23rd May 2005, 05:37 PM
|
|
Member
|
|
Join Date: Jan 1970
Posts: 4,426
|
|
Sure weight will stop a train, but we are talking about weight ratios.
An extra kilo will not make any difference to a huge beast like a horse over racing distances.
The reason that toppies perform so poorly over others is not that they are weighted down, but that they are out of form.
Why then can jumps horses carry 10kg more than flat horses and still win and not even be puffing?
I know I'd rather be sprinting than jumping with any weight.
Example:
Let's look at the strike rates of last start winners within 30 days to keep it even.
#1 24.53%
#2 19.56%
#3 17.51%
#4 14.89%
#5 13.60%
Conclusion, the penalty imposed by the handicapper is not enough to stop the winning advantage. The horses which carry the most weight are the most successful. The horses which carry the most weight, but are out of form do not perform, as does any other horse, no matter what the weight.
|