Plot, plotjob, non-trier, blatant cheating. We all have our own names we use. A horse tomorrow fits perfectly into this category. Jim Best is hardly a stranger to the notorious plot job. Remember Planetoid? Not quite the perfect example but let's look at the stats.
Rated 85 on the flat - a perfectly decent handicapper. Two flat wins from eight races, not bad at all! Then Jim Best took over training duties from David Lanigan.
Race 1 (maiden): 13/15 - Beaten 138 lengths at 9/1
Race 2 (maiden): 8/13 - Beaten 41 lengths at 33/1
Race 3 (novice): 9/11 - Beaten 200 lengths at 66/1
Race 4 (novice): Fell at 50/1
Race 5 (novice): 7/8 - Beaten 111 lengths at 66/1
Race 6 (novice): 10/11 - Beaten 68 lengths at 100/1.
At this stage, the future didn't look bright over obstacles for the son of Galileo. Oh, wait a minute, let's have a go in handicap company! Given a mark of 85 (incidentally the same as flat mark) Planetoid then made is handicap debut in 0-95 company.
Race 7: (handicap): 1/11 - Won by 5 lengths eased down at 5/6.
Hmm.
The less said about it the better. Or is it? Is it time we, the racing fan, actually did something about this blatant deception and playing of the 'system.' This got me thinking, should we as the punter, really be that concerned? Plenty got on the gamble that day. Don't remember the opening price but it was absolutely hammered in. Surely the concern is more for the bookmakers, not to mention the BHA who we all know by now are generally totally useless. The thing that gets me is how blatantly obvious trainers like Jim Best (though he is certainly not alone) manipulate the system. He knows he can do it, and the BHA won't do a thing. Yes the stewards will 'investigate' the horse's improved form and make their notes and scribble down their ramblings and promise to look into previous race footage. Has anyone ever heard of this resulting in anything? No, me neither. They don't seem to care, or perhaps they have better things to do, like sorting out the ridiculously low levels of prize money, oh wait a minute, they aren't doing that either. What are they doing?! Lol.
The fact Planetoid was given the same mark over jumps as on the flat was laughable anyway, but the BHA took their time and smelt a rat. Usually, like tomorrow's huge gamble, a horse is given a mark after three runs. Anyway, the handicapper was made to look like a total fool and the rest is history. Let's look at tomorrow's example, which is such a perfect example of the non-trier. (unless Ramona Chase really is diabolical over fences of course!)
Race 1 (novice): 12/12 - Beaten 81 lengths at 66/1.
Race 2 (maiden): 14/15 - Beaten 126 lengths at 100/1.
Race 3 (maiden): 12/15 - Beaten 90 lengths at 100/1.
Race 4 (handicap) ???
Ramona Chase was a perfectly decent flat horse and is bred to stay well. He predominantly raced between 10-12f and is related to hurdle winners. Actually quite nicely bred and cost plenty of money. He is rated around 84-85 on the flat. Judged on his first three efforts over hurdles, he has been given one of the most laughable marks I have ever seen in racing. 59. 59?! For a horse rated 25lbs or so better on the flat?! A 85 rated flat horse usually ends up being a 110-130 rated horse over jumps as a rough guide. It's worse than laughable that Ramona Chase is allowed to run off 59 tomorrow, miles out the handicap in 0-95 company. The top rated horse in this race was a career best 70 on the flat, and runs off 95 tomorrow carrying top weight. Ramona Chase 85 on flat, 59 tomorrow carrying bottom weight. Puts that right into perspective. Now can you see why it has been hammered into 7/2 from 16/1 in just a few hours? Buying money, and lots of it if you got on early.
The horse is so well in that I honestly believe it could lap them, it's ridiculous, it's worse than ridiculous. But again it raises the question should we care?
While it does absolutely nothing for the integrity of the sport, perhaps it might take such a ridiculous case such as this for the BHA to introduce some new rules and guidelines. One could be that the handicapper refuses to assess a horse if beaten more than, say 25 lengths? For a horse to establish a mark, it must finish within 25L of the winner 3 times. Sounds like a good idea to me. At least then you know they are trying, a bit anyway.
Oh by the way, Mattie Batchelor was investigated and then banned for 10 days for one of his non-trying rides on RC. Not his fault of course, we all know jockeys all do what they are told.
I wonder what Jim Best's representative will say tomorrow when he is inevitably called into the stewards room at approximately 14.50. He will certainly be earning his bacon anyway. One excuse they might use is the horse 'summered well and was refreshed from the break.' RC been off since the Spring, we will see anyway. The funniest one's are 'could offer no explanation to the horse's improved form.' Ha!
One thing that is becoming more fashionable is being a non-trier on handicap debut. This (theoretically of course) makes the handicapper feel he has not been had, and you never know might even drop another pound or two! This can also enable a bigger price for connections the next time when the horse subsequently destroys the dismal field on the bridle and they have lumped on at an early double figure price. That is always the danger with going in too heavily on these gambles. But let's be honest, we all know Ramona Chase isn't a 59 animal, except the handicapper of course! Lol. The horse has an entry in another four days time, which suggest a quick double is very much on the cards, so this does have all the makings of a massive plotjob. Convenient that the handicapper doesn't act till Tuesday which will enable the follow up under no penalty ;-) Mr Best does know the time of day ha, absolute classic plot. It's all so terribly obvious isn't it? Will be rated a hundred and something this time next week anyway under a massive double penalty.
While it is blatant deception, trainer's will continue to exploit loopholes if the BHA keep their outdated rules and regulations. Me personally, I am not bothered by it one bit, from a punter's point of view. You can spot these a mile off, and if you get your money on early, you will be laughing too at the handicapper/BHA's expense.
Had been waiting for this horse for some time, hence why I managed to get on as soon as Bet 365 made the error of pricing the animal at 14/1 (thankyou very much) The price lasted virtually seconds, but I snuck on for decent money and am fully expecting to be a few hundred pound richer come this time tomorrow. At 7/2, the horse is still overpriced, then again any price is big when it looks as much of a banker as this one. As I say though, maybe it isn't his day tomorrow, maybe the horse falls etc etc. Things can go wrong, but you can guarantee one thing; the horse will be trying tomorrow!
Thanks for reading and enjoy watching RC win by half the track as Jim Best cracks a cheeky smile, knowing he has had one over on the BHA and the handicapper, once again. Here's to many more Jim!
THT
No comments:
Post a Comment