The NHA handicappers have revealed that the recently returned to racing Legislate, who currently has a merit rating of 117, did not receive the across the board six- point merit rating rise applied at the beginning of March.
Champion Legislate only recently returned to training from stud duties
National Horseracing Authority (NHRA) handicapper Lennon Maharaj confirmed that “only horses that had raced from the 1st of August 2016 were raised”.
Legislate made his last appearance in the Drill Hall Stakes of 5 May 2016, so he escaped the hike.
A horse returning from a long rest can also have their rating dropped by up to five points by the handicappers, but this is not normally applied to elite performers. Legislate certainly falls into that category, and his rating remained untouched.
In June Legislate has been nominated for the Gr1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge and Post Merchants. Neither is a handicap, and in both races he would carry the same weight whether his rating was 117 or 123.
The Vodacom Durban July is another story. He is now theoretically 3kg better off there than he ‘should’ be – but of course if he wins or goes close in the Gold Challenge his rating will almost certainly rise.
While if he doesn’t perform well there he is almost certain not to run in the July, so it could be something of a moot point.
Handicappers protocol pertaining to layoffs reads as follows:
- Layoff Allowance ( 210-364 days)
Horses four-years-old and older where no WFA was applicable at last start; to receive up to a three rating point allowance. Three- year-old horses to where WFA was applicable at last start; to receive up to a five rating point allowance.
- Layoff Allowance (365 days and more)
Horses four- years-old and older where no WFA was applicable at last start; to receive up to a five rating point allowance. Three- year-old horses where WFA was applicable at last start; to receive up to a five rating point allowance.
Retrospective assessments of a horse’s last three starts when returning from a layoff will also to be utilised when making a rating adjustment.
-www.tabnews.co.za
