This is pertaining to the MAFKI FUTURE STARS MAIDEN in Week 3.

This is just a question and not a complaint as I am pretty sure something has gone awry and it may have affected other horses. I have a two year old called BREAK IT TO THEM GENTLY its form figures are 000. I am just doing my entries for week 4 and have spotted this.

Week 1 ran 16th of 20 in a maiden got dropped 9lb to 66 (seems fine)
Week 2 ran 11th of 16 in a Listed race got raised 8lb up to 74 (maybe a little harsh but understandable as listed race)
Week 3 ran 24th of 30 in a maiden admittedly a decent looking maiden with a bunch finish but has been raised 19lb to 93 and is now the highest rated horse in my stable.

So the dead heating winners one is raised 10lb from 97 to 107 and the other stays on 106 whilst the 24th placed horse is raised 19lb from 74 to 93 after being beaten by 23 other horses and finishing in front of 6 who were rated 75,75,73,53,45 and 45.

The horse than finished behind mine in 25th has been raised 15 to 90 and the horse in 26th has gone up 12 to 87. The horse that finished last in a 30 runner race as been raised 16lb to 61 despite finishing 7 lengths behind the horse in 29th.

I am sorry but that just can't be right. Hoping you have just made an error with the figures. If not some of these horses will have no chance of winning a race. Being raised 16lb for coming last in a 30 runner race after finishing 7 lengths behind the horse in front is going to be totally disheartening for that trainer and is pretty much unexplainable. The horse in last is effectively 16lb worse of with one of the winners and 6lb with the other.

I appreciate that this is a hard job but you seriously can't raise the tail enders that much in a 30 runner maiden and expect to maintain a proper handicap. Can I ask if you are handicapping from the top down or finding the Median horse that ran closest to its true form and starting from there. (I know that is difficult in he early part of the season which is why you would normal expect to see a roughly 50/50 split between horses being raised and horses being dropped.

Do you really believe it makes such a difference? It's a game and I have had a few drinks and think you are taking it a bit too seriously.

Maybe you should rate the race and future check and you can have the job if you do better.

Well I rerated the race anyway because I was asked to do so but I can't see it makes any difference in the long run.

Your doing a fine job sir.

Doubt any offence was intended. Just answer all inquiries with the handicappers word if final.

Now the vagaries of the racekit, there’s the root of all evil......

Morning mate,

I have to say firstly you are doing a fantastic job.....without the help of people doing their jobs, commentary, hcapper, TOM this league would not be happening at all.
Along with this though l have to kind of sway in Lordedaw favour, this league is made to suit all game players and game types. True the league in most things are for elite players where as this is not, the hcapping game is very very difficult! I know this as l was the hcapper in season 2 or 3 I believe along side the bookie also.
I was taught by a very amazing gentleman called Paul Moore, who pointed me in the direction of how to do things to make things fair.
Your comment “it’s just a game” is frustrating for players l can imagine but rather than people jump on the band wagon with a lot of posts asking you to try rate the races again can l help at all ?
It uses like system which has as you say a ceiling height in certain races, it just seems to be that we are having hcap races last week with 6/10 runners and then listed races with 12-20 runners.
If we could get a better balance would make your job easier also.


No offfence intended here I just can see a acenario that come last weeks we may not have any runners or very few in hcaps! No worries if not as l say your doing great job and having to do ratings isn’t ever easy and lm willing to help you

Keep up the good work mate. That would be awesome Westy. Big burden for one person to do all the flat ratings.

It's a hard job and Craig you need to keep cool trainers are mostly helpful or feel they are being harshly treated in real racing the trainer always moans at the handicapper about the ratings of horses.

You need to find your base I always point out a winner of a Maiden in week 1 or 2 or week 6 are group horses and that is your Base week 1 is the most important Ratings in any season I start 140 over jumps look at the size of runners also take in how the horse won you get to know the trainers (Top) and you know if they win well I will give them 150. and I work back from that adjusting Ratings by distances a head or Neck maybe 1pt or stay the same in a large field.

