Assessment Plates to be introduced

From 11 August to the end of November, any horse winning a Maiden Plate in its first five starts will have to run twice in an Assessment Plate before being allowed to compete in a handicap race on the Highveld.

Assessment Plates are being introduced at Turffontein and Vaal racecourses on a trial basis from August through November at the request of a group of Highveld trainers and many other industry players nationally led by Mike de Kock.

“We believe in trying something different. These plate races can only assist the handicappers in making more informed decisions in arriving at merit ratings for horses who win within their first few starts. This way we can have less debate,” said De Kock.

Trainers were requested to attend the meeting at which the Assessment Plate proposal was put forward and discussed. Phumelela representatives, the senior handicapper and De Kock were joined by trainers Sean Tarry, Geoff and Tim Woodruff, Mike and Adam Azzie, Grant Maroun, Joe Soma, Clinton Binda, Ormond Ferraris, Paul and Tony Peter, David Niewenhuizen and Johan Janse van Vuuren. Cape-based Brett Crawford and Durban trainer Tony Rivalland participated via video conference.

Senior handicapper Roger Smith indicated that he was willing to trial Assessment Plates.

Full details of Assessment Plates are as follows:

* For maidens and one and two-time winners. Maidens carry 54kg, one-time winners 57kg and two-time winners 60 kg with a 2.5kg sex allowance. A 0.5kg allowance will be applied for each unplaced start since a horse was placed (first four) up to a maximum of 3kg. Graded and Listed-race starts do not qualify for allowances. The current weight allowance applied in all plate races will apply.

* The winner of a maiden race within five starts must have two compulsory runs in an Assessment Plate before participating in a handicap.

* Any horse taking more than five starts to win a maiden race is not required to run in an Assessment Plate before running in a handicap.

* A maiden with two runs in an Assessment Plate can run in a handicap after a minimum of three starts.

* Any Graded, Listed and non-black type feature race will be counted as an assessment run. In other words a maiden winner who then competes in a Listed feature twice can then run in a handicap.

* Horses may participate in any number of Assessment Plates subject to the race conditions and elimination procedure.

* Handicappers shall adjust merit ratings at their own discretion for horses required to run in Assessment Plates. In the case of horses not required to run in Assessment Plates, penalties are optional at the request of the trainer.

* Elimination details will be published in the programme book.

* Prize money for an Assessment Plate will be R108,000 of which R2,000 is for finishing sixth, R1,500 for seventh and R1,000 for eighth.

Just waiting for details of prize money allocation at end of article

I still prefer a partial Race Figure sytem where horses are awarded a set rating as one , two and three time winners, with the Handicappers being excluded until a horse has had 3 runs as a one or two or three time winner. This would allow the good horses to be capped and thus progress whilst Handicapper assesses the weaker ones and therefore not add programming pressures.

However this system is along those lines so should be good too.
My concern is in Programming. There are only so many races and meetings. By programming Assessment plates/ adding them to the Programne, there will be a lot fewer handicaps available. This could be a problem for a large number of horses. But, time will tell, either way.

I think that over here in KZN we would be in a bit of trouble if we added Assessment Races as we are battling to find sufficient fair races as regularly as we should, given course variants and poly thrown in too.

Currently the Handicappers are very harsh on two year olds and 3 year olds. Also, any horse that wins its maiden first or second time out is subject to a high rating. Assessment plates should sort that out. But are only 2 Assessment Plates enough? The end result will still be at Handicappers discretion. And if a horse, after winning the maiden well first time out, is then produced to run two shockers, how will that horse be rated ?

It will be interesting to watch.

So once again we tinker with a system that is broken and make it more and more similar to how the Race Figure system was.

Might be an issue with having a requirement and meeting demand/ supply needs for particular races?
I can see horses running in distance inappropriate plates either deliberately to affect rating, or just because they needed to meet requirements and nothing suitable was available.

So I think the success will much depend on programming, but is definitely the sort of thing that will give trainers options.