Trainer Steve Tregea is bewildered by the rating handicap system which has made smart sprinter Love Rocks one of the topweights in a stakes race at Doomben.
Love Rocks has won one open-company race but will carry 58kg in the Listed Keith Noud Handicap (1200m) at Doomben on Saturday.
The gelding has 1.5kg less than seasoned open-company gallopers Bennys Buttons and Excellantes but is giving weight to some other top open-company gallopers.
Love Rocks has run in only two open-company races, winning the Listed Lough Neagh Stakes before running third to Rocky King at the Sunshine Coast last week.
In his only other run in between he won a benchmark race at Doomben.
Tregea said Love Rocks seemed to be handicapped on his potential rather than his racetrack feats.
“After he won the Lough Neagh he went up 13 rating points to 100. Now you can argue the merits of that because he did run very fast time,” Tregea said.
“But what has me perplexed is that he got beaten four lengths in a Friday open handicap at a provincial track and didn’t come down in the ratings.”
Tregea pointed out he was not making a personal attack on handicappers but rather the system.
“It has me worried what to do with him in the long term,” he said.
Love Rocks has knee problems and Tregea has done a great job of nursing him through his career.
He is reluctant to take Love Rocks interstate because he never looks far ahead with the horse.
But he fears Love Rocks will be weighted out of winning more races in Queensland.
Tregea has used claiming apprentices on Love Rocks at the gelding’s past two starts but the Keith Noud is a non-claiming race.
Senior jockey Anthony Allen will take over on Love Rocks who drew perfectly in barrier two.
Article from justhorseracing.com.au