“All trainers and owners want is for their horses to be in races where they have a good chance to earn most of the time. In Canterbury that doesn’t happen.”

manager Kevin Smith has argued the current system allowed most horses a start in a competitive environment and avoid the scenario of favourites stifling betting.

But Jones said it was having the opposite effect.

He said too many trainers were turning their backs on Addington, racing infrequently and racing at minor meetings because they were determined to protect their horses’ formlines, so they could make them look good and sell them.

The result was too many races were being dominated by short-priced favourites, turning punters off.

Jones said HRNZ should be implementing a drop-back system, similar to one operating successfully in Australia, to allow horses to retain a racing life.

“No horse should reach its mark and become uncompetitive,” he said.

“They should be able to filter back down the grades until they can earn again. If a horse can’t win money in a three-win grade, why can’t they drop back down a grade after say six or eight starts? ”

Jones said rather than the handicapping system being wrong, it was simply being wrecked by poor programming.

“You can programme any kind of race under the present system. You could have a conditioned race for chestnuts bred only in Canterbury if you wanted,” he said.

“More races need to be programmed on money won in the last few starts, like they do in most other places in the world, so the better horses race the better ones and the poor horses race each other.