rating from another publisher and official ratings in horse racing: how to read both

Who sets official ratings and why?

Official ratings are set by BHA handicappers in Britain and HRI handicappers in Ireland. The ratings decide the weights horses carry in handicaps.

The aim of a handicap is to give every runner an equal chance by weight. The handicapper rates each horse on the evidence of its runs, and in a handicap the top rated horse carries top weight while every other runner carries one pound less for each point it is rated below. A horse rated 85 in a race where the top weight is 95 carries 10lb less than the top weight.

A horse usually needs three runs before it receives an official rating, though two can be enough in some cases for a horse that has won. Ratings also set eligibility, since most handicaps have a rating band such as 0 to 75.

What is a performance rating for a single run?

A performance rating, such as a rating from another publisher, measures how well a horse ran in one race, in pounds. Newspapers and private compilers publish their own versions.

The compiler takes the result, the weights carried and the known ability of the horses in the race, and assigns each runner a figure for that day. rating from another publisher is one widely used example, published by a racing newspaper. Because it rates a single run, a horse's ratings from other publishers go up and down from race to race, while its official rating moves only when the handicapper reassesses it.

Comparing a horse's recent performance ratings with its official rating is one of the quickest checks in handicap form: a horse running to figures above its mark is well treated, one running below it is not.

How do pounds and lengths relate on the rating scale?

Ratings are measured in pounds, and handicappers convert distances beaten into pounds, with a length worth fewer pounds over longer trips than in sprints.

A length covers more of the race in a five furlong sprint than in a two mile staying race, so it is worth more weight. As a rough guide on the Flat, a length is worth a little more than 3lb over five furlongs, about 2lb over a mile and a quarter and about 1lb over two miles. Jumps races are run over two miles or more, so a length there is worth far less than in a sprint.

That is why a two length defeat in a sprint is a bigger gap than two lengths over two miles, and why ratings rather than lengths are the fair way to compare runs at different trips.

How do Flat and jumps rating scales compare?

Flat and jumps ratings use separate scales, so a figure in one code cannot be compared with a figure in the other. The highest current Flat mark is 132.

The numbers are not comparable across codes, so a chaser rated 150 is not better than a Flat horse rated 120. Within each code, the scale runs from the lowest grade handicappers to the champions. The ladder shows typical Flat levels; the live table on this page shows this year's biggest risers among rated Flat horses.

How do official ratings change after a run?

Handicappers reassess horses after each run, and in Britain new marks are published every Tuesday, applying to races that close from then on. A win normally brings a rise; repeated poor runs bring drops.

The size of the rise depends on how the race is rated, not simply on winning. A narrow win in a weak race might add 2lb or 3lb, while an easy win in a strong handicap can add 10lb or more. A winner that runs again before its new mark takes effect usually carries a penalty set by the race conditions instead, which is why a quick reappearance after a win is worth checking on the card.

Which rating answers which question?

The official rating answers what weight a horse will carry in a handicap. A performance rating answers how well it ran on a given day.

Use both together. The official rating tells you the terms of today's race; recent performance ratings tell you whether the horse has been running to that level. A horse rated 80 that has recorded performances in the high 80s is on a fair mark; one rated 80 whose recent figures are in the low 70s needs to improve or drop further.

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