Hi, I've been lurking for a while now and you all seem somewhat friendly, so hopefully you treat me kindly with what I presume is a newbie question.

From what I read, UK Racing release updates to horse's ratings at 7am each Tuesday morning. If a particular horse races Tuesday afternoon say, that performance is seemingly ignored when it comes to the handicapper apportioning weights for a race the horse speculatively entered for the coming Sunday. The Sunday handicapper does not have an updated rating to use as UK Racing has not calculated it yet. I've heard this circumstance referred to on William Hill Radio streams when a fresh horse performed well above expectations and that it's "beating the handicapper" by racing again quickly.

How does it work in Australia though? Racing NSW, for example, contracted an organisation that must provide updated ratings within 48 hours after race completion, yet I can look at a meeting in Port Macquarie 4 days from now and see the assigned weights in a Handicap. If a horse ran within the last 47.9 hours (i.e. up to 6 days out from the race) can that Port Macquarie weight get altered any time up until the gates open? Or are weights "locked in" at a certain time from the race/day of the week?

Cheers

Hi walkermac, welcome to our friendly forum
Last time I checked (been a while) allocated weights can be changed anytime prior to declaration of final acceptors as can a horses eligibility for the class of race. Horses racing on a Tuesday have their ratings updated the next morning (up to 48hrs for other days).

Aha!

Had more success with google using some search terms from your reply. From Racing NSW's site:

Meeting Day	Nominations	Weights	Acceptances	Riders
FRIDAY	11am Monday	4pm Tuesday	9am Wednesday	Noon Wednesday
SATURDAY	11am Monday	4pm Tuesday	9am Thursday	Noon Thursday
SUNDAY	11am Tuesday	4pm Wednesday	9am Thursday	Noon Thursday
MONDAY	11am Tuesday	4pm Wednesday	9am Thursday	Noon Thursday
TUESDAY	11am Wednesday	4pm Thursday	9am Friday	Noon Friday
WEDNESDAY	11am Thursday	4pm Friday	9am Monday	Noon Monday
THURSDAY	11am Friday	4pm Monday	9am Tuesday	Noon Tuesday

This is circa-2006 info though, so whether the timetable is the same post-Benchmarking (or from state to state) is another thing. Poking around the Racing NSW site the timing still seems about right though.

Seems to indicate a max 4 or 5 day break between racedays before a new rating would be in effect.

Can't imagine it happens terribly often though. Doubt I just found my fortune...