Computerised field selection

Press, 3 June 1982, Page 24

Computerised field selection

A computerised method of selection of fields has been introduced to trotting meetings throughout Victoria. The scheme, at present in its infancy, has developed some teething problems and some changes are likely to its conditions.

The basic idea is excellent, proving to the owners and trainers of horses of limited ability that there is little future in keeping them in work.

Some of the workings of the scheme appear to be far superior to anything proposed in New Zealand to date.

Apparently Victoria has been experiencing the problems resulting from the overabundance of slow-class horses similar to the problems in New Zealand, in particular in Canterbury,

where it was not uncommon earlier in the season for nominations for maiden pacing events to exceed 200.

What is known in Victoria as the Minuteman computer system, was evolved after a report from Dr C. J. Bellamy. of Monash University, had been considered by the Harness Racing Board.

The Victorian scheme allocates points to horses depending on their finishing positions in their previous six starts. After several mathematical calculations, the horses are awarded points which place them in one of five categories.

Those in the first category, which includes horses attempting to start for the first time, are followed by those horses with a certain timewaiting ranking. The third category also takes a time-

waiting period between races into account. . The fourth category caters for horses which have completed six races and have not finished better than fifth in any of them. Such horses are not given a start until all others have been placed. Horses in this category have only one way back to racing. They have to be spelled for 60 days.

It is proposed to introduce a facility for the horses in the fourth category to return to the top group as a result of competition in special qualifying trials.

Victorian clubs are allowed to take five horses which have been racing recently from the top category in 10-horse fields. Two other, starters are to be from among those horses seeking a first start, while the other

three runners must come from the second or third categories.

In races of more than 10 starters, the same percentages apply. The system is designed to give any new horse a reasonable chance to compete in six races as quickly as possible and thereafter to give continuing runs to those horses with ability. To this end the computer gives an advantage to any new horse during its first six races by never calculating any run as worse than a fifth. After the first six runs a horse is on its own and scores only according to its ability.

A scheme along similar lines to that introduced in Victoria could work to advantage in New Zealand, especially as it appears that horses in this country are expected to undergo too

much hard-strain racing at trials or in sweepstake races in an attempt to attract the attention of programme committees. However, as Dr Bellamy said in his submissions to the Harness Racing Board in Melbourne, the industry would have to accept only marginal improvement in access to races resulting from the application of increasingly complex rules and selection criteria unless additional racing became available to slow-class horses. Those remarks have been born out in New Zealand, where from time to time attempts have been made to improve the lot of slow-class horses by legislation. At best the changes have been a temporary salve, but at the end of 12 months, and sometimes less, the problems have re-emerged in even greater form.