TABForm Race Description in The WestHarness & Greyhounds

JayJay

Old mate asked me this morning about the descriptor headers for each race at GP tonight in the TAB form published in The West this morning. He is a rusted on  ex owner and trainer, now retired, so not completely unfamiliar with the handicap system. Been training for 4 decades prior to chucking it in last year.

He pointed out that there was no indicator for RBD or PBD and that the abbreviations for each race descriptor had recently changed? I must admit I hadn't noticed if they had or not but a close look explains his confusion.

For example ..Race 4. "3YO and older Fillies and Mares $8,000 I $9,000". To the initiated, it is a "dollars last 5 Less Than $8,000" conditioned race with a stake of $9,000, to the uninitiated it is quite confusing about what the stake is, no indication of the class of horses engaged, no indication of PBD or RBD and not conducive to having an even slightly educated bet.

Same with race 6, probably even more confusing. "3YO and older $12,000 I $9,000"  and race 7 and 8 " 3YO and older $8,000 I $9,000" with the added confusion of Div1 and Div2 added in.

I looked up HRA to find that race 1 and 2 were PBD ( a good thing), based on HWOE for race 1 and Level on race 2, which I think are one in the same thing? The other races were all RBD.

Broken record I know but one of my first concerns dating back to HWOE's inception from November 2018 was the  thoroughly confusing terminology and abbreviations that few outside of the Industry understood, along with a high percentage within the Industry. I was widely rubbished for suggesting punters would not understand given the poor introduction process.

With turnover continuing to head south at a rapid rate, run of the mill punters continue to turn their backs on harness racing in droves. Meanwhile, only a dim wit would continue to program both a Conditioned Pace and a FFA week in week out, in the middle of winter with a reduced  fast class horse  population, producing 4 and 5 horse fields, paid trials for the big end of town that no one bets on.

It took me 15 minutes to explain to him what each race was about and even then, I am pretty sure his last quite polite comment was along the lines of "What a complete crock of you know what, any wonder the boys down at Pub TAB are throwing their 10 bucks on a mystery trifecta at the dogs whilst having an afternoon beer or two."

Rocket_Reign

On the flip side, does he understand the class system of the gallopers and greyhounds? Coz I wouldn’t have the slightest clue probably wouldn’t stop me betting on it if I was that way inclined though

JayJay

Gallopers? Yes, he has trained galloping winners, understands the class system and ratings pretty well. Dogs, well, as luck has it, he has a retired/rehomed greyhound lounging around in a beanbag living the life of Riley but clueless about how a Kanyana differs from a whatever.

Rocket_Reign

Think you missed my point

Gilgamesh

Could teach a 10yr old the dogs and the gallops system in 5 mins.

Rocket_Reign

Gilgamesh said:

Could teach a 10yr old the dogs and the gallops system in 5 mins.

That’s good coz I reckon I could teach you the harness system in 5 minutes

sonny

Please do Rocket

Markovina

Just out of interest what is the New Zealand harness racing handicapping system 

I rarely watch it and dont bet on it - dont follow it 

But is their system basically a carbon copy of the E/States NR system - or have they got something totally different 

Of course they basically dont have to worry or handicap ex Aust horses going their permanently because that is quite rare 

Rocket_Reign

Markovina said:

Just out of interest what is the New Zealand harness racing handicapping system 

I rarely watch it and dont bet on it - dont follow it 

But is their system basically a carbon copy of the E/States NR system - or have they got something totally different 

Of course they basically dont have to worry or handicap ex Aust horses going their permanently because that is quite rare 

They have a different system over there, they progress through the classes really fast which is why we can buy a lot of their horses. Something on the fringe of FFA there is still a metro maiden here

Gilgamesh

Rocket_Reign said:

Gilgamesh said:

Could teach a 10yr old the dogs and the gallops system in 5 mins.

That’s good coz I reckon I could teach you the harness system in 5 minutes

Yeah I'm happy enough with my basic understanding of the system, I just think it's woeful, it's a grading system with massive flaws not a handicapping system.

To be fair the dogs are a grading system too.