IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON BALLARAT HANDICAPS
Hello Distance Runners,
As indicated earlier in the week, there are some important changes and adjustments for two of the distance events at Ballarat.
800m Open
This year a new clause relating to discretionary lifts was added to the Handicapping Regulations. Under this clause the handicapper can give an athlete a one-off lift for Classic and Group 1 races.
The intention behind this change, is to ensure winners of smaller races earlier in the year, are not disadvantaged in bigger races later in the year, and to promote more competitive racing.
Whilst the 800m Open at Ballarat is not a Group 1 event, the Handicap Review Panel (HRP) has agreed that it will be treated as such for the purposes of applying these discretionary lifts.
It is important to note that not all athletes will receive a discretionary lift, and the lift will be for this event only. To ensure a measure of integrity and consistency, the following criteria have been used to determine lifts:
· the number of runs the athlete has had;
· their best time recorded for the season; and
· the potential of the athlete to run at or near the start time (1:52 in the 800m).
In addition to the above, all lifts granted under this clause are required to be approved by the Handicap Review Panel (HRP) before being declared.
I plan to speak to all runners who benefit from these lifts prior to the heats, as I want to ensure they understand the nature of the lift, and to reinforce they are a one-off, and that there handicap will revert back to their normal mark at the next meeting.
As this is the first time this clause is being applied, I am open to any feedback or comments runners and trainers may have. Depending on the success of the initiative, it will be applied to upcoming big races at Stonnington and Bendigo.
1600m Women’s/Vets
Many runners in the 1600m Women’s/Vets will also see a change in their handicaps. At Rye the whole field was lifted 10m to accommodate Justin Murphy, who ran from scratch. So what might appear like a handicap pull at Ballarat, is actually a return to your normal handicap.
If you have any concerns regarding your mark in either the 800m Open or 1600m Women’s/Vets please let me know.
Neale Gunning
VAL Distance Handicapper 2014/15