Fillies and mares' weight allowances to rise

Fillies and mares’ allowances for jump pattern races will be increased to 7lb from September 1.

Currently the allowance is 5lb but following a recommendation from its Jump Racing Advisory Panel, the British Horseracing Board has increased the allowance in applicable races with a view to extending it across the board the following year.

The BHB are hoping to redress the imbalance between male and female runners as well as encouraging owners to keep their fillies and mares in training.

Alan Delmonte, communications manager for the BHB, said: “The statistics show that mares win fewer races than could be expected given their representation and it is logical to extend the increased allowance to beyond Pattern races.

“As part of our plan for more fillies and mares to go jumping, owners’ premiums are paid at double the rate for fillies and mares and there have been a number of race planning initiatives over recent seasons.

“We have already seen some significant progress, with the number of individual runs by fillies and mares in National Hunt races virtually doubling in the last two years. There were 186 performances in 2001/02, 294 in 2002/03 and 359 last season.”