Kempton Honours Kauto Star Following Review
Kempton’s feature novice chase, Feltham Novices’ Chase, traditionally held on Boxing Day each year is to be permanently run as the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase after it was announced by the British Horseracing Authority in conjunction with details of the review of the novice chase programme in Britain.
The three-mile contest was staged for the first time with its new title last year in honour of the now-retired Kauto Star, who won the track’s King George VI Chase an unprecedented five times, the last of which came in 2011.
The review was initiated last year and ran from 1st October 2012 until the end of the 2012/13 season in a bid to address the trend of declining field sizes in novice chases.
The BHA said the trial achieved this objective as novice chases produced an average field size of 6.8, compared to 5.6 for the same period the preceding year. In addition, races attracting fewer than six runners were down from 62% to 43%.
Ruth Quinn, director of racing for the BHA, said: ‘Overall we were pleased with the results generated by the trial in terms of field sizes and the competitiveness of races in this category. The worrying trend towards increasingly smaller fields in previous years needed to be addressed and the trial was a positive first step in doing so.’
Throughout the trial the BHA were in communication with representatives of the National Trainers Federation to discuss concerns raised by trainers. As a result, recommendations for further adjustments to the trial were agreed and subsequently approved.
The main recommendation is an amendment to the rule that requires a horse to have one run over fences in a weight-for-age chase before running in Handicaps. Under the revised rule a horse will now be required to have its first start over fences in a weight-for-age chase or a novice chase of any description, including handicaps.
As part of the 2012/13 trial three additional £60,000 races were also programmed, open to horses who ran in at least two weight-for-age Novices’ or Beginners’ Chases. These races performed well and will remain in the programme in 2013/14.
Quinn added: ‘The objective of the amendment to the rules is to build on the increased field sizes which the trial produced while allowing more flexibility for trainers in placing their first-time runners over fences.’
‘We thank the NTF and the trainers with whom we had constructive dialogue throughout the trial. We hope that the result is a novice chase programme and conditions which will safeguard the future of these important races for years to come.’
