The NHRA Handicappers have assessed a busy weekend of feature race action, with the bound-for-the-world Hawwaam being upped to a 134.
- Gr1 World Sports Betting Premier’s Champions Challenge (Grade 1)
HAWWAAM has had his rating raised from 131 to 134 after he ran out an easy winner of the Grade 1 World Sports Betting Premier’s Champions Challenge over 2000m on the Turffontein standside track on Saturday 27 June. The Handicappers were of the view that 3rd placed TIERRA DEL FUEGO was a suitable line horse even though he was trying a new distance, given that he run a similar race behind HAWWAAM at Grade 1 level in his most recent start in the H F Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes. As such, his rating remains unchanged on 124.
Hawwaam (Pic – JC Photos)
It was noted that runner-up SOQRAT ran a much improved race here and was only given a small drop from 133 to 132. There were no increases for any runner aside from the winner, but two other horses were given drops. HERO’S HONOUR is down from 117 to 115, and TILBURY FORT drops from 112 to 110.
- Gr1 HSH Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes
RONNIE’S CANDY has seen her rating upped from 115 to 117 after her victory in the Grade 1 HSH Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes for fillies and mares over 1600m at Turffontein on Saturday. Runner-up VISTULA was used as the line horse when assessing this race and so remains unchanged on a rating of 115.
Fourth placed SARAGON was picked up from 99 to 105 and is the only other to receive an increase. There were drops for three horses. IN THE DANCE goes from 107 to 105, WISTERIA WALK drops from 108 to 107, and SNOW PALACE goes to 99 from 100.
- Gr1 Computaform Sprint
RIVARINE has seen his rating jump from 108 to 125 after he put up by far his best career performance to win the Grade 1 Computaform Sprint over the Turffontein 1000m on Saturday. Here the 125-rated runner-up RUSSET AIR was used as the line horses, which of course means that his mark remains unchanged, and the Handicappers opted to keep RIVARINE the equal of RUSSET AIR given that the winner ran to a level well above anything he had previously achieved.
3rd placed CHIMICHURI RUN was given a small drop from 126 to 125 so that he not remain rated above the two horses that beat him. Sixth placed DONDERWEER is up from 101 to 107, while 7th finisher WINTER STORM was picked up from 104 to 106. There were two further drops, with WILLIAM THE SILENT being cut from 110 to 106 and SPRING BREAK going from 103 to 99.
- Gr2 World Sports Betting Camellia Stakes
GOLDEN BELLE has had her rating raised from 94 to 116 after she ran away with the Grade 2 World Sports Betting Camellia Stakes for fillies and mares over 1160m at Turffontein on Saturday. 3rd placed DANCING QUEEN was considered to be the most suitable line horse in this conditions event and so remains unchanged on 106.
4th finisher POOL PARTY was picked up from 98 to 101 and was the only other runner to receive a rating increase, but there were drops for four horses. GIN FIZZ goes from 106 to 103, ALL AT ONCE is down from 102 to 100, KARINO was trimmed from 90 to 89, and lastly TRUE CHARM goes to 93 from 95.
- Gr3 Bidvest Gold Bowl
IMPERIAL RUBY has had his rating raised from 102 to 107 (which is the rating he ran to when 6th in the Grade 1 SA Derby) after he stayed on well to win the Grade 3 Bidvest Gold Bowl on handicap terms over 3200m at Turffontein on Saturday. 4th placed DROMEDARIS and 5th finisher SUNSHINE SILK were both used as line horses and so remain unchanged on 95 and 103, respectively.
Imperial Ruby (Pic – JC Photos)
Runner-up FACTOR FIFTY was picked up from 104 to 108, while 3rd placed TOP SHOT goes up from 89 to 91 solely as a consequence of his carrying 1 kg overweight. 6th placed GOLD GRADEIFFIN goes up from 74 to 79 and is the only other runner to get an increase, but there were drops for a number of horses.
FACT was trimmed from 92 to 91, ALI BON DUBAI is down from 105 to 102, SHENANIGANS is down to 98 from 100, while DIAMOND DANCER had already been dropped from 93 to 91 subsequent to the weights for the Gold Bowl being issued and remains on 91.
