The Kenilworth double feature on Saturday produced cracking finishes down the straight and around the turn.
The NHA handicappers provide their short assessment of their merit rating adjustments.
- Gr2 Concorde Cup
POMP AND POWER has had his merit rating raised from 101 to 109 following his success in the Grade 2 Concorde Cup for three-year-olds over 1600m on the Kenilworth summer course on Saturday.
The Handicappers were of the view that runner-up COSMIC HIGHWAY made for the most suitable line horse, which leaves him unchanged on a mark of 108.
Pomp And Power returns to the winner’s enclosure (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Third finisher GOOD TRAVELLER was raised from 106 to 109. It needs to be borne in mind that GOOD TRAVELLER carried 2 kgs more than any other horse in the race as a consequence of being the sole Gr1 winner in the line-up, and by finishing 1.80 lengths (or four pounds/two kgs) behind the winner he effectively put up a performance equal to that of POMP AND POWER.
4th placed NEVER ENDING RAIN goes up from 88 to 100, while 5th finisher WAITING FOR SUMMER was raised from 96 to 99 to make him the equal of the 99-rated 6th finisher BUSH TRACKER.
- Gr2 Cape Merchants
VIKRAM has had his rating raised from 105 to 109 after he returned from an absence of more than nine months to win the Grade 2 Cape Merchants (handicap) over 1200m at Kenilworth on Saturday. Here it was 4th placed PLEASEDTOMEETYOU who was used as the line horse, which leaves him unaltered on a mark of 105.
Second-placed BEREAVE – who was 2 pounds or 1 kg under sufferance at the weights – was raised from a rating of 98 to 103, while 3rd finisher CAPTAIN FONTANE goes up to 105 from 104. There were no other rating increases out of this race, but three horses received a drop.
HIS CHOICE is down from 100 to 98, RUSSET AIR goes from 117 to 114, and lastly SPEED MACHINE was dropped from 111 to 110.
- Media release by National Horseracing Authority on Tuesday 23 November 2021
