Chief Handicapper Roger Smith looked back fondly on 33 years of service in the racing industry.

His wife has taken up a position in Jersey with Price Waterhouse and he plans to continue his racing career on the channel island in an administrative role, although there are only a handful of race meetings on the island a year.

Smith began as assistant handicapper at Gosforth Park in Germiston in 1985 and then moved to Newmarket in Alberton in 1988 where he ran the racing services department and also worked as a handicapper.

He joined the National Horseracing Authority in 1999 as a handicapper and became manager of handicapping a couple of years later.

Smith’s career coincided with the change from the old race figure system to the merit rating system.

The latter system is disliked by more than a few but Smith said, “I think the original system (race figure) was not very scientific and there was a standard adjustment of two or three kilograms for a win, so the range of weights was too close and this didn’t make for competitive racing, there was more dominance in the racing. Some preferred it like that but if you consider the average ability of most horses it didn’t cater for the majority. The merit rated system enables longer careers for horses and allows the handicap racing to be more competitive.”

Commenting on the restrictions and guidelines which have accompanied the merit rated system during its lifetime, he said, “It has protected some younger horses as it has held down their ratings and this sometimes skews things as their ratings are then sometimes not a true representation of their ability. But the older horses will always have more chance to establish themselves and with them we are always cognisant of performances which are suddenly way better than their ratings.”

The job of chief handicapper is not for the feint hearted as handicappers take a lot of flak and Smith said, “Yes, we are like referees in rugby or soccer and are impartial and do not have a vested interest.”

However, he pointed out handicapping required dealing with sentient beings, which could otherwise be described as “flesh and blood”, and this meant they could be unpredictable.

He continued, “They can make fools of you and on other occasions they can vindicate you. There are so many factors which effect performance, that is why it is called gambling, but the more data you have the more chance you have of arriving at an accurate prediction.”

Smith lamented the lack of atmosphere on racecourses today compared to the vibrant days of the 1980s and 1990s, but he also recognises the upside of Tellytrack, where racing fans have access to live racing and replays in the comfort of their own home.

For him the thrill of racing has never dwindled, “I really enjoy watching it,” he said.

He mentioned Golden Loom, Jungle Rock, Chestnut Grove, Variety Club, Rolands Song, Petrava, Empress Club, Horse Chestnut as some of the horses which would always be etched in his memory.

He concluded, “South African racing has been an integral part of my life for a long time so I am going to miss it, but there was an opportunity for a new chapter and we took it with both hands.”

The entire racing industry would wish the best for Smith in his new venture as he has served the industry with honesty and integrity for many years.

By David Thiselton