- Gr1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge
RAINBOW BRIDGE remains unchanged on 134 following his pillar-to-post triumph in the Grade 1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge over 1600m on the Greyville turf course on Sunday 28 June. The Handicappers were of the view that RAINBOW BRIDGE himself made for the best line horse, especially as he beat TWIST OF FATE by almost the identical margin to when they respectively finished 2nd and 4th in the Grade 1 Sun Met at Kenilworth earlier this year.
Runner-up VARDY was left unchanged on 134. The Handicappers took into account that RAINBOW BRIDGE enjoyed a soft lead in a race run at a very slow pace and for VARDY to come from last and finish second was an outstanding effort. As such, we are happy to have him remain rated the equal of RAINBOW BRIDGE at this point in time.
No horses in fact received a ratings increase after this race, but there were drops for 3rd placed DO IT AGAIN (who goes from 135 to 133 to peg him below the two who beat him), and for TWIST OF FATE ( who drops from 129 to 127.)
- Gr1 Woolavington 2000
Unbeaten SUMMER PUDDING has had her rating raised from 114 to 117 after the heroine of the recent Gauteng Triple Tiara made it a perfect seven-from-seven by landing the Grade 1 Woolavington 2000 for three-year-old fillies over 2000m at Greyville on Sunday.
Runner-up DRIVING MISS DAISY and 4th placed VICTORIA PAIGE (who had also crossed swords with SUMMER PUDDING in two legs of the Triple Tiara) were both used as line horses here and so remain unchanged on 115 and 112, respectively.
There were increases also for KEEP SMILING, who goes from 102 to 108, FOLLOW THE STAR, who is up from 98 to 100, and RATTLE MOUSE, who goes to 92 from 84. The only drop was for KELPIE, who is down to 113 from 116.
- Gr1 Daily News 2000
GOT THE GREEENLIGHT has had his rating raised from 116 to 118, after he captured the Grade 1 Daily News 2000 for three-year-olds over 2000m at Greyville on Sunday. It was decided by the Handicappers that the best way to rate the race was to use 4th placed SHANGO to the 112 he actually achieved in his last start in the Grade 1 SA Derby at Turffontein on 6 June. Accordingly, SHANGO was given a drop from 118 to 116 to leave him rated two pounds inferior to GOT THE GREENLIGHT.
Runner-up PADRE PIO and 3rd placed GOLDEN DUCAT, who were both rated 110 going into the race, were both raised to 115. There was also an increase for SHARE HOLDER, who goes from 86 to 101 (below the actual 105 he achieved and still below the actual 102 he achieved in the Grade 2 World Sports Betting Guineas at Greyville three weeks earlier). The only drop was for AZORES, who goes from 99 to 97.
- Gr2 Tibouchina Stakes
SILVANO’S PRIDE has had her rating raised from 115 to 118 after she made virtually all the running to win the Grade 2 Tibouchina Stakes for fillies and mares over 1400m at Greyville on Sunday, while conceding weight to all 10 of her rivals.
Silvano’s Pride (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Ultra-consistent 3rd finisher MASTER KEYS was deemed to make for the best line horse here and accordingly remains unchanged on 104. There were increases for runner-up SLEEPING SINGLE, who is up from 106 to 107, and for 4th placed POINT OF SALE, who goes from 96 to 102.
Two horses had their ratings dropped, with SPIRITOFTHEGROOVE going from 105 to 102 and SIDONIE dropping to 103 to 101.
- Listed East Cape Breeders Stakes
WORLD RADAR has seen her rating up from 99 to 111 after she showed plenty of speed throughout and landed the Listed East Cape Breeders Stakes over 1200m at Fairview (turf course) on Friday 26 June. It was noted that the winner and runner-up ELUSIVE HEART finished a long way clear of the balance, and that ELUSIVE HEART is a past Grade 3 winning and Grade 1 placed mare who had also won a very similar race to the East Cape Breeders Stakes in February of this year.
It was 4th placed MISS SMARTY PANTS – who had finished a very similar distance behind ELUSIVE HEART in her most recent start – who was considered to be the most suitable line horse. As such she remains unchanged on 100, but ELUSIVE HEART is up from 106 to 110.
There were no other increases, but two horses were given a rating’s drop. OUTLANDOS D’AMOUR is down from 101 to 100, while MARCH MUSIC drops from 96 to 94.
