Difference between Great and Superstar

A racehorse that consistently runs just a second faster than another horse is worth millions of dollars more. Be willing to give that extra effort that separates the winner from the one in second place.
H. Jackson Brown Jr.

Second has never counted. Whether weighted down by a ton of lead or a broken engine. You only remember the winner.

If that's true, why do we try to change the outcome of our best races? Can you imagine any other sport that gives advantages to some competitors in championship deciders?

JD,

because in SA it's almost exclusively betting that makes the racing world go around - giving every horse a chance makes for bigger pools. no other sport has that overarching requirement to worship the totalisator god.

all the biggest UK flat races are non-handicaps, because it encourages more horses to come from overseas to race against the best on equal terms, and it stimulates higher and more consistent investment in premium bloodstock (edit: see Sly's quote above), which in the mind of the UK industry is a long term strategy for sustainability. relying on next year's betting levy can only ever be a short term strategy.