Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas prospect Cousin Casey has had his merit rating raised from 113 to 115 after easily winning the Grade 2 Cape Punters Cup for three-year-olds over 1600m on the Hollywoodbets Kenilworth summer course on Saturday 19 November.
The Handicappers were unanimous in their view that consistent 4th finisher PORT LOUIS made for the ideal line horse here, which leaves him unchanged on a mark of 105.
Cousin Casey is now a 115 (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
There were also ratings increases for four other horses. Runner-up, AT YOUR COMMAND, was picked up from 107 to 109, while 3rd finisher LE MORNE goes up from 94 to 105. 5th placed MONEY HEIST was raised from 90 to 103 and would thus meet the four that beat him on the correct terms in a handicap, while TRIPLE TIME goes up from 90 to 94.
There were drops for two horses. GRINKOV is down from 104 to 99, while MARVEL WILLIAM was trimmed from 92 to 91.
Best Weighted
It is worth noting that the five best weighted horses in this event finished in the top seven placings, racing off ratings that were not adulterated by any arbitrary limitations imposed on the Handicappers in previous races. The only exceptions were the big improvers LE MORNE (who was previously unbeaten from three attempts), and MONEY HEIST. Note also that the best weighted runner, COUSIN CASEY, who was rated to beat AT MY COMMAND (weighted to run 3rd) by 2 pounds or 1 length at these weight terms in fact beat AT MY COMMAND by 1 length into 2nd in the Punters Cup.
Sophomore Sprint (Listed)
WE’RE JAMMING has had his rating raised from 101 to 106 after he won the Listed Sophomore Sprint for three-year-olds over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday. In assessing the race, the Handicappers felt that it was highly unlikely that runner-up STREET OUTLAW ran worse here than when achieving an actual mark of 99 by finishing second in a middle stakes at his penultimate start and used that mark of 99 to rate this race. Accordingly, STREET OUTLAW’s rating goes up from 96 to 99.
In assessing the race this way, TROMPIE equals the mark of 99 he actually achieved when winning the Need For Speed Sprint in his latest start, effectively making him a line horse as well and resulting in an increase in his rating from 93 to 99. TROMPIE had to be capped at 93 after that win as he was rated 87 going into the Need For Speed and could not be raised more than six pounds for winning, but he is now rated to what he actually achieved on that occasion.
There were also ratings increases for HAMMIES HERO, who is up from 94 to 96, and for ITSRAININGWILLIAM, who goes from 88 to 94.
Two horses were given a drop. CAPTAIN BOMBSHELL is down to 95 from 100, while COLLOIDAL GOLD drops from 85 to 80.
TAB4Racing Fillies Mile (Grade 3)
EMIRATE GINA has had her rating raised from 93 to 99 after she landed the Grade 3 TAB4 Racing Fillies Mile for three-year-olds over 1600m on the standside track at Turffontein on Friday 18 November.
The Handicappers believed that both 3rd placed ROCK THE FOX and 4th finisher ORARARI GOLD made for the ideal line horses, leaving them unchanged on ratings of 102 and 101, respectively.
It can easily be deduced that EMIRATE GINA ran to a much higher mark than 99 in easily beating both line horses at level weights, but as has recently become the norm in numerous Highveld stakes races the specific conditions of this event do not allow for an increase of more than six pounds to the rating of the winner, and no increase at all for any other runner.
Thus, EMIRATE GINA has been capped at a wholly inaccurate and misleading mark of 99 and would receive weight from both ROCK THE FOX and ORARARI GOLD in a handicap race, which would amount to an unfair advantage for EMIRATE GINA.
Runner-up NONE OTHER remains on a mark of 97 as per the race conditions, despite actually achieving a much higher rating and would also be unfairly advantaged against the two line horses in a handicap event.
There were ratings drops for three horses. RIVER QUERARESS is down from 108 to 105, KILL SHOT drops to 90 from 95, and lastly TRIED AND TRUE drops from 80 to 78.
ADDENDUM
Summer Bowl (19 November 2022) and Race 6 FM72 Handicap (16 November 2022)
Following consultation with the Handicappers and the horses’ owners, Trainer Mr Brett Crawford elected to take the Handicappers assessment of 100 and 93 for his fillies MAKE IT SNAPPY and HAPPY CHANCE following their wins at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday and Wednesday, respectively.
HAPPY CHANCE and MAKE IT SNAPPY had to be capped in terms of Handicapping guidelines and specific race conditions respectively. However, Trainers do have the right to request that the Handicappers apply their assessments and Mr Crawford elected to exercise this right as the Handicappers’ assessments are a fairer reflection to their actual ability as opposed to capped ratings.
This improves the chances of both horses making the final field for the upcoming Grade 1 Cape Fillies Guineas and aids in selecting the best possible field for this Graded event.
- Media release by National Horseracing Authority on Tuesday 22 November 2022
