Handicapping Ratings Update

Third Runway and Silver Operator have both had their merit ratings increased to 109 after their successes in Graded races at Kenilworth this past weekend.

Third Runway was raised from 97 after she made a winning seasonal debut in the Grade 2 Western Cape Fillies Championship for three-year-olds over 1400m.

The handicappers were of the view that runner-up Pretty Young Thing - who incidentally was beaten 4.25 lengths by Third Runway in a maiden juvenile plate over the same distance at Durbanville in May - was the correct line horse to use in assessing the race and as such, she remains unchanged on 105.

Third-placed Roll In The Hay goes up from 99 to 104, as does fourth-placed Driving Miss Daisy. Fifth finisher Larentina has been raised from 85 to 103, while sixthplaced Sailing Ship goes up from 87 to 98. Drama Queen and Point Of Sale both go up to 95 from 93 and 92 respectively. The only drop was to Somewhere In Time, from 94 to 91.

In the Grade 3 Cape Classic, the handicappers felt that it was highly unlikely that Silver Operator would have run below the 109 he actually achieved when he finished a close second behind Belgarion in a handicap on his seasonal debut in September. The merit of that performance was underlined when Belgarion won the Listed Settlers Trophy at his next start.

Runner-up Captain Tatters was raised from 99 to 108 after beating third-placed Seventh Gear by 2.75 lengths. He in turn goes up from 95 to 100, fourth-placed Prince Of Persia is now 99 (up from 90) and fifth-placed Macthief has been raised from 97 to 103. The third, fourth and fifth horses were rated relative to seventh finisher King Of Gems and as such all of this group would meet on the correct terms if they were to face each other in a handicap race.

The only other change was to General Franco, who drops from 102 to 99.

In the Listed Racing Association Stakes at Fairview, Viva Rio’s merit rating was raised from 93 to 108 after he ran out an easy winner.

It was decided by the handicappers that fourth-placed Luna Wish was the correct line horse to use in assessing the race and accordingly her rating remains unchanged on 96.

Runner-up Foreign Source also remains unchanged on 107, but third-placed Cane Lime ‘N Soda has been increased from 98 to 101. He also achieved 101 when he won a Kenilworth maiden race by 8.5 lengths in August and it was felt that he was unlikely to have fared worse by finishing third at Listed level.

Fifth-placed Justfortheepenny goes up from 88 to 91, while Scarborough Fair drops from 94 to 92.

Cat Daddy had his merit rating increased from 94 to 101 after his easy success in the Listed Socrasync Toro Ya Africa Algoa Cup (handicap) over 2000m on the Fairview turf track on Sunday.

Runner-up Knights Templar goes up from 97 to 100, while third-placed DucD’Orange goes up from 88 to 92.- NHA