Ruby Walsh: There's nothing 'absurd' about Tiger Roll's rating
STILL GOT IT: Tiger Roll powers to a third Cross Country Chase victory at the Cheltenham Festival last March, a dominant performance that made it difficult for handicapper Martin Greenwood to give him an overly lenient weight for this year’s Aintree Grand National.
This week, the headlines in the world of racing have centred around Tiger Roll’s weight in the Aintree Grand National. The problem for racing is there is nothing simple about explaining handicap ratings, how they are acquired or what they even mean. So, simplifying the explanation is the first port of call and then people can judge for themselves.
Handicapping is supposed to give everybody a fair chance. However, like golf, we all know that to be a myth, so the hard part for people to grasp with none of the players on the PGA, LPGA or any other professional golfing tour playing with a handicap is why does racing have one? Why is it not divisional like all other sports?
