WSB 1900 winner She’s A Keeper will almost certainly be included in the top 18 of the next Vodacom Durban July log, despite officially having a rating of just 96, and the progressive second and third-placed horses, the Alyson Wright-trained Matterhorn and the MJ Odendaal-trained Shavout, also warrant consideration.
The Gr2 WSB 1900 is one of the four races alongside the Gr1 WSB Summer Cup, the Gr3 Cup Trial and the Gr3 Jubilee Handicap, in which the winner enjoys preferential consideration for the final VDJ field.
Progressive She’s A Keep – 96 and flying! (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
David Thiselton writes that this year’s WSB 1900 dished up one of the strangest qualifying race results in July history because the trio that finished well clear of the rest were officially the three worst rated horses in the field.
She’s A Keeper’s merit rating has continually been capped by handicap guideline restrictions and race conditions.
However, the anomaly of Sunday’s race is that if only the first three horses are considered she did not run any better than the capped 96 rating she has been given. But if the rest of the field is considered the first three home all ran way above their ratings.
The bare result shows four-year-old She’s A Keeper, carrying 50kg off a 90 merit rating, beating four-year-old Matterhorn, carrying 54kg off a 100 rating, by 0,90 lengths, with three-year-old Shavout, carrying 52kg off an 87 rating, a further 0,80 lengths behind.
However, She’s A Keeper was officially 4kg under sufferance with the best weighted Doublemint, who was in 19th place on the first VDJ log, and beat him by 9,15 lengths; Matterhorn was 3kg under sufferance with Doublemint and beat him by 8,25 lengths and three-year-old Shavout was a whopping 10kg under sufferance with Doublemint and beat him by 7,45 lengths.
Watch the race replay here
The trio were also well clear of 4,60 length fourth-placed Crown Towers, who was in 17th place on the first VDJ log, and even further clear of 20th placed Tristful and a street clear of Zillaal, who was among the five horses just outside of the top 20.
The WSB race conditions state that the winner cannot be raised more than six merit rated points and placed horses cannot be raised at all.
She’s A Keeper was duly raised six points to 96 and Matterhorn and Shavout remain on 100 and 87 respectively, so the inclusion of all three will give the log an unusual look.
The result has certainly provided a headache for the VDJ log panellists.
The next big race log is anticipated after the running of the Gr1 Daily News 2000 on 29 May, but prior to the Hollywoodbets Gr1 Gold Challenge on 12 June.
This will afford the hosts an opportunity to slot the 3yo’s into the big race pecking order.
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