Handicapping

Handicaps are an attempt to give horses an equal chance when they run against each other. Around half of all races run are handicaps and without them many horses would never have a chance of winning a race.

Every time a horse runs the Handicapper responsible for the distance of that race gives it a performance figure, which is what the Handicapper thinks it achieved relative to other horses in the race. This is expressed in pounds and the better its performance then the higher the rating.

Once a horse has won or has run three times it is given a rating which is usually the same as its best performance figure. It is then eligible for handicaps. If a horse is rated 130 it will give 10lbs. to a horse rated 120 and receive 10 lbs. from a horse rated 140.
On the flat if a horse is rated 80 it will receive 5lbs. from a horse rated 85 and give 5lbs. to a horse rated 75.

Every time it subsequently runs it is reassessed by a Handicapper and may have its rating adjusted. If it runs particularly well it will probably be moved upwards and if it runs poorly it may be dropped in the ratings, although the Handicapper will be careful to avoid dropping a horse with good recent form for integrity reasons.

A recent example would be the first ten horses in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Newbury over 3 miles 2 furlongs.

In this race Madison du Berlais gave Character Building 16lbs. (151-135). If they were to meet in the future, he would only have to give him 15lbs (151-136) as he was a length behind Character Building.

The highest weight a horse carries in a handicap over jumps is 11st. 12lbs. and the lowest is 10st. 0lbs. The range is therefore 26lbs. On the flat the most a horse can carry is 10st. 0lbs. and usually significantly less.

The Handicappers watch every race and try to reassess every horse so that if the race was to be run again under the same circumstances all of the horses would have a chance if they could reproduce their best recent form.

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