It’s becoming painfully clear that the current National Rating System in Australian Harness Racing is absolutely crippling the future of our top-line juvenile pacers. When you get a genuinely talented young horse, instead of being able to enjoy and develop them through their four and five-year-old seasons and beyond, you’re almost forced into early retirement or to sell them off to the USA.
The problem is, by the time these horses reach four, the system has rated them right out of fair competition. They’re penalised for being good — for doing exactly what the sport should be celebrating. The result? Owners and trainers are robbed of the chance to keep these exceptional young horses racing beyond a couple of short seasons.
The National Rating System was supposed to level the playing field, but instead it’s punishing talent. When your best juveniles can’t progress without being thrown to the wolves rating-wise, something is seriously wrong. This system doesn’t encourage longevity — it supports mediocrity more so. It encourages early retirement or export, which ultimately hurts everyone: the owners, the trainers, the fans, and the industry as a whole.
As an owner, breeder, trainer, and driver who prides themselves on producing top-quality horses and supporting the sport, I believe this system is extremely flawed, and the people in charge are blinded by the detrimental effect it’s having on the sport.