The British Horseracing Authority will implement a handful of changes to the country's 2-year-old racing programme for 2017, including the conversion of the majority of 2-year-old maiden races to novice races. The BHA last year conducted a trial between the beginning of the flat season to early July to address concerns that juveniles who win in the early part of the season have few opportunities to develop. Data collected from the trial suggested novice and maiden races became more competitive, with the average field size of novices races rising to 7.84 from 5.08. As a result, a further 442 maiden races (82% of maiden races) through the remainder of the season have been converted to novice races.
The criteria by which 2-year-olds will qualify for a handicap mark has also been modified. Juveniles will now need to run at least three times or win twice before being designated a handicap mark, and the ability to run in a nursery handicap. Two-year-old handicap ratings will be published prior to the beginning of the programme of nursery handicaps in July, and the current rule that prevents once-raced winners rated 81 or above or twice-raced winners rated 86 or above from competing in handicaps has been abolished.
Richard Wayman, chief operating officer of the BHA, said, “We were very encouraged by the success of the trial in 2016 and the feedback we received from many horsemen. That feedback included a clear consensus that, as part of a wider package of measures, the trial would be even more effective if it was extended to the full year. The conversion of maiden races to novices provided more opportunities for 2-year-olds and improved field sizes without any impact on the competitiveness of races.”
Wayman added, “The extension of the novice programme means that lightly raced winners will now have plenty of opportunities without having to run in handicaps, and the revised qualifying criteria will mean that handicappers would have more evidence to accurately assess and rate 2-year-olds, thereby reducing the risk of a lightly raced horse being significantly under or overrated. There will also be greater transparency by publishing handicap ratings before the first nurseries are staged at the beginning of July.”
Trainer Ralph Beckett spoke out in support of the changes, saying, “The extension of this trial to cover the whole 2-year-old programme is an obvious step based on its success in 2016. The nursery handicapping changes should make it transparent for all involved, enable the handicappers to assess horses accurately, and hence benefit horsemen, whilst the increased number of auction races is based on statistical analysis in order to make best use of the horse population, and give opportunities for all.”
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