21/09/2025
Open Letter to All Owners, Trainers, and Participants in Harness Racing
To the Harness Racing Community,
I write this letter with a deep sense of frustration and disappointment at the ongoing injustice caused by the flawed and unfair handicapping system currently being used in our sport. I had hoped that Brad Steele, HRNZ, and Racing Manager Matt Peden would step in and urgently address the inconsistencies, but no such action has been taken. It is now time to speak up — not just for myself, but for all who feel the system has let them down.
The core issue is simple: HRNZ only re-rated horses up to three wins under the new handicapping system. Why?
Why weren’t all horses re-rated to reflect the new system fairly? This decision has created a glaring imbalance, where a select group of horses benefited from a fresh, generous re-rating, while the majority are still running under a system that’s no longer in use.
This is not just an oversight — it is a structural failure. A failure to implement a transparent, consistent, and equitable handicapping system. The result? Horses that were re-rated now enjoy a significant advantage, while others have been effectively handicapped out of contention. In many cases, the discrepancy is staggering. I can point to a horse rated 66 today, who — had they been rated under the new system — would sit at 44. This is not an isolated case. There are many like it.
The unfairness is now evident in every meeting, in every field, and in every start.
We see re-rated horses dominating, winning multiple races in a row — something we rarely saw under the old system. We see standing start handicaps becoming a joke, with horses rated 66 starting off the same mark as horses rated 88. The whole system has become skewed, compressed, and broken.
Let me be clear: this is not about sour grapes. This is about fairness, integrity, and credibility. We are supposed to be competing on a level playing field. But how can that happen when half the runners are operating under a different set of rules?
What’s even more concerning is the lack of accountability at the top. I’ve been in meetings where our Chief Executive openly admitted that he does not understand the handicapping system — yet he continues to sign off on significant changes to it. How is this acceptable? Handicapping is core to our racing product. If those leading the industry don’t understand the fundamentals, then how can we have confidence in the direction they are taking us?
Unfortunately, we seem to be led by individuals more focused on popularity than progress, more concerned with appearances than outcomes. Decisions are made, signed off, and implemented without adequate understanding or consultation — yet the consequences are borne by owners, trainers, and participants, not by the decision-makers who continue to draw a salary regardless of their performance.
This is not just about one rule or one re-rating. This is about restoring trust in the system. Trust that every horse is being treated fairly. Trust that those in charge know what they are doing. And trust that our sport is being run in a way that is transparent, consistent, and designed to foster fair competition.
We must demand better. For the sake of the horses, for the integrity of our sport, and for the future of harness racing in New Zealand.
Every horse must be re-rated. Nothing short of that is fair.
Sincerely
Mark Jones
