HANDICAPPING RATINGS UPDATE 7 July

PRESS RELEASE

HANDICAPPING RATINGS UPDATE

• Golden Horse Sprint (Handicap) (Grade 1)
WARRIOR’S REST has had his merit rating raised from 113 to 116 after his success in the Grade 1 Golden Horse Sprint (Handicap) over 1200m at Scottsville on Saturday 4 July. The Handicappers were unanimous in their view that 3rd placed KASIMIR and 4th finisher CHIMICHURI RUN made for the correct line horses to use and accordingly they remain unchanged on 128 and 126, respectively.
Runner-up ULTRA MAGNUS was raised from 113 to 115, while 5th placed CARTEL CAPTAIN (who was 7 pounds under sufferance at the weights) goes up from 106 to 109. There was also an increase for 6th finisher INVIDIA, who was 5 pounds under sufferance and who carried 0.5 kg overweight. He goes up from 108 to 111.
The only drop was for FROSTED GOLD, who goes from 112 to 110.

• South African Fillies Sprint (Grade 1)
CELTIC SEA remains unchanged on 126 after she grabbed a last stride success in the Grade 1 South African Fillies Sprint over 1200m at Scottsville on Saturday. The Handicappers took the view that the 122-rated runner-up RUN FOX RUN was the best line horse to use in assessing this Weight-For-Age contest and as such her rating remains unchanged. In rating the race this way, CELTIC SEA also runs to 122.
3rd placed SINGFORAFA was raised from 116 to 119. She in fact runs to 121, but the Handicappers were cognisant of the fact that the Scottsville track was running very fast on the day and that this suited the very speedy SINGFORAFA to the point where she is probably a little flattered to have found herself in a three-way photo finish with the two highest rated runners in the race.
There was an increase also for 6th placed LINEAR, who ran well above her rating in this high class field and who goes up from 92 to 97. There were drops for three horses. MISS FLORIDA is down from 105 to 102, TRAVELLING LIGHT drops from 97 to 95, and WINTER SUN goes from 95 to 93.

• World Sports Betting Cup Trial (Handicap) (Grade 3)
CAPOEIRA has had his rating raised from 110 to 115 following his victory in the Grade 3 World Sports Betting Cup Trial (handicap) over 1750m at Scottsville on Saturday. Here, it was decided that 4th placed PACK LEADER made for the most suitable line horse and his rating remains unchanged on 111.
Runner-up NEXUS was raised from 105 to 107, while fourth placed SOVEREIGN SPIRIT (who was 3 pounds under sufferance and carried 0.5 kg overweight) was raised from 95 to 100. There were no other ratings increases, but three horses received a drop. MORE MAGIC was trimmed from 102 to 101, TILBURY FORT drops from 112 to 109, and HERODOTUS is down to 107 from 109.

• Jubilee Handicap (Grade 3)
DIVINE ODYSSEY has had his rating increased from 114 to 117 after he won the Grade 3 Jubilee Handicap over 1800m at Turffontein (standside track) on Sunday 5 July. Here, it was decided that 3rd placed FULL MAST made for the best line horse, but as he carried 0.5 kg overweight his rating goes up from 101 to 102. Runner-up MARSHALL FOCH (who was 1 pound under sufferance) goes up from 98 to 100.
No other horses received a ratings increase, but there were several drops. PERFECT TIGRESS goes from 106 to 105, LEOPOLD is down from 108 to 106, D’ARRIVEE was cut from 106 to 105, DAWN ASSAULT goes from 115 to 114, and lastly ALIBI GUY drops from 101 to 98.

• World Sports Betting East Cape Derby (Listed)
AMERICAN PRINCESS remains unchanged on a rating of 90 following her win in the World Sports Betting East Cape Derby over 2400m at Fairview (turf track) on Friday 3 July. 3rd placed MISS LA DEE DA (a proven stayer with a win over 2500m to her name) was deemed to be the most suitable line horse and remains unaltered on 78. In rating the race this way, the winner runs to 89 and hence the reason for her unchanged rating.
Runner-up ROCK ALOE was given a slight increase from 91 to 92, while 4th placed AUGUST LEAVES was raised from 80 to 83. There were no other increases, but two horses received a drop. BLUSHING BRIDE was trimmed from 82 to 81, while BHALTAIR goes from 97 to 95. The Handicappers noted that, while BHALTAIR had won his penultimate start, that was in a novice plate where he only ran to a rating of 82, and as such were happy to give him a drop only two runs later.

