Got The Greenlight upped from 114 to 116 (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Classic Day at Turffontein on Saturday produced some thrilling finishes and top-class performances. The NHA handicappers have assessed it race-by-race, as well as the Fairview feature last Friday.
- Gr1 S A Classic
GOT THE GREENLIGHT has seen his rating raised from 114 to 116 after he bounced right back to form and won the Gr1 S A Classic for three-year-olds over 1800m at Turffontein (standside track) on Saturday 7 March. The Handicappers felt that fourth placed LEOPOLD would not have run worse here than when he finished fifth in the Gr2 Gauteng Guineas at his most recent start and used him to what he actually achieved there to rate the Classic.
At the time the Handicappers took a lenient view of his Guineas performance, but his run in the Classic confirms that he is indeed as good as his actual achieved Guineas rating made him appear. As such, LEOPOLD’s rating now goes up from 108 to 111.
Classic runner-up GREEN LASER and 3rd placed YOUCANTHURRYLOVE both go up to 114, from 109 and 108 respectively. MASTER SUPREME is up from 85 to 100, while in the only other increase WESTERN FORT goes from 91 to 95.
The only drop was for last placed BATTLE OF ALESIA, who goes from 106 to 101.
- Wilgerbosdrift Gr1 S A Fillies Classic
SUMMER PUDDING remains unchanged on a rating of 114 after she successfully defended her unblemished record by winning the Wilgerbosdrift Gr1 S A Fillies Classic over 1800m at Turffontein on Saturday. The Handicappers were of the view that SUMMER PUDDING made the best line horse, given that she had achieved her 114 rating when she beat many of the same horses in the Grade 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas at her most recent start and that she had essentially replicated that performance in the Fillies Classic.
Summer Pudding remains a 114 (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Runner-up MARYGOLD has been raised from 108 to 112, while third placed MAGIC SCHOOL is up from 105 to 110. There were no other ratings increases, but some fillies were given a drop. WHAT YOU ARE is down from 105 to 104, VIRTUOSA drops from 96 to 95, KAYLA’S CHAMP goes from 107 to 103, and lastly SNOW PALACE is down to 100 from 103.
- Betting World Gr2 Hawaii Stakes
CIRILLO remains unchanged on a rating of 127 after he made all the running to win the Betting World Gr2 Hawaii Stakes over 1400m at Turffontein on Saturday. The Handicappers were of the opinion that CIRILLO was the most appropriate line horse to use when assessing this event, hence no change to his rating.
Runner-up TIERRA DEL FUEGO was raised from 119 to 120, while third placed ZOUAVES goes up from 115 to 117. The only drop was for 4th placed MATADOR MAN, who is down to 117 from 119.
- It’s A Rush Gr3 Acacia Handicap
Unbeaten LADY OF STEEL has had her rating raised from 98 to 105 after she made it four-from-four by easily winning the Gr3 Racing. It’s A Rush Acacia Handicap for fillies and mares over 1600m at Turffontein on Saturday. Here, the Handicappers elected to use fourth placed PERFECT TIGRESS as the line horse, and as such her rating remains unchanged on 107.
Runner-up VIRGINIA was raised from 95 to 96, while third placed QUERARI FERRARI goes up from 94 to 98, having been three pounds under sufferance at the weights. No other horses were given an increase, however, there were a number of drops. GREEN TOP was trimmed from 92 to 91, ROUGE ALLURE was dropped to 92 from 93, SAINTS ALIVE is down from 88 to 87, TOO PHAT TO FLY was dropped from 93 to 92, and lastly RUNNING BRAVE goes from 112 to 110.
- Listed Drum Star Handicap
GREEN HAZE has had his rating upped from 111 to 116 after he ran on stoutly to win the Listed Drum Star Handicap over 1800m at Turffontein on Saturday. The Handicappers were of the view that third placed DIVINE ODYSSEY was the best line horse to use and as such his rating remains unchanged on 115, but runner-up D’ARRIVEE was raised from 102 to 106.
The only other change in this race was for GREEK FIRE, who drops from 97 to 94.
- Listed Aquanaut Handicap
CHITENGO has had her rating increased from 105 to 110 after she ran out a very comfortable winner of the Listed Aquanaut Handicap over 2400m at Turffontein on Saturday. Second placed GLIDER PILOT and third finisher FLICHITY BY FARR were both considered to be the correct line horses to use here and as such their ratings remain unchanged on 100 and 104 respectively.
The winner aside, there were no increases for any runners here, but numerous horses received a ratings drop. SHENANIGANS goes from 103 to 101, ALI BON DUBAI drops from 107 to 105, DAWN ASSAULT was trimmed from 116 to 115, PRETTY BORDER drops from 100 to 97, and lastly WONDEROUS CLIMBER goes to 86 from 88.
- Listed Breeders Guineas
SAILING SHIP has had her rating increased from 99 to 102 after she ran out an easy winner of the Listed Breeders Guineas for three-year-old fillies over 1600m at Fairview on Friday. Runner-up GLORY DAYS was deemed to make for the best line horse here and accordingly she remains unchanged on a mark of 91.
Third placed FLEECED goes up from 90 to 91, while fourth finisher AMERICAN PRINCESS is up from 82 to 90. There were no other ratings increases, although three fillies were given a drop. BLUSHING BRIDE is down from 86 to 85, PALACE QUEEN goes from 80 to 78, and SCARBOROUGH FAIR was cut from 84 to 82.
- Press release by NHA on Tuesday 10 March 2020
