Minimum rating for Sat metro meetings

Racing Victoria has introduced a new minimum rating requirement for Saturday metropolitan meetings in Melbourne to ensure horses meet an appropriate standard for the level of competition.

The policy comes into effect on February 1 for all Saturday metropolitan meetings including the five stand-alone Saturday country fixtures.

It extends to six Friday night premier meetings at Moonee Valley, the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup carnivals and all public holiday meetings which carry Saturday metropolitan-standard prize money.

The policy will be applied to all races run at these meetings in which horses older than three can compete, including Group and Listed races.

No restrictions will apply to two and three-year-old races.

RV executive general manager of racing Greg Carpenter said these meetings were the pinnacle of racing that drive wagering and customer engagement.

“It is therefore important that the horses competing at these meetings meet appropriate standards for the level of competition,” Carpenter said.

“It is also important that punters have confidence in the quality and level of competitiveness of horses contesting our premium meetings and we feel that these new minimum rating requirements better meet that objective.”

Carpenter said over the past two racing seasons a total of 71 horses, or 0.9 per cent of starters across these meetings, would have been affected by the change.

He said there were multiple opportunities for horses to lift their rating to the required Saturday metropolitan standard.

Minimum Rating Requirements

* Group One, Two and Three – (open sex) minimum 70 & (fillies & mares) minimum 65

* Listed and Open Handicaps – minimums 65 & 60

* BM84 and 90 – minimum 60

* BM70 and 78 – minimum 50

* BM64 – minimum 45

* VOBIS Gold and Sales Restricted Races – minimum 50

* 2YO and 3YO – no rating restriction