Call for Reform of Novice chasers' handicap marks

Published: 13/12/2004 (Sport) GORDON BROWN

MORE calls for a change in the new structure of novices' chases have been received, including the scrapping of the use of hurdling handicap marks when a horse goes over fences.
Both trainer John Mackie and Harvey Smith, husband of Bingley-based trainer Sue Smith, said yesterday that the current policy is not working, as proved by a walk-over at Doncaster on Friday.
That race led BHB communications manager Alan Delmonte to state that 'people have to realise that if they don't support existing races they will simply disappear' but Mackie claimed trainers are 'not wholly to blame'.

Derbyshire-based Mackie added: 'Hurdling handicap ratings shouldn't be used as a guide for chases, as they are two completely different codes. As a rule, in the old days you went chasing when a horse became anchored by its hurdling handicap mark.
'Obviously we're all in agreement that this current situation is no good for our sport but it's not all the trainers' fault and I don't believe there was enough consultation between the BHB and the trainers in the first place.'

Mackie added: 'At the moment handicappers are giving horses ratings of 100-plus even though they may only have been in the frame in a poor hurdle race.
'At the start of the season I would like to see novice chases left open and then bring in the restrictions from around the turn of the year.

'At that time the good horses tend to go on to try for better prizes anyway.'
Smith claimed that the situation needed 'radical change' and was introduced by people 'who don't understand jump racing'. He added: 'Friday's case at Doncaster wasn't clever and the beginners' chase there on Saturday ended up a fiasco as well.

'The BHB are asking certain horses to jump round Grade 1 tracks when they can't compete at a racing pace. You can't expect a novice to do what some class horses can.
'All novice chases should be opened up again as, just here alone, we've got plenty of novices we can't run because of the system. 'After winning just a couple of races they're rated 130 when they should be about 15lb lower if their hurdling mark wasn't taken into account.

'If you do come up against a really good horse, make sure nothing that finishes in behind can go up more than 5lb or 6lb. They're raising the marks of these young horses much too high, too quickly, instead of allowing them to get a little bit of mileage on the clock.'