But you get to know the trainers that are going to have low Handicappers and sometimes they throw them in Listed races group races because everyone wants to win the Derby (NOT ME GIVE ME THE CHELTENHAM GOLD CUP) and you have to be lean towards them.

The Race in Question That Martin talks about was a large Field Maiden where Ryan Costello horse rated 45 finished Last and went up to 61 it should of been left at least on 45 I felt that the trainer in question new to the league needs to learn and keep going and not get give up over the years the amount of Newbies giving up within the first couple of weeks is quite large and they never come back if you feel you need help Mike has offered a helping hand and has more time to give you advice and been their before Don't Give up and take any comment even if it sounds harsh maybe trying to help out.

Gray

If it is just a game and doesn't matter very much then I won't bother giving up all my time doing commentaries and putting sound effects on then.

I think Mart was right in asking the question.

To say it's only a game I think is a bit simplistic - a lot of people have pumped in a lot of time to breeding their horses to compete in the league.

It's such a difficult job and completely a thankless task what ever you
do as handicapper its going to upset someone.

dragontrainer is new to the job and no one else came forward to fill
Sirius Chills shoes who did an excellent job for many seasons.

I can understand everyone's point of view but hope this has not pushed
out dragontrainer as without a flat handicapper the league would be in a right mess especially
for new trainers like Ryan who are fighting tooth and nail to stay interested and have something
to cheer about its for people like him that the new rules came in if we had no handicapper the CK
would handicap the horses and we all know from past experiences that simply does not work.

Also having races with no comms would be truly awful I really hope you dont mean that Martin
I hugely enjoy the huge imput you put in every week enjoying you & your co commentator as I
have said to you many times before you and all the commentators add so much to the league it
really is an exceptional batch of commentators.

we need to come to try to come to some sort of happy medium.

Always Dreaming - 12th in the Gordon Richards, rating increases from 100 to 105 after race declaration deadline and is kicked out of FR31.

Foshan Town - 8th in the Gordon Richards, rating stays at 96 and is seemingly allowed to race in FR31

Sneaky Pete - 16th in the 2000 Guineas, rating increases from 92 to 107

Theres no harm in keeping a horses rating low after a poor performance, Tunisia won the 1000 Guineas with a rating of 87. No ones complaining that she was underrated.

I don’t really see a problem with always dreaming being 105, after all it did win one of the biggest G1’s on the card. I have horses rated higher who have yet to win a race. And the 2000 well any G1 run is not really going to see ratings fall, you should know as a trainer if you go in with the big guns you advertising to the handicapper your horse is up to snuff, if it is not then you essentially pay the price, always been that way.

Let’s not throw petrol on the fire it is far too early in the season, normally we make it to at least week 10 before people threaten to quit

The issue is it was increased from 100 after a 12th place finish and Foshan Town finished 8th and it's rating stayed the same at 96. Please explain that. Not surprising people threaten to quit if the organisers treat trainers like this. Organisers should have taken it on the chin that they messed up and kept the original racecard. Always Dreaming wouldn't have won at top weight but that's not the point. And a donkey in the derby is still a donkey, doesn't turn it into a group 1 horse, you need to have a bit of common sense.

I have to kind of agree with this, although it’s hard to gauge the mark he gave it won a G1 on debut, it than ran downfield in a G1 and then 12th in group 3 BUT with horses rated 111 and 110 behind so I think the rating is correct, along with foshen he would of been nudged up a few but as said a hcap job is really hard.
The other rule the league has used if you race in group 1 and even finish last you are risking the rating big time and will prob pay the whole season for it, as in real life tbh. Dragon is doing a grand job and the odd horses we all can easily miss but in this case your horse is rated 9 ilb higher for a group 1 win than a horse who’s beat finish was 7th so it’s about right. Maybe foshan runs off 98 so bit harsh to challenge a couple of ilb pal

I would like to see a rule that ratings on the website on declaration day should be final. They should not be changed by organisers after the deadline. Surely you agree with that?