RACE DESCRIPTIONS

1:15 THE EDINBURGH GIN CANNONBALL HANDICAP STAKES

Our opener is a seven furlongs handicap race for four-year-olds and upwards which have been rated from 46 to 60 Like all handicaps on today’s card this means that should a horse rated 60 take part they would be required to carry 5lb more than a rival rated 55

1:50 THE EDINBURGH GIN CLASSIC HANDICAP STAKES

This is a seven furlongs handicap race for four-year-olds and upwards which have been rated from 71 to 90 To qualify for a handicap rating horses must have run at least three times in a Flat race in Britain, or have run in no more than two Flat races run in Britain and won at least one of them. This rating then dictates the weight to be carried in a handicap In simple terms a horse rated 90 in this particular race would be required to carry 5lb more than a rival rated 85

2:30 THE EDINBURGH GIN RASPBERRY SELLING STAKES

Selling Stakes exist as an outlet for connections to sell their horses. Any horse that wins a seller, such as this five furlongs contest for two-year-olds, is automatically put up for public auction in the Winners’ Enclosure at the end of the race and goes to the highest bidder, so make sure to head that way after the race as the auction is usually well worth seeing.

3:05 THE EDINBURGH GIN QUEEN OF SCOTS FILLIES' STAKES (LISTED RACE)

This seven furlongs contest for fillies and mares aged three-years-old and upwards is a Listed race; a race that can only be bettered by a Group 1, 2 or 3 race. Many of the runners in this race will have already shown themselves to be talented and this race provides a perfect medium for them to be tested against a better class of rival before making the jump into a Group race Initially, the weights are set at 8st 7Ib for three-year-olds and 9st 3lb for four-year-olds and upwards before penalties are awarded to horses that have previously won above a certain level – 3lb for a Listed race victory, 5lb for a Group 3 success and 7Ib if scoring in a Group 2 race

3:40 THE EDINBURGH CUP HANDICAP STAKES

This is a one mile and one furlong handicap race for three-year-olds which have been rated from 0 to 90 Once a horse has qualified for a handicap rating this is regularly reassessed A below-par effort could result in a reduced rating whilst a strong performance could see the rating increased Occasionally, horses are entered to race before their handicap rating has been reviewed and so to avoid recent winners being un-penalised they are allotted a mandatory penalty – usually 6lb.

4:15 THE EDINBURGH GIN SEASIDE HANDICAP STAKES

This is a one mile handicap race for four-year-olds and upwards which have been rated from 46 to 65 Like most handicaps on the flat this race is also open to horses that are rated below that particular band However, all handicaps stipulate a minimum weight and no runner can carry less than that, irrespective of how low their rating is This is often described as ‘running from out of the handicap’ and is considered a disadvantage

4:50 THE EDINBURGH GIN RHUBARB AND GINGER APPRENTICE HANDICAP STAKES

Our finale is a five furlongs handicap race for four-year-olds and upwards which have been rated from 46 to 55 In a handicap the weight that each of the runners carries is determined by their official handicap rating which is based on their level of form shown so far The aim is to ensure competitive racing by asking the higher rated horses to carry more weight than a lower rated rival As a guide, horses rated 40 tend to be at the lower end of the scale whilst the very best performers would be rated as high as 130.