World Radar 111
frosted gold 110
???????

Is it standard practice for handicappers to take in account the prevailing conditions on the day as they have done with Singforafa ? I dont see this very often. When doing ratings after the July, do they consider that the horses finished in a heap because the jocks where riding like their lives depended on it ?
Invidia gets a raise for running 6th. Has he really "earned" this rise ?

HANDICAPPING RATINGS UPDATE



Abe Bloomberg Legal Eagle Stakes (Grade 3)
Unbeaten KATAK has had his merit rating increased from 99 to 109 after he recorded a fourth win from as many appearances in the Grade 3 Abe Bloomberg Legal Eagle Stakes (formerly known as the Winter Classic) for three-year-olds over the Kenilworth winter course 1800m on Tuesday 7 July.

The Handicappers were of the view that 3rd placed SILVER HOST made for the most suitable line horse. Accordingly, his rating remains unaltered on 102, but runner-up SUPER SILVANO goes up from 102 to 105. In other increases, 4th placed BAYBERRY (who sported blinkers for the first time) goes up from 81 to 95, while 5th placed CAPTAIN FLINDERS was raised from 85 to 93.

The only drop was for CANE LIME ‘N SODA, who is down from 94 to 92.



Winter Solstice Stormsvlei Stakes (Listed)
EVA EILEEN has had her rating raised from 81 to 98 after she won the Listed Winter Solstice Stakes for three-year-old fillies (while racing with blinkers for the first time) over 1800m at Kenilworth on Tuesday. Here, the Handicappers felt that BOLD DIVA – while only finishing 7th – was the best line horse to use as she was beaten by the identical margin of 7.50 lengths as when finishing 3rd in a very similar race against largely the same opponents on 9 June. As such, her rating remains unchanged on 83.

Runner-up FLAME TREE had her rating increased from 94 to 97, while the only other horse to have a ratings increase was DOUBLE REWARD, who was raised from 74 to 78 (which is her previously best career mark achieved.) The only other change was for 3rd finisher DRAMA QUEEN, who was dropped from 98 to 95.



Casey Bloomberg Ladies Mile (Listed)
SHAMROCK WIND remains unchanged on a rating of 107 after her hard-fought success in the Listed Casey Bloomberg Ladies Mile for fillies and mares over 1600m at Kenilworth on Tuesday. The Handicappers were of the opinion that 4th placed HEAVEN’S EMBRACE made for the best line horse, which leaves her rating unchanged on 93, and in assessing the race this way SHAMROCK WIND in fact runs seven pounds below her 107 rating.

2nd placed MIDNIGHT MOONLIGHT goes up from 82 to 88, while in the only other raise 3rd placed DUCHESS OF BOURBON goes up from 97 to 99. There were however drops for a number of horses. STAR FIGHTER is down from 104 to 101, FORTUNE FLIES goes to 99 from 100, STAR OF SILVER was trimmed from 94 to 93, ESTEEMAL was dropped from 96 to 95, and lastly SAINT ALIVE is down from 87 to 86.



Cordocelli Olympic Duel Stakes (Handicap) (Listed)
HELLO WINTER HELLO has had her rating raised from 89 to 94 after she won the Listed Cordocelli Olympic Duel Stakes (handicap over 1200m) at Kenilworth on Tuesday. It was agreed by the Handicappers that consistent 3rd finisher RUSH HOUR GIRL made for the most suitable line horse and as such her rating remains unchanged on 90. On the other hand, 2nd placed ICON PRINCESS was raised from 95 to 96 and was the only horse other than the winner to receive a ratings increase.

There were however drops for several contestants. BOOMPS A DAISY is down from 90 to 88, CASINO QUEEN drops from 94 to 92, IN THE STARS is down to 89 from 91, ROLL IN THE HAY drops from 100 to 96, and lastly FLEECED was cut from 91 to 89.



Enquiries:
The Handicapping Team