Re:Maiden handicaps

I see that there's another Maiden Handicap running today at the Vaal. I for one cannot understand the reasoning behind these races. In my opinion winning a maiden race, and in this country its true for 99% of horses, is the minimum requirement before testing loftier heights. Has the woke society that we live in extended to racehorses? Expanding my thoughts I get it that the operators are trying to fill fields and couldn't care if we had a full field of formless or a top division lot that had strong form. It's all about generating big fields to try ensure bigger bets.

Maiden races have traditionally never struggled to get support due to the fact that this is the entry level and every horse starts as a maiden regardless of its breeding or price tag. This makes the decision to dilute the soup even more difficult to understand.

If the owners did not want maiden handicaps then it would not be programmed.


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Mac wrote:

If the owners did not want maiden handicaps then it would not be programmed.


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With respect Mac I would have a massive wager on the fact that owners were never consulted on this. This would have come from some or other industry committee that had trainers on it with stables containing slow maiden horses.

My opinion. This is a function of them closing down Flamingo Park, where these slow horses would normally get to try their hand at winning normal maiden plates, and an attempt at trying to appease all parties involved.

Thor wrote:

My opinion. This is a function of them closing down Flamingo Park, where these slow horses would normally get to try their hand at winning normal maiden plates, and an attempt at trying to appease all parties involved.

This has merit but would make more sense if horses entered into these races were restricted by their MR. Another factor that dispels that theory is that the stakes raced for are identical to the Maiden Plate races. These handicaps that cater for the athletically challenged should be for lesser stakes imvho.

Imo - the question should be if these races give owners an opportunity to at least earn prize money - so therefor I think they have their place - I do agree though that the stake should be at least 20% less than for 'normal' Maidens - if one feels your horse is not good enough to win a 'normal' Maiden, then by all means run for a smaller purse - if you think your horse is good enough to compete in a 'normal' Maiden, then it would not be clever to run in these Maiden Handicaps - as your horse would most likely be giving weight away to the strugglers

Ito of programming, the Maiden Handicaps should not replace 'normal' Maiden races on a card - I for one would be hesitant to punt on a card consisting of only Handicaps :ohmy:

Frodo I agree with your views totally. Horses that dont need to run in a handicap race to win a maiden should be restricted to plate races. If you consider the form of the first 3 horses in todays race, you have to question why they would need to run in this type of race. If you still have doubts look at de Kocks in the 6th who won his Maiden handicap and then shat in in a far stronger next race, and on paper looks to make it 3 in a row.

I also agree that these soupmeat races should not replace normal maiden plates and a half stakes race at a midweek venue makes the most sense. Talking of sense, it would be in the interests of owners who own this type of horse to move these on to arenas where they would be more suitable.