..again this is not a thread aimed at criticising the league in any way

I would just like to make some proposals that will potentially bring in new players and open up some races for low ability runners.

First off I would like to put myself forward as official handicapper for the UKRA league. I know this is a big job but it is one that I think is urgently needed.

Horses need to be graded correctly so that there is a greater range of handicap marks. This will mean:

1 Horses that win group one events would not eligible to run in handicaps. Except the 0-120 races.

2 New races could be created for example 0-60, 0-70, 0-80, 0-90, 0-100 as well as selling and claiming races.

Therefore weak horses would have a greater chance of winning.

I am aware of the banded races, but still feel a proper handicap structure would improve playability and competition at the lower end.

I for one would welcome a full range of races and I am willing to re-write the whole of the league race structure to accomodate these events.

I don't want to discourage ideas from anyone, and don't want to knock this suggestion, but it's important that you have all the facts.

Being quite honest with you, there's more to this role and work behind the scenes, than you could have possibly accounted for, and you most likely would not be able to handle this by yourself. You'd probably want another 2 volunteers with you, otherwise you could quickly suffer from burnout.

With each handicap change you'd make, the horse file would also need to be manually adjusted to match the rating and have them shipped back to the Race Secretaries in time for the races. To accomodate that, we need to close the nominations sooner, otherwise you'd be working into the wee hours of Sunday morning.

You are potentially talking about 500-800 horses for the UK league alone, with adjustments being made to somewhere between a third to half of those each week (depending on the number of race nominations). So, you can see where my concern for burnout is coming from.

If we can get more volunteers to help you with this task, then it's something to be seriously considered implementing into the league.

I'd love to see more races even if we dont have an offcial handicapper. Maybe an extra 4 races per week of low graded handicaps.

I would be prepared to put in the figures on a spreadsheet and send them on to the next person down the line. If someone else could take other roles then yes it could work.

A second comment which might improve the situation of having low rated horses is this:

Start all horses on a rating of 80 instead of 51.

After the first set of maidens have been run. Ratings will be between say 95 and 65.

From this platform we could introduce 0-70 or 0-80 handicaps.

This would remove the best horses from average handicaps immediately.

Effectively splitting the horses into two groups. Grade performers and average handicappers.

As the season progresses, 0-60 and 0-90, 0-100 races could be added.

Going upwards it probably wouldn't take too long for horses to be rated well over 100. Thus making them inelligible for average handicaps.

If we could add a few more small handicaps or maybe cull some of the over produced group 1 races then we would have more balance to the programme.

As said previously this would encourage more trainers with average ability horses.

At present the only races an average trainer has a chance of winning is the restricted or banded races.

As we have seen this week in the NHC these are not proving to be a popular sphere.

Remove the banded and restricted races and add six handicap races 0-90 and below.

This would mean just two extra races per week.

I would be willing to put together these handicap schedules for all three racing associations.

Bit disappointed this has just been left, does that mean it won't be happening?

It probably means people haven't had the chance to stick up an informative enough post yet.

I imagine Colm has been quite busy updating things after another weeks racing in the SOPL and we have to remember he has a personal life too.

I'm sure he will reply shortly.

Agree Duke.

Write your own newsletter Jason.

I don't have the time.

Keep the league to the elitist few.

The guys are right, I'm just busy at present.

These suggestions and past suggestions have not been forgotten about. We won't be making any drastic changes mid season.

I reckon this will be the final season of the league with SO3, judging by the release estimate given by Mark. Players would lose interest in the SO3 league while playing SO4. That will give us plenty of time to explore these ideas to the full, and make any/all adjustments in the window available to us, leading up to the first SO4 league.

Keep the ideas and suggestions coming, if I don't get a chance to respond straight away, it certainly doesn't mean they have been ignored. All these posts are well taken.

However, going back to one point about the Handicapper, to see this one realised, we genuinely need more volunteers.

The extra handicaps, and different categories of handicaps, adjustments to schedules, etc, will be a lot easier to implement.

???

What's up Steve?

Jason,

I have resigned before being replaced.

You have got your balance - you now dont have any writers.

Looks like your SOPL Times is finished.

LOL. I dont know what your problem is mate. I dont know why you dislike me so much. I haven't done anything for you to dislike me.

You just like to start arguments. I remember you under your old name. Always argumentative!

The SOPL Times is finished anyway. We will go back to the old way which worked better.

This IS a criticism of the league:

Can't be bothered with the league anymore it doesn't engage everyone

who plays starters orders and hasn't done since its introduction, too many

elitist races and not enough low value handicaps, introduced with a

realistic handicapping system

New players will come and go but sadly not remain...unless the changes

suggested above are made the league will remain out of reach for most

players.

This is not a league for the masses it is a league for the few.

Most of the races should be handicaps, with maybe 25% as group races.


When three or four players dominate to the extent that they do there is

something fundamentally wrong with the structure of the race programme.

...this is and always has been my view and in the past I have been shot

down in flames for daring to propose such an idea.

I doubt whether changes to the league race programme will be made, so

I wish everyone well who runs the league - especially Colm who has been

and no doubt will continue to be the cornerstone of the set up.

East Pier Whitby (PNE, and racingfanatic)

Bye Steve. Best of luck to you.

Thanks for the well wishes.