after consideration the BHRC Council examined the handicapping of imported pacers and clarified them on actual earnings, not factorised, not adjusted for maiden, novice or improver etc. The changes appeared in the June 2006 Calendar. Fast forward to late one evening in November 2006 when a leading Trainer phoned me from the Harrisburg Sales where he was so upset that a prospective purchase of his, a pacer without a win, but with substantial earnings could not start off as a maiden and go through the ranks (obviously likely to win fairly easily). It would be classified on the money it had won. When he found out about the new rules he was angry. I reminded him that the changes were in the Calendar. His reply was “I don't read the Calendar, its a load of rubbish” So the old saying of “knowledge is power” doesn't apply to this person. In my profession I not only need to know what is happening I need to know why it is happening. I sometimes need to make it happen. So, don't read the Calendar mate, best to stay in the dark. So back to handicapping , nearly. You all know what is happening - more or less. You might have read something about it in the October and December 07 issues, heard of the extensive debates in BHRC Council and Committee meetings, might even know of the panel of experts (Ray Jenkins, Jim Kemp, Brian Reynolds and Glen Watson) charged with developing a modern system. Lord above you might even read about it on the internet. But lets not go there just yet. You might know that the only viable source of financing for racing is via gambling. That’s a given the world over. We have a good product to gamble on, yet you cannot gamble on British Harness Racing in a British Bookmakers shop. You can bet on French and Australian Harness Racing but not the home grown product. Very strange, but true. However, if events unfold as I expect them to do, it may well be possible to gamble on line on our racing in the relatively near future. Following the World Trotting Conference in New Zealand in November 07 the world of harness racing is examining internet gambling on racing for two reasons: 1. To stop piracy 2. Get a piece of the action |
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Within 5 years it is estimated that half of all shopping will be done on line. That belief is starting to affect the value of shops. The same situation is expected to develop in gambling - maybe more so. Many young people like to gamble at home from their computer. We can make our product available to them. Whilst in France at the Prix D’Amerique weekend I had a lengthy discussion with Rob Earle from New Zealand who via his companies sportsworld.com and harnessworld.com his partnership with Global Gambling System providers, Scientific Games and his “Game” Bet123 has the ability to make harness racing in Britain an online gambling opportunity. We met with Geraint Lewis of Rasus and it’s possible that the racing on S4C could be incorporated into an internet gaming opportunity. If we can get our product on the internet, we have a very good shot at bringing in money to put into purses and showing the rest of the gambling world that we are a viable gaming opportunity. New Zealand has a healthy harness racing industry with a total population of 4 million people. In Wales , Scotland and Northern England we have at least 15 million people who live in areas where harness racing is carried on. We have a big enough target audience to make our sport viable. If you want to. However one of the main factors we need to address is handicapping. The old system is outdated, illogical, hard to understand, biased and discriminatory. It is out of line with European Practice and procedure. It is, in the opinion of more than one lawyer, illegal. The new system is fair, easy to understand, modern and in line with European systems. Ask yourself this, could a punter new to harness racing, on a website, understand the old system and be able to comprehend why Conner’s Dragon with over £11,000 on his ticket as a 2-3yo was receiving start from horses with earnings of about £1200 at the start of his 4yo season? I can’t, never mind a newcomer. He/she would shrug their shoulders and say - I can’t understand this– I’ll go back to poker or dog racing. We have got to make it easy for newcomers. Enough about gambling and why we need this system. Lets look at other features. Horses will be classified on what they have earned, not part of it, all of it. These are very generous concessions for horses at 2 and 3 in order to stimulate juvenile racing in the UK. A horse who has won something at 2 and 3 in another country will not have its earnings adjusted - we don't need to stimulate juvenile racing in America for instance. An interesting feature of our racing is our partiality to heats and finals. Now, it is perfectly possible to have heats and finals for low grade horses, I have not met anyone who is not in favour of this. Many people are upset at the paucity of place money in the past. The new system will stimulate better place money in the future. But earnings will have to be accounted for in the handicap system - just like the rest of the world does. The new system will help British bred trotters a lot. The old method of ignoring place money/factorising win money depending on which country the horse came from is arbitrary at best and illegal at worst. Whether a horse comes from Germany or Jutland, Holland or Hamburg, Sweden or France it will be classified on what it has earned. But what you will not get is a decent European trotter who has won maybe 20,000 Euros, most of it in place money receiving start from a British bred horse who might have only won £2,000. And if that is fair (and it has happened in the past) well as they say in Manchester “I’ll go to the foot of our stairs” We should be looking to stimulate the breeding of trotters in Britain, buy good brood stock from abroad, breed them to the modern stallions of say J.P Dubois (some of his horses are really reasonably priced) and get some horses we can be proud of. And if you buy French mares and breed to French stallions the progeny is eligible to race in France. The new system is the future, but it will need to work alongside with conditioned racing and selling races again as the rest of the world does. |
