Alterations to the Weight For Age Scale are to be introduced from 2017

Alterations to the Weight For Age Scale are to be introduced from 2017 "in the interests of fairness and competitiveness", the European Pattern Committee has announced.

The purpose of the scale is to give an allowance to younger horses, usually three-year-olds, to enable them to compete equally with their older counterparts.

It should not therefore unfairly advantage any particular age group, but should instead allow for a broadly equivalent strike-rate for both three-year-olds and for older horses when competing together.

A thorough and robust, year-long analysis of European race results has been undertaken of runners over six years showing that, under the existing scale, three-year-olds have a higher strike-rate than older horses, which is particularly noticeable from July onwards, and over longer distances.

The analysis also demonstrated that as distance increases, so does the strike-rate and average winning distance of three-year-olds, providing them with an unintended and unfair advantage over older horses.

As a consequence steps have been taken to amend the scale from the second half of June onwards and over 10 furlongs and above, with adjustments ranging in size from a small reduction of 1lb at 10, 11 and 12 furlongs to a maximum decrease of 3lb over longer distances where the advantage afforded to three-year-olds was shown to be the most acute.

The changes are being made and were agreed across all nations who form part of the EPC.

Brian Kavanagh, chairman of the EPC, said: "When we embarked upon this project we had two clear objectives in mind - to ensure that the Weight For Age Scale was meeting its core objective of providing a level playing field for all runners, and to ensure that the scale remained consistent across all of Europe.

"We believe that both of those objectives are achieved by the modifications announced today.

"Implementing change to something as complex and integral as the Weight For Age Scale could not be done on a whim, and nor could it be carried out without the buy-in of all the nations who are being asked to implement it.

"To achieve support for the adjustments to the scale across all of Europe is a testament to the rigour of the analytical process, the clear evidence it produced and also to the progressive attitude of European racing nations."

The British Horseracing Authority's head of handicapping Phil Smith was among those involved in carrying out extensive data analysis into the effects of the scale.

Smith said: "When we started the process of reviewing the weight-for-age data, well over a year ago, I suspected that the statistics might show a bias towards three-year-olds over longer distances in the second half of the season. The data has borne that out.

"The alterations made to the scale should help to create a more level playing field for older horses competing against three-year-olds across Europe.

"At first the alterations will be seen as a trial and all the data will be kept under review for a number of years, to ensure that the alterations are having the desired, and necessary, effect."

Rupert Arnold, chief executive of the National Trainers Federation, said: "Our Flat committee was at first sceptical of the argument that a change was needed to the Weight For Age Scale, which in their opinion had stood the test of time.

"All credit to the BHA racing department for the depth of evidential data they produced to demonstrate that in the current era, the scale marginally favours three-year-olds at certain times of year over longer distances.

"The NTF endorsed the changes subject to them being applied throughout Europe so we are pleased that the other European Pattern Committee members have come on board."