Perhaps the fella feels he is not able to race, but is having good results from others who do race his pigeons. Part of the fun in this hobby is the uncertainty. You can never be certain that what you breed will be good enough. Likewise whether they will return from the race, let alone in good enough time to win. If your intention is to do well and win, then I feel you should buy the very best you are able to afford. Buy a proven pair and breed from them in the hope that you will be able to fly the progeny well enough to win, but don't look for, or expect "overnight success".