Saturday was the final major day of the 2018/19 racing season.
The National Horseracing Authority’s handicapping team provide the background to their analysis of the individual features.
Carte blanche for Joey? The Gold Cup trainer greets Derek Watts (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Champions Cup (Grade 1)
RAINBOW BRIDGE remains unchanged on a Merit Rating of 124 after his victory in the Grade 1 World Sports Betting Champion Stakes at Greyville on Saturday 27 July.
The Handicappers used the three-year-olds SOQRAT and TWIST OF FATE as the line horses to rate this WFA event, which in fact sees RAINBOW BRIDGE (who hung badly down the straight) running to 122, but his rating has been left unchanged.
The line horses remain unaltered. Fourth placed CIRILLO drops from 121 to 119, whereas fifth placed BUFFALO BILL CODY was upped from 114 to 115, which is what he actually achieved when winning a pinnacle plate in his last start. In the only other change, MATADOR MAN was cut from 112 to 111.
Mercury Sprint (Grade 1)
KASIMIR has had his Merit Rating increased from 117 to 118 after he captured the WFA Mercury Sprint over 1200m at Greyville on Saturday.
Here, the Handicappers agreed that ultra-consistent BOLD RESPECT was the correct line horse to use in assessing the race and as such his rating remains untouched on 112. Runner-up CELTIC SEA was also left unchanged on 115.
Third placed PALACE CHAPEL was increased from 107 to 112. Fifth placed AFRICA RISING and sixth placed VAN HALEN also both go up to 112, from 107 and 110 respectively. The only other change was to last placed VISION TO KILL, who was dropped from 105 to 102.
Gold Cup (Grade 3)
DYNASTY’S BLOSSOM has seen her rating increased from 93 to 99 after she captured the Grade 3 eLan Gold Cup over 3200m at Greyville on Saturday.
Here, runner-up MADE TO CONQUER and third placed DOUBLEMINT were both used as line horses, so accordingly their ratings remain unchanged. In rating the race this way, GIMME ONE NIGHT also runs to his rating and effectively becomes a line horse as well.
Fourth placed ALI BON DUBAI was upped from 92 to 95, while the only drops were made to the ratings of STRATHDON and SECRET POTION, who both drop to 99 from pre-Gold Cup marks of 101.
Gold Cup winner Nooresh Juglall (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Gold Bracelet (Grade 2)
RUNNING BRAVE remains unchanged on a rating of 104 after she held off all challengers to win the Grade 2 Gold Bracelet for fillies and mares over 2000m at Greyville on Saturday.
Here, third placed INSIGNIS and fourth placed SABINA’S DYNASTY were used as the line horses and accordingly remain unchanged. On the other hand, runner-up CAMPHORATUS goes up from 105 to 108.
Fifth placed ROY’S RIVIERA was increased from 97 to 99, while in the only other change sixth placed LADY IN BLACK was dropped from 110 to 108.
Darley Arabian (Listed)
PILOU has had his rating increased from 97 to 99 after he won the Listed Marshall Security Darley Arabian (handicap) over 1600m at Greyville on Saturday. Third placed SILVA’S BULLET and fourth placed RUN RED were used as the line horses and remain unchanged, while no change was also made to the runner-up ELUSIVE HEART.
Drops were made to the ratings of D’ARRIVEE (90 to 89), Sniper Shot (102 to 100), and THANKSGIVING, who dropped from 102 to 98.
Mary Slack, Gavin Lerena and Sean Tarry after the Gr2 Debutante (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Umngeni Handicap (Listed)
SUNSET EYES has had his rating raised from 100 to 105 after his easy success in the Listed Epol Umngeni Handicap over 1000m at Greyville on Saturday.
Consistent runner-up FILIPPO was used as the line horse here and as such his rating remains unchanged.
Third placed NEPTUNE’S RAIN was dropped from 102 to 101, while in other drops ATTENBOROUGH goes from 102 to 100, KISSABLE was cut from 83 to 81, and TOWNSHIP MELODY goes from 89 to 87.
