Class 6 (0-50) Classified Stakes Races

[Snoopdog]

Recently there seems to have been a proliferation of this kind of race - and I don't see why ???

I used to think of level weights stakes races as a bit better than handicaps but these are the bottom of the barrel.

Take today's 1.50 at Southwell as an example. The bottom three in the betting are rated 42, 43, 42 and are priced at 80/1, 80/1, 125/1. They have very little chance against the favourite rated 49. Why would the trainer enter them ???

Surely these low quality horses have more chance in a 0-60 handicap - even if a few punds out of the bottom of the handicap.

[Trotter]

I think they're a useful addition to the calendar for very low grade horses

If you look at today's favourite ...... Destinado. He won a Classified Stakes last time but prior to that had run in 7 handicaps off marks in the 40s and couldn't win one. There must be a lot of horses rated in the 40s who are never going to win handicaps against 50s and 60s horses even getting weight from them. These classified stakes give them an oportunity to run against horses of around the same level

Of course there will be horses like the 66/1 shots here that are never going to win any kind of race ....... but it's cheap to enter your horse in a c;lassified stakes (£40) and maybe the owner doesn't want to spend much but wants a day at the races with an owner's badge and to see his horse take part. And there's always the hope that conditions of trip, track, surface might be ideal for your horse on the day and if he could just improve by 4 or 5 lbs, a length or two over a mile, he might .......... you know, win ! The whole sport is based on Hope !