Is it not time to review this? I mean seriously, did Frankel really need 7 or 8lbs in hand over Canford Cliffs, is it even necessary! I think not! At Group 1 level it should be completley level! Even mares allowances in Group races, they dont get it in handicaps so why do they get it in Group races. Its not even my pocket talking as i didnt bet on either of them and I'm not even saying it would have made a difference, that isnt my point. It just seems racing is very backwards in the way it applies allowances and penalties, alot of them completely unjustified. Dont even get me started on the handicapper!
Benny i agree group 1 racing should be on level weights,thats how Frankel got my nod yesterday over Canford Cliffs. Regarding weight allowances for mares i"m in two minds about that.
Benny, there are no allowances for fillies and mares in handicap races because they run off their handicap mark. If a filly is three pounds worse than a colt in reality, then her handicap mark will be three pounds lower so no sex allowance is required. There is no need to change the weight-for-age allowances scale as it has been adjusted to a minor extent on various occasions in the last forty years and it does seem to even out the physical difference between mature four-year-olds and immature three-year-olds. Plus, of course, weight-for-age also applies to two-year-olds racing against their elders. If a two-year-old takes on its elders in the Nunthorpe Stakes at York’s Ebor meeting it will be in receipt of 22 pounds from three-year-olds and 24 pounds from four-year-olds and up. Given that, in handicapping terms, Frankel did win by more than the eight pounds that he received from Canford Cliffs, it would not have made any difference to the Sussex Stakes result in theory.
Frankel is a total freak, and his likes don't come around often. If you got rid of the allowances no 3yos would compete in all age G1s, because they wouldn't be good enough. As for the mares allowance, it is a big ask for a mare to take on the boys as it is, nevermind taking away there allowance. Frankel is a one off, arguably one of if not the most naturally gifted colts for many years, yes he would be able to still thrash the older horses with or without the allowance but no other 3yo would, so for me it would be one of the most stupid decisions ever to get rid of allowances
You can't scrap the weight for age allowance based on the performance of one horse. The fact is 2yos/3yos are not fully mature and are, generally speaking, weaker than older horses. The only way of encouraging 3yos to race against older horses is to give them an allowance. The same applies to fillies. Generally speaking fillies/mares are not as strong as a male. It's not sexism, it's a fact. If you did not have the fillies allowance owners would not race their fillies against males and racing would be the poorer for it. It's hard enough to sell a filly as it is, if you take away some of the allowances many owners would either not buy fillies at the sales or would retire them to stud after a very short and dull career.
