Chase For Place

Left To Right. King Of Pain (16) , No Worries (12) and Ice Machine (10) are all on the log.

The second log for the upcoming J&B Met to be run over 2000m at Kenilworth on Saturday 1 February reveals some significant moves up the ladder but also a few entries slithered in the wrong direction. The log gives an indication of those horses likely to make the final field.

It was a busy weekend with contenders racing in key Grade 1 races – the L’Ormarins Queens Plate and Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes – as well as the Glorious Goodwood Peninsula Handicap.

Though both were assured of a run, biggest jumpers were Queen’s Plate winner Cape Town Noir (from 14th to 4th place) and stylish Peninsula Handicap victor, Master Of My Fate (eighth to second) who now sports a merit rating of 114.

No Worries, a game fourth in the Queens Plate from a wide draw, is now in at 12, while Jet Aglow has been rewarded for getting within two lengths of Beach Beauty in the Paddock Stakes to sneak in at 18.

July heroine Do You Remember was downgraded from third place to 13th spot after a below-par run in the Paddock Stakes which should not jeopardise her place in the R2.5-milliion race, but Espumanti (12 to 20) was punished into the danger zone after a midfield effort in the same race.

Whistle Stop is on the fringes

Sunday’s London News Stakes over 1800m at Turffontein was won by Tellina who just pipped fellow Geoff Woodruff trained, Killua Castle and the well-entrenched, Wylie Hall (6). This victory propelled Tellina into 14th on the log, though Killua Castle is still outside the margins at 25. Another Woodruff runner, Master Sabina (17th – 19th) is also lurking just within the shut-out zone after a tame midfield finish in the Peninsula Handicap, behind Met aspirants like Punta Arenas (27) and Hot Ticket (24).

Other fringe entries include Lake Arthur, Paterfamilias, Razzle Dazzle Rose, Rock Cocktail, Whistle Stop and Ilha Bela.

Competition for the few places up for grabs within the top 20 is closely contested, and with all major preparations completed, barring a few appearances this weekend, defections due to physical issues or decisions by connections targeting alternate feature races will probably influence the final slots.

The log listed below by the handicappers and racing operators indicates their current preference of who will get into the race based on ruling merit ratings, recent form and competitiveness in Graded and Listed races over the past year.