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EDITORIAL |
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Race Framers will need to get innovative. A simple conditioned scenario might be this: 1) Horses that have won £1,000 or more in their last five races within the handicap system must be doing something right. 2) Horses that have won £250 or less in their last five races must be struggling. So a short series of conditioned races might read: Race 1. For pacers grades 2-4 who have not won £250 in their last five races. Race 2. For pacers grades 9 and above who have not won more than £1000 in their last five races. Race 3. For pacers, grades 4-8 who have not won more than £250 in their last five races and on the second line, trailing 10yds, horses who have won more than £250 in their last five races. Race 4. For pacers who in their last five races (at this track) have never gone faster than 2.05. Race 5. Line 1. (on the gate) pacers who can be claimed for £2000. Line 2. (trailing 10yds) Pacers who can be claimed for £3,000. Line 3. trailing 20yds pacers who can be claimed for £4,000. Race 6. For trotters who have not earned £1,000 lifetime. The possibilities are endless. We are doing a lot of work to make our database a good tool for race framers to use. We have made a lot of progress over the last few years. The BHRC for the first time this year, was invited to the European Trotting Union Conference at Vincennes race track. I was honoured to represent you, I entered into debate and was thanked by a number of countries for my input. I am fighting your corner. Many countries want to develop stronger links with us, not just France, but Finland, Norway, Malta, Croatia, Slovenia, Poland. The Polish delegation were delighted to pass on the staffing requirements of John Gill to their people. Malta was particularly interested in our Drug testing initiative. This issue of the Calendar includes notes about the New Zealand Conference and the address of Patrick Sandin, UET President at this years UET Conference. I hope you find this information interesting. On the subject of drug testing everyone I speak to, recognises the need to keep the momentum up. However testing costs money. The BHRC largely bankrolled testing in 2007, but if we are to continue in 2008 money will have to come from somewhere. The most popular suggestions are: 1. A levy on progeny - 2% taken from all purses would yield £14,000 or thereabouts. 2. A levy on entries, £1 added to each entry would raise about £8,500. To finance a modest but effective campaign we need to raise about £30,000. Do the maths, it isn't cheap - but what is the alternative? Barry Gray wanted to raise fees 10 years ago, but that has been resisted time and time again. Now we have no alternative. The new fees and their expenditure dates are given in this edition. At the Committee meeting in January 2008 I canvassed the Clubs/Associations for their views. Geoff Robson spoke like a true Northerner, when asked how his members would accept the increases: “They’ll have to have it!” God love him, we need more like him. It will soon be the AGM, time to vote Stewards, Vice Chairman, Chairman, appoint/re-appoint Regional Stewards. The BHRC misses Barry Gray terribly - not least because of his input at the office. If there is any one interested in standing as a Steward who has bookkeeping/accountancy skills and is able to travel to the office, frequently, they would be welcomed by me. At the AGM we vote on awards, Huw Evans of Tregaron has suggested that we do the awards at the end of the racing season, with an onwards ceremony possibly at Christmas. That sounds like a good idea to me. The valedictories for the departed were numerous in the last edition. The expected death of Barry Gray has been a terrible blow. He was a wonderful man. To loose Ron Proctor and Una Forrest as
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well, made December a bad month to bide. The untimely passing of Direct Dream is a loss unbelievable in its happening. Life is so unfair at times. One of the highlights of my trip to the Prix D’Amerique was the chance to meet the Champion young driver, Sara Morgans. She is a beautiful, charming young lady, an excellent ambassador for our country and our sport. I am pleased to report that an agreement has at last been forged with Stagbi, including a cash equalisation. I trust our relationship will be long and mutually beneficial. However to draw to a conclusion, the initiative of Glen Watson and his friends in developing the Cock Of The North series is a welcome prospect I wish this project every success. But to more or less come full circle, ask yourself where you want this sport to go. The way we have operated for the last 10-15 years has not taken us forward, we have at best stood still. There are knockers out there, there always will be. Don't worry about the mimi’s. Those people who are always bothered about “me” How will this or that “affect me” how will “my” horse be affected. It should be “we” not “me”. The best of racing luck for 2008 and read these lines please, forwarded by Louise Booton: All organisations are made up of four set bones: There are the bones who spend their time wishing that someone else would do all the work along with the jaw bones, who do all the talking but little else. Another group is the knuckle bones, they knock everything that anybody else tries to do. But the most valuable are the backbones who pick up load and actually do all the work.
Gordon Garnett BHRC Chairman
HANDICAPPING
Some people are visiting the Wales & Borders Counties website and are being confused by the Handicap mark 2008 put on there for the BHRC horses. Those marks for BHRC horses are not official BHRC marks and the figures used are in many cases inaccurate. No horse will start 2008 on a worse mark than they finished 2007. Many will be off a better mark reflecting their lifetime earnings.
Brian Reynolds |