Coronavirus (COVID-19) - Field Selection, Handicapping & Programming during Covid-19 Regionalisation

21 April 2020
Logo

Effective fields selected from Monday 27th April 2020

During Regionalisation it is important to ensure horses are gaining starts as often as possible. The below changes are designed to simplify our Field Selection, Handicapping and Programming.

Put simply a maximum eight (8) races will be programmed guaranteeing maximum field sizes at time of releasing fields. Also this will ensure horses are getting runs in relation to the days since their previous start irrespective of their National Rating (NR) or Dollars won in their last 5 starts ($L5).

These changes will apply to all meetings excluding Menangle Metropolitan Meetings and Heats of the Tabcorp Regional Championships. For clarity the Menangle Tuesday Meetings field selection will be included in the Protocol.

Field Selection

  • Preference will be given to horses with the most days since their previous start. (horse that hasn’t started for 14 days gets a start before a horse that started 10 days ago) Where horses are equal on amount of days since the last start, highest dollars won in their last five starts will apply, if still equal horse with the highest National Rating will apply to differentiate.
  • Standard unfulfilled engagement/late nomination principles apply.

Field Splitting

  • Maiden races will be split into fields of ten based on $L5 from highest to lowest
  • Up to NR55 will be split into fields of ten based on $L5 from highest to lowest
  • Races above NR55 will be split into fields of ten on National Ratings from the top down. Given the large gap above 55, horses in this grade would be better suited to racing their own grade were possible. This will allow for more like for like racing.

Race Selection

  • As all meetings will have a maximum 6 races programmed the races which will be split will be based on the two races programmed with highest number of nominations.

Race Programming all Regions

  • 2yo when scheduled as per established 2yo calendar with a minimum of 1 per week in a Region
  • 3yo up to 1 this season win with 1 per week in a Region
  • Maiden for horses with 0 Lifetime wins all to be 3yo and older
  • Up to NR55 3yo Concessions will apply however no Drivers Concession or Mares Concession will apply
  • Up to NR 120 for A meetings 1 per region per week. Except Metro A meetings would be up to NR90. Dual Concession claims to apply
  • Up to NR 90 for B Meetings. Except Metro B meetings would be up to 75. Dual concessions will apply.    

Shaun Snudden

Manager - Industry Development

 

Related News

6 October 2026
Emotions run high as Seaside Sid salutes in Canola Cup
Emotional scenes greeted Seaside Sid and driver Blake Micallef when they returned to scale on Monday afternoon after taking out the $30,600 Kriden Farms Canola Cup at Eugowra. Trained by Blake’s father David and part-owned by his mother Rachel, along with Group 1 jockey Tyler Schiller, the three-year-old...
6 October 2026
Victorian foundation daytime era hall of fame
One of the highlights of the recent Victorian Harness Racing Hall of Fame was the unique creation of a Foundation Daytime Era Hall of Fame comprising 107 participants, horses and associates. It is surprising that it has taken so long to recognise the achievements of entities that endured WW2, the Great...
6 October 2026
Double Lou equals Double Trouble
Passionate owner Tony Licastro wants the TAB Eureka winning feeling again. Licastro’s superstar pacer Don Hugo gave him “by far” his biggest thrill in the sport at the time when he won the 2024 TAB Eureka at Club Menangle. When he realized he wouldn’t have a horse of his own for...
5 October 2026
GOODFORM - Craig's Mildura Tips for Tuesday
Race 1: OVERVIEW: THE GOLDEN HOOK (3) is racing in outstanding form and should prove hard to beat from his good draw. He worked forward to find the lead and blitzed his rivals at Gawler then followed with a brave second behind Luvtobeuptome in the Mildura Guineas. GOOD BOOTS BINDI (8) went back to last...
Click for more