Graded Heats and Finals at Launceston and Restricted Win (0-3) Grade 5 Trials
Through the Programming Sub Committee, it has been agreed to trial Graded Heats and Final Sprint races at Launceston and Restricted Win Races from February to April.
Graded Heats and Finals – Launceston 515m
The Programming Sub Committee has agreed to trial a new Graded Heats and Finals proposal over 515m in Launceston on their Monday night programs. This trial is aimed at stimulating the 515m races in Launceston.
The proposal will be a trial for three months starting in February through to April with these races programmed where possible.
The concept is that there will be no greater prizemoney for Finals, however there is an incentive to win twice in the one Grade, if a Greyhound wins both the Heat and Final. If these races prove to be popular, there is the possibility of them being included on an ongoing basis.
It is programmed that for each series there will be 2 heats called for. If there are enough greyhounds nominated, and programming allows, extra Heats may be run. Finalists will be decided as per the Feature Events policy.
It is proposed that the heats and finals are run across grade 3,4,5 and 6 greyhounds. It would see heats for a particular grade or mixed grade one week, followed by the final a week later and on that same night, another set of heats for a different grade or mixed grade.
The schedule will be:
Week 1 – Grade 5 Heats
Week 2 – Grade 5 Final – Grade 3 Heats
Week 3 – Grade 3 Final – Mixed 4/5 Heats
Week 4 – Mixed 4/5 Final – Grade 6 Heats
Week 5 – Grade 6 Final – Mixed 3/4 Heats
Week 6 – Mixed 3/4 Final – Grade 5 Heats
There will be times when it will not be possible to have the heats on the program as it is already full, or the week of the final is already full. Should this be the case, they will be programmed in the next available spot.
If there are insufficient nominations to conduct heats, nominations will not be extended and the heats and final will not be conducted, however those greyhounds nominated for the heats will then be transferred to their respective grades over the 515m and the events to be conducted shall then be determined.
These races will be programmed as Incentive Series Heats in OzChase with the Grade included.
Restricted Win Races
It has been decided to trial Restricted Win (rw) races for a three-month period from February to April 2023. For the trial, Tasracing will program one race per week at Devonport @ meetings and Hobart meetings over the Sprint distance unless the program is already full. For this trial period, the races will be restricted to greyhounds with 0-3 wins. Only greyhounds over the age of two will be eligible for Restricted Win Races. Launceston will not be included due to the trial of the Incentive Series Heats and Finals across the same period.
Restricted Win races will be run at Grade 5 stake money and will incur a grading penalty.
The trial will be assessed on the want from trainers to nominate into these races. If they prove popular and the ORI programming in OzChase is successful, it may be possible to program 0-3 wins and 4–6 wins restricted races going forward.
These races will be programmed into OzChaze as ‘Grade 5 (rw)’. Trainers are to ensure they only nominate eligible greyhounds in these programmed races.
Trainers are advised that wins across all distances will count towards a greyhound’s number of total wins and if a greyhound has won both a heat and a final of the same series this will be counted as 2 wins.