FOLLOWING a review by the IHRB handicappers of the ratings for flat horses carried out at the end of the winter all-weather season, a general drop of 2lb has been applied to ‘handicap’ horses, essentially all horses outside of blacktype performers.

Starting from Sunday, the handicappers will have the discretion to assign a handicap mark after two runs, but only to horses who have finished in the first four on both their first two starts.