Think this is a great idea,the UK BHA do a handicappers blog where they discuss most of the weeks bigger races.. below is an example..
GOING LOCO
The 2012 edition of the Group 3 Blue Square Winter Derby Stakes over 1m2f at Lingfield on Saturday went the way of dependable veteran Premio Loco, writes Greg Pearson.
Given a ‘gun ride’ by the underutilised George Baker, the eight-year-old gelding equalled his best all-weather figure of 111, which he’d previously achieved when fourth in the Group 2 Godolphin Mile at Meydan last year.
Premio Loco’s rating will remain at 113; a figure derived from his second in the Group 2 Nayef Joel Stakes over the Rowley Mile at Newmarket three starts back. Comparing his performance with recent winners of the Winter Derby, only the Clive Brittain-trained Hattan ran higher when posting a performance of 113 in 2008. Premio Loco became the first horse to win a Winter Derby carrying a penalty since Caluki won a muddling renewal in 2004, defying a 5lb penalty to that horse’s 3lb extra burden too.
In second was the solid 105-performer Cai Shen who was beaten half a length in receipt of 5lb from the winner and as such ran to his mark using a 1lb differential for the margin. There is little doubt the Richard Hannon-trained colt copped few favours from his wide draw but I don’t necessarily subscribe to the theory that he was an unlucky loser. The third-placed Circumvent had a pre-race rating of 98 but ran to 104. He’s much less exposed on all-weather so I gave him a separate all-weather mark of 104 whilst increasing his turf rating to just 100 – I feel a turf mark in excess of 100 would have been too high given he had ten starts on the surface in 2011 without running above that level.
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