This idea is a bit radical and I can see it incurring the displeasure of many trainers. Many trainers want starters orders to mimic real life and this idea does not do that.

In the NH side of the league we have Novice races and Open races at 2m, 2m 4f, 3m etc.. So this means I usually upload my 4 best horses as 2 mile hurdlers, (2 novices and 2 open horses), then 4 best horses as 2 mile chasers etc.. Age is immaterial, so my 2 mile novices could be 7yo.

We call races Novice races, but in actual fact, they are just more races open to any horse I designate as a novice when I upload it. They are not really novices in the true sense of horse racing.

So in any one week we can have a 2 mile G1 Novice Hurdle, a 2 mile G1 Novice Chase, a 2 mile G1 Open Hurdle and a 2 mile G1 Open Chase race and 2 x 2 mile 0 -140 handicap races.

Do we need to have so many so many similiar types of races, again bearing in mind my novices are not really novices.

How about scrapping Novice races and replacing them with low level 0-110 handicap races.

My perception of current 0 - 140 handicap races, not sure how true this is, is that usually the top weighted horses (135 handicap rated) don't do so well against horses that are rated about 110 and getting about 25lbs in the handicap. So maybe replace 0 - 140 handicap races with either more G3 or G3 h'caps and you cannot run a horse in these races if it has won a G1 or G2 race or won 2 G3 races. This would cater for those horses that are too good for low level handicaps but not good enough for top level G1\G2 races.

I am not sure I have explained this as well as I would have liked, but under this system you could have the following in one week:

1 x 2 mile G1 Hurdle, 1 x 2 mile G1 Chase, 1 x 2 mile G3 race hurdles, 1 x 2 mile G3 Chase race and 1 x 0 -110 h'cap race hurdles and 1 x 0-110 h'cap chase.

Thats 6 races at 2 miles, repeat the same for 2m 4f and 3m, 18 races in total, leaving 12 races for longer distances and some extas


If races were organised like this, there would be plenty races at all levels.

Novices can be rated as high as 150, 160 though.
Novice races are like stakes races on the flat. The point of it is that they run off level weights and the best horses usually win.
There are low grade novice handicap hurdles in racing and that could well be something to add but scrapping all novice races is a bad idea.
How about after 3 runs in a novice category hurdles or chases, those rated less than 110 can elect to run in novice handicap hurdles.
I can see what you're getting at, get rid of all novices will make trainers run these horses in graded races or handicaps.
I think capping the age on novices is something we should do. Maybe 5 years old max for hurdlers and 6 years old for chasers. That would help this.

I think most trainers would say 5yo hurdles and 6yo chase is ideal. Not sure you will add anything with that age restriction. Make it lower it will just help those who peak potential earliest, read the top trainers who own the flat.

Maybe if I expressed it this way trainers would find it better to understand.

All existing handicap races would be changed to 0-110 h'caps and novice races would all be changed to Open G3 races with restrictions applied to the G3 races.

Gives exactly the same result as the scenario I outlined above, but maybe easier to understand.

I don't think age restrictions would work.

All my 2 mile and 2m 4f horses over hurdles and fences are 5yo at both the Novice and Open race levels. Being 5yo has not been detrimental to them winning around 30 races this season.

It is only my longer distance horses that are older.


What I am trying to do is take away some of the top level Novice races and replace them with more low level races.

This can't happen until I have enough time to implement it or someone else is willing to do some coding.

Its meant to help out trainers just off the pace win a group 1. If you enter your best horses in the novice division you may win some group 1's

Anyway the code for novices and open horses is very integrated into the league and require loads of changes. I'm not prepared to spend that much time working on the site again in the near future. If someone else is wiling to do it then fine but I can't in the next few months.