Harness Programme and Stakes ChangeHarness & Greyhounds

JayJay

Nothing racing this Friday Night (copped a ballot), so bearing in mind that time for idle minds is never a good thing, I thought I'd have a look at the changes foreshadowed by RWWA as outlined yesterday. And I am not sure whether it is an overall stake increase or decrease....or something in between. No doubt, any errors in logic or mathematics will be quickly outlined by others, with alacrity....but at the moment, I can't reach a genuine conclusion.

First, as far as Friday nights are concerned, the "haircut" to stakes, to provide funding for an extra (9th) race for $7,500 at both Pinjarra and and GP midweeks, comes from the following: The L5$ race goes from $18k to $17k, the HWOE LT$70k or $85k goes from $20k to $19k and the conditioned pace goes from $22k to$20k, representing a saving of $4,000. There is no "haircut" for the top end horses with the FFA's (including fillies and mares), the HWOE LT $100k and feature races unaffected. So, is it fair to say that the "lower" classes of Friday night horses, in general terms, are the focus of the stakes cut?

The GP Tuesday midweeks cut sees the L5$ cut from $10.5k to $7.5k and the $9,000 race cut to $7.5k as all races to be run for a stake of $7.5k as I read it. This represents a saving of $4,500 making an overall saving of $8,500 per week.  Again, it seems focussed on the out of form semi battlers in the middle to low tier of the horse population, the ones that may seek greener fields in NR handicapping jurisdictions like SA. But that is a value judgement.

On the plus side, the extra race at Pinjarra and GP midweek, at $7,500 each, represents a potential increase of $15,000 in stakes distribution, so if they get the numbers and the races hold up, that represents a $6,500 boost to overall stake distribution each week.

Now, for whatever reason (winter, covid, shrinking horse population etc....all previously acknowledged as valid reasons), field sizes and actual number of races have been a bit thin of late.....only 7 races at GP tonight for example....so the question becomes "Is there enough horses to make up the "9th" race at both Pinjarra and midweek GP?"....because if there are, then this is an overall stakes increase but if not, and the extra $7.5k (times 2) doesn't get distributed, then it represents a stakes cut of either $8,500 per week if neither race gets up, or a cut of $1,000 per week if one gets up....or a $6,500 increase if both races proceed. Now, I may have read it wrongly but it's a bit of a throw of the dice. Perhaps the registrations of racing horses have increased of late, foaling returns have risen, perhaps turnover is on the improve...but without knowing numbers, numbers that I have lost the will to live waiting for, it seems like a bit of a game of roulette. The reality is that it is that the top end of town are in the "Lets Elope/Shivas Revenge" protest  position......as Bart said, "can't lose".

curmudgeon

The stakes at GP midweek have dropped to "sub prime" levels so perhaps it is time to end the pretense and end the "prime" furphy totally. 

In order to fill programs at GP & Pinjarra regularly with 9 races of fields approaching capacity the races at the lower end of the handicapping scale must be considered as essential in the expansion ....the end where the numbers reside must be catered for instead of catering for tighter assessed races with poor pool numbers.

The field sizes at Northam last Saturday vs GP & Pinjarra this week highlight the issue.... turnover at GP & Pinjarra with those field sizes would be boosted consistently and considerably.