Racing Victoria (RV) advises that it has updated the handicapping conditions for all two and three-year-old metropolitan races carrying Set Weights and Penalties (SWP).
The updates to the conditions are required following major increases from 1 January 2019 to the minimum prizemoney levels across Victoria with two-year-old Saturday metropolitan races now worth a minimum $125,000 and three-year-olds $135,000.
The standard penalty threshold for two-year-old SWP races has been increased from $60,000 to $70,000 and for three-year-old SWP races from $70,000 to $80,000.
Under the condition of SWP races, the handicapper requires horses that have won one or more races in which the advertised value to the winner was above the penalty threshold to carry additional weight.
Due to the minimum prizemoney increases, the winners of standard Saturday metropolitan races would have now been automatically penalised in SWP races without a comparable increase to the penalty threshold.
The first races for which the updated SWP conditions will apply are the Blue Diamond Previews for two-year-olds and the Super VOBIS 3YO Fillies Plate at Caulfield on Australia Day, 26 January.
The advertised penalty threshold has also been updated for the following SWP races:
• 2 February (Caulfield) – Chairman’s Stakes (2YO), Manfred Stakes (3YO)
• 9 February (Caulfield) – Autumn Stakes (3YO), Kevin Hayes Stakes (3YO)
• 16 February (Flemington) – Talindert Stakes (2YO), The Vanity (3YO), CS Hayes Stakes (3YO)
• 22 February (The Valley) – Typhoon Tracy Stakes (3YO)
• 23 February (Caulfield) – Zedative Stakes (3YO), Angus Armanasco Stakes (3YO)
• 2 March (Flemington) – Festival of Racing Stakes (2YO)
• 16 March (Flemington) – TBV Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes (2YOF), Fillies Plate (3YO)
• 22 March (The Valley) – Alexandra Stakes (3YO), 3YO Plate
• 23 March (Mornington) – Mornington Guineas
• 30 March (Bendigo) – Bendigo Guineas
Trainers are advised that all SWP race conditions have been updated in the national racing database (SNS) and will be published in the February edition of Inside Racing.