CLASSIC racing is here again as a reminder that in horse racing the flight of time seems to travel far more quickly with these annual seasons of Futurity events. The 2000 and 1000 Guineas colts and geldings, and opposite sex respectively, will get the four-race Triple Crown series underway over this weekend, with the St Leger and Derby to come. Just to clarify, The Oaks, restricted to the fillies, is not part of the series.

The 2000 Guineas was established in England in 1809 for entire three-year-old colts and fillies, which still exists, with geldings ineligible for the obvious reason that any such winner of the Group 1 event would be valueless to the breeding industry. By the way, geldings are eligible to compete in the Jamaica Classics. This is an admission of the contempt with which locally bred stallions are viewed by our breeders.

It did not take too long for the 1750 English Jockey Club to determine that, with the inherent superiority of the colts, owners of the opposite sex had to be given the extra opportunity to win a Group 1 event, which justified the increase to a season of five Classics ever since.

This just underscores the fact that the British possess the requisite and consummate knowledge of horse racing. As things stand, there are 50 tracks operational in Great Britain, offering over 10,000 races inclusive of flat and jump races on grass and, since 1978, flat races on sand as well. Further, tracks are configured with right- and left-hand turns on undulating surfaces to test the mettle of horses and the skill set of jockeys.

The majority of sprint races are contested on straight courses to protect the legs of the thoroughbreds. In fact, only two tracks in the UK — Chester and Pontefract — race over five furlongs round. This is in contrast to the knowledge deficit in North, Central, and Latin America where, idiotically, all races are run in an anticlockwise direction on tracks with sharp turns and short home straights. This results in a high proportion of injuries and, consequently, lameness. As the name suggests, the straight races in the region are restricted to quarter horses, racing over two furlongs.

The British horse racing industry engages over 80,000 operatives at differing levels in their 79.7-million population. Sales turnover exceeds US$3.4 billion annually in the UK. In the United States the bettors on horse racing, amongst the 335 million inhabitants, wagered less than US$11.0 billion in 30,000 races last year. Still, the misinformed and/or disingenuous supporters of the futureless claiming model insist that something is wrong with handicap system horse racing in the UK and elsewhere.

Prior to 1975, the Jamaica Guineas was run at a distance of nine furlongs, and in terms of weight — similar to what obtained in England and with all territories operating the British model — the colts carried 126 lbs and there was a five-pound sex allowance for the fillies. George Hosang and Fitzroy Glispie made Caymanas history by riding 1000 Guineas winner Baglonda (Winston Chen) and the 2000 Guineas winner XtraClassy (Arthur Sharpe), respectively.

Those of us who understand handicapping methodology know the weight carried in a race is directly related to the speed and stamina of a thoroughbred. Further, how exacting the task of toting 126 lbs generally is, and particularly debilitating in the Classics — so much so that too many decent horses fail to recover from the exertion for months, and for some, never.

Designed for local racing in my Classification Handicap Manual, which was circulated a decade and a half ago, a recommendation that the mandatory weight allotment for the Classics be lowered to 123 lbs for colts and geldings and fillies 118 lbs was deemed to be a bastardisation of the tradition. It is not, and most jockeys should not find making these weights problematic. In terms of recovery, less weight over the gruelling distances of the Classics would be a boon for the three-year-olds.

It was also proposed in the manual that “maiden two-year-olds, raced and unraced, imported before September 30 of each year be afforded naturalised status and therefore eligibility for the Classics”. This was deemed to pose an existential threat to the industry, and the consternation I encountered from a local breeder was unimaginable.

However, things have changed because of the uncertainty of the annual foal crop yield, and a more practical viewpoint needs to emerge. My proposal will eventually evolve to be just an extension of the Mouttet Mile template wherein ownership of the thoroughbreds is incentivised to an elevated level, with the prospect of premium purses.

In and of itself, to genuine horse racing enthusiasts the mere fact of owning a starter in a Classic is an enjoyable experience and just a special moment, but to win is a lifelong memory. This column wishes that the next two days of Classic racing and the supporting card will fulfil the expectations of all concerned.

Contact: wesmartinhorseracing@gmail.com.