Class of race

In the UK the class of races appears to be regarded as important info.as a lot of sites reflect it in the race form.
As far as I can see only computaform show the class of race,in past form,and for the race under consideration,in respect of SA races.
I cannot find the rules/criteria which determines the "class" of a handicap in SA.Can anybody help with that info please?

I realise that this would not be common knowledge to many posters,but am surprised that a number of posters,who earn their living from the industry,can't help with this info,or at least know where the answer can be found!

Not exactly sure what you're looking for, Rob.

I thought all publications show the class of the race. Then again, I only use Sporting Post, can't really say for anything else.

I'm not sure Rob - I used to use the ave merit rating(as found in computaform) as a measure of class/strength of a race

Rob

You've lost me too.

Generally we use the ratings of those in a the field to gauge the class if the race isn't already classified by grading?

Otherwise we take the rating of the Hcp race and work from the top weight down?

The Sporting Post has an excellent 'class' indicator called the SSI or Standard Starts Index where they compare the earnings of each runner compared to that runner's age and sex...add it together and you can see how the entire race compares with its peers. 1.00 would be that it represents the average bang on.

Sabre,most races,and all handicaps vary from class A,B,C etc.What determines what the difference is(I would guess it involves MR spreads)
If a race is a class C,for instance,somebody must know why it's a class C ?

So what do you do when something wins one of these half stakes races ? how do you evaluate the form when they run back in better handicaps again?

Let me try and explain myself better....Turfontein tonight races 5,6 and 7 are OFFICIALLY class D,B and C respectively. What defines them as such?
I am not talking about anything else but the official status.

We don't have class A,B,C distinctions, Rob. The class of a handicap is indicated by the merit rating, eg. Mr90, Mr67, etc.

Officially class D,B and C? I've never heard of such a thing. *Goes to take a look*

Very strange. Sporting Post and Tabgold make no mention of a 'CLASS' rating anywhere in their formguides. Those 3 races are MR78, Gr3(MR) and MR90 respectively. Didn't know that they could be referred to as anything else.

Does anybody here work for Computaform.....Under the distance of the race is a block marked "C/F class ?" where does it come from?
As computaform is now the official info,then these "class"categories are "official".