Royal Victory remains unchanged on a rating of 111 after he easily beat four rivals to win the Gr3 Tony Ruffel Stakes for three-year-olds over 1400m on the standside track at Turffontein on Monday 2 January 2023.
In assessing the race, the Handicappers were of the view that 2nd placed ARIVIDICIO had not run worse than the 97 which he achieved when finishing second in a Listed handicap for three-year-olds over the same course-and-distance on Christmas Eve.
His rating was raised to 97 following that event, but as the weights for the Tony Ruffel had already been issued, he was carded off his old mark of 93.
In rating the race this way, ROYAL VICTORY only runs to a mark of 105, hence his unchanged rating.
The specific conditions of the race do not allow for a rating’s increase for any horse beyond the winner, and as such 3rd placed GOLDEN PROSPECT remains on 96 despite actually achieving a mark of 97.
The only ratings drop was for NOW I GOT YOU, who is down from 103 to 100.
Gr3 Three Troikas Stakes
MISS COOL remains unchanged on a mark of 103 after winning the Gr 3 Three Troikas Stakes for three-year-old fillies over 1400m on the Turffontein standside track on Monday. It was in fact MISS COOL herself who was used as the line horse when assessing this event, hence her unaltered rating.
Again, the specific race conditions do not permit any ratings increase for horses other than the winner. Accordingly, runner-up KINKY BOOTS and 4th placed MORAINE remain unchanged on marks of 82 and 88, respectively, despite actually running to ratings of 97 and 96, respectively.
Two horses received a rating’s drop. BLESS MY STARS is down from 103 to 101, while BERENGARIA drops from 84 to 82.
Gr3 London News Stakes
PUERTO MANZANO remains unchanged on a rating of 123 after he landed the Gr 3 London News Stakes over 1800m on the standside track at Turffontein on Monday.
The Handicappers were of the opinion that 2nd placed ELECTRIC GOLD would not have run below the 106 he achieved when winning a Middle Stakes on 6 December 2022 (the specific conditions of that race did not permit for more than a 6 pounds adjustment for the winner and accordingly ELECTRIC GOLD was capped to 104). Again, due to the specific conditions in the London News Stakes, ELECTRIC GOLD remains unchanged on an official rating of 104 as no upward adjustments are permitted for placed horses.
In assessing the race this way PUERTO MANZANO only runs to a mark of 113, which is the reason for his unaltered rating.
3rd placed TOTAL PROTECTION remains unchanged on 96 although actually running to a higher mark for the reasons explained above.
The only drop was for MARIGOLD HOTEL, who is down to 103 from 105.
Gr3 Flamboyant Stakes
CANADIAN SUMMER has had her rating raised from 104 to 108 following her win in the Gr 3 Flamboyant Stakes for fillies and mares over 1600m on the turf course at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday 1 January. The Handicappers believed that 3rd placed TOP ME UP HOLLY made for the most suitable line horse, leaving her unchanged on a mark of 98.
Owing to a peculiar set of circumstances, three-year-old CANADIAN SUMMER met her older rivals on 1 kg or 2 pounds better terms than she should have in terms of the Weight-For-Age scale applicable to January. This is because the race was originally scheduled for 26 December 2022 but was postponed to Sunday (January) due to inclement weather and the race was transferred in its entirety with the field as carded for 26 December, and the WFA element for three-year-olds over 1600m drops by 1 kg between December and January. The weights could not be re-issued in the circumstances as the race was not reopened for nominations but moved to 1 January as it originally stood. Thus, CANADIAN SUMMER received the greater December WFA allowance despite the race taking place in January.
The winner aside, the only other increases were for 2nd placed DAWNOFANEWDAY, who goes up from 92 to 99, and for 4th finisher MONASHADA, who is up from 91 to 94.
There were ratings drops for three horses. SOUND OF WARNING is down from 112 to 110, WISHFUL GIRL LIN drops from 94 to 92, and lastly HAWKER TYPHOON was trimmed from, 94 to 93.
Listed Christmas Handicap
BELLA SICCOME has had her rating raised from 89 to 93 after winning the Listed Christmas Handicap over 1600m on the Hollywoodbets Greyville turf course on Sunday. It was 3rd finisher PYROMANIAC who was deemed to make for the best line horse here, leaving him unchanged on a rating of 105.
The winner aside, the only other ratings raise was for 2nd placed PRINCE OF TARANTO, who is up from 90 to 91.
Two horses were given a drop. 4th placed CAPTAIN CASEY – a three-year-old who was 1 kg or 2 pounds well-in for precisely the same reason as set out regarding Canadian Summer in the Flamboyant Stakes – drops from 105 to 103, while LOVE BOMB is down from 90 to 88.
- Media release by National Horseracing Authority on Wednesday 4 January 2023
