● Flamboyant Stakes (Grade 3)
INDI ANNA has had her merit rating raised from 96 to 105 following her success in the Grade 3 Flamboyant Stakes for fillies and mares over 1600m at Greyville (turf track) on Saturday 26 December.
Runner-up MARY O was deemed to make for the best line horse, which leaves her unchanged on a mark of 102. Third placed LOVE BOMB and fourth finisher GALLIC PRINCESS, were also left unaltered, on 105 and 114 respectively.
No horses aside from the winner received a ratings increase, but there were drops for three runners. SILENT CRUSADE is down from 108 to 107, MASTER KEYS drops from 97 to 94, and lastly, CASINO QUEEN goes from 85 to 83.
Indi Anna wins the Gr3 Flamoyant Stakes, increasing her merit rating from 96 to 105. (Pic- Candiese Lenferna)
● Christmas Handicap (Listed)
MOUNT ANDERSON has had his rating increased from 94 to 98 after he captured the Listed Christmas Handicap over 1600m on the Greyville turf course on Saturday. Part of this four-pound increase is down to the fact that MOUNT ANDERSON carried 1 kg overweight.
Runner-up MR FITZ and 3rd placed BABY SHOOZ were both used as line horses, which leaves them unchanged on marks of 96 and 97, respectively. There were no increases for any runner aside from the winner, but a number of horses were given a ratings drop.
4th placed SNIPER SHOT is down from 98 to 95, SHARE HOLDER remains on the 94 he was dropped to from the 99 he raced off here subsequent to the publication of weights for this event. MOUNT LAUREL goes from 111 to 109, WYNKELDER is down to 107 from 109, and lastly, SACRED ARROW drops from 102 to 99.
● Southeaster Sprint (Handicap) (Listed)
ELUSIVE TRADER has had his rating increased from 100 to 105 after he won the Listed Southeaster Sprint (handicap) for a second year in succession over 1100m at Kenilworth on Saturday. It was felt that ELUSIVE TRADER would not have run worse here than when he achieved a mark of 105 in a pinnacle stakes at his latest start. In terms of the conditions of pinnacle events, he could not be given that rating at the time, but that achieved rating was used to rate Saturday’s event and accordingly, ELUSIVE TRADER (who incidentally carried 0.5 kgs overweight in the Southeaster Sprint) has now been raised to 105.
The only other increase was for runner-up CONSTABLE, who is up from 101 to 103, but there were drops for numerous horses. 3rd placed CARTEL CAPTAIN is down from 109 to 107, 4th finisher CAPTAIN TATTERS drops from 107 to 105, FREEDOM SEEKER is down to 88 from 90, GAINSFORD was trimmed from 101 to 100, and lastly, GREEN JACKET goes from 95 to 94.
Elusive Trader’s merit rating is increased from 100 to 105 after winning the Listed Southeaster Sprint. (Pic- Chase Liebenberg)
● Lebelo Sprint (Handicap) (Grade 3)
MOMBELA has seen his rating raised from 102 to 105 after the nine-year-old came from last to snatch victory in the Grade 3 Lebelo Sprint (handicap) over the Turffontein 1000m straight course on Sunday. 4th placed ORAVAR was considered to make for the best line horse here, and as such, his rating remains unchanged on 102. There were increases for 2nd placed BOLD RANSOM up from 104 to 106, while 3rd finisher MIRACLE FLIGHT (who was fully 5 kgs or 10 pounds under sufferance at the weights) goes up from 98 to 109.
There were no other increases, but four horses were given a ratings drop. DONDERWEER is down from 103 to 101, CAPTAIN HINDSIGHT drops from 100 to 99, DOWN TO ZERO goes from 105 to 102, and lastly, PRINCE OF KAHAL is down from 119 to 116.
