GRV’s Racing Department recently conducted a review of the ranking points allocation process and, with the assistance of participant feedback, identified that the ranking points calculation as per the Grading Guidelines requires a minor update to ensure that the level of points used in the calculations is appropriate for the type of meeting.
In the past, the race meeting schedule was quite consistent week to week, with the different meeting types held at each track on ‘set’ days. The Grading Guidelines therefore linked the day the meeting was held to Track Category, when determining the level of ranking points to be allocated.
To properly accommodate a flexible, nimble, and expanded race program during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, future proofing the Grading process is vitally important. As such, the Grading Guidelines will be updated to link Track Category to the type of meeting, when determining the ranking points to be allocated.
The new Victorian Tracks & Category table is below:
| Meeting Type | Weighted Points Table |
| Metropolitan | Track Category 1 |
| Provincial Full Stakes | Track Category 2 |
| Provincial Half Stakes | Track Category 3 |
| Rank Limit | Track Category 3 |
| Tier 3 | Track Category 3 |
| Aged Prize Money | Track Category 3 |
| All Maiden Meetings | Track Category 3 |
What does this all mean?
- As the update only applies to Victorian meetings, there will now be two Track Category tables in the Grading Guidelines:
- the Victorian Tracks & Category table (above), and
- the new NZ & Interstate Tracks & Category table which replaces the current All Tracks & Category Table in the Grading Guidelines.
- The points levels, grades of races and actual place points detailed in the Grading Guidelines in the 12.1 Weighted Points Score Table (All Grades) will not change.
- The update is expected to be live in FastTrack mid-September 2020, and when the actual go-live date is known, GRV will advise participants via email and a FastTrack Announcement.
- Once the update is live in FastTrack, any greyhound that has had a start in Victoria since 1 January, 2020 will have its ranking recalculated.
- GRV will notify trainers when FastTrack has been successfully updated, at which point recalculated greyhound rankings can be checked by logging into FastTrack.
- Based on tests conducted during the review, it is expected that there will be NO change in ranking for approximately 70% of greyhounds, while the rankings of approximately 23% of greyhounds are expected to change by between 1 and 10 points.
- The rankings recalculation will have NO impact on meetings and entries that are already graded, even if a greyhound’s ranking changes.
- GRV understands that any change to a greyhound’s ranking may impact eligibility for certain races and/or meeting types. To minimise this, the update and ranking recalculation will be scheduled in a such a way to provide participants with enough time to review any nominations already made for meetings where nominations are still open.
For enquires, including those relating to the ranking recalculations please email graders@grv.org.au. As there may be an increase in enquiries, we ask for your patience as response times may take longer
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is this update needed?
The points allocated for runs are designed to reflect the placing, the grade of race and the standard of meeting to enable greyhounds to be appropriately graded according to performance. While linking points allocated to the day the meeting is held might have been suitable when the race program followed a predictable and essentially fixed schedule, this is not the case today with an expanded race program and flexible scheduling. It is appropriate that the Grading Guidelines are updated accordingly.
Why will points now be allocated according to Meeting Type?
This is a fairer indicator of the standard of racing at that meeting and supports the intended design of the Grading Guidelines.
Why doesn’t the update and recalculation include points allocated for meetings held in New Zealand or interstate?
Interstate and New Zealand racing information is provided to GRV at the race level, not meeting level, and therefore does not include meeting type.
Why is this update happening now?
While meetings might be “usually” or “typically” scheduled at tracks on set days of the week, the Racing Department must always be able to schedule meetings as and where needed to meet broadcast commitments and program requirements. The Grading Guidelines must be able to support this without compromising the integrity of points allocation.
How will I know when the ranking update has been completed?
Trainers will be notified via SMS and a notice will appear on the FastTrack dashboard when the update is live and the rankings recalculation has been completed successfully. A greyhound’s ranking is displayed on their ‘Form’ tab in FastTrack. GRV strongly encourages trainers to visit FastTrack for up-to-date ranking information.
