tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30525374.post222685430345740137..comments2024-03-19T09:19:39.519+00:00Comments on Stable Life: Too much of a good thing?John Berryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02266884652423059813noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30525374.post-52963037215043163432018-04-13T10:23:18.837+01:002018-04-13T10:23:18.837+01:00fair point but we do need to have one or two handi...fair point but we do need to have one or two handicaps with big prize money (particularly when so many group and listed races are so badly supported in both codes) and these two races are often far stronger than most group 3 races certainly and several group 2's perhaps the answer would be to have some handicaps in the official pattern and given group one two or three status and the black type breeding ramifications <br />Frankly there needs to be a top down rethink as to the whole funding of races if the top races carry sufficient prestige to be able to get very large sums in commercial sponsorship then no extra money should be added to those races (and I would allow sponsorship of every race at Royal Ascot) and those large sums can be spread through the remainder of the race structure at the moment this will become an incredibly elite sport in a very short period of time if the authorities are not careful because as you correctly point out a 5000 entry fee (and above) will put off all but the richest owners from entering a handicap which is totally contrary to the whole point of having handicaps (as I understand it) <br />Perhaps the answer is to eliminate entry fees from these mega handicaps completely (say any handicap with a value over 500000) and let them ride solely on the amount the backers (commercial/racecourse and authorities) want to put in them frankly winning a million or half a million in the great scheme of things will not deter people from running in these great races neil kearnshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16361742060525511366noreply@blogger.com