Gauteng Summer Cup meeting’s rating reviews

Zillzaal has had his rating increased from 114 to 120 after his win in the Gauteng Chris Gerber Summer Cup at Turffontein.

Runner-up Soqrat was used as the line horse when assessing the race, said the National Horseracing Authority’s (NHA) Handicapping Team, “but Zillzaal was 1.5 kg under sufferance at the weights and also carried 0.5 kg overweight on top of that, so a six-pound increase in his rating actually amounts to the minimum possible raise.”

The team said Soqrat’s rating remained unchanged.

Third-placed Al Mutawakel was 14 points under sufferance and accordingly goes up by that amount from 103 to 117, while fourth-placed Queen Supreme, who was 10 points under sufferance goes up from 110 to 117.

The only other raise was to Green Haze, from 107 to 111, but a number of horses had their ratings dropped.

Roy Had Enough goes from 116 to 115, Camphoratus from 118 to 116, Tilbury Fort from 118 to 116, Divine Odyssey from 117 to 116, Insignis from 112 to 110, Shenanigans from 107 to 106, and Infamous Fox from 119 to 117.

In the TAB/Betting World Dingaans (Grade 2) Shango’s rating has jumped from 95 to 120 after his win.

The Handicapping Team said: “There was no reason to believe that runner-up Frosted Gold had run below his rating of 114, and he accordingly was used as the line horse. As such, his rating remains unchanged.

“There is nothing unusual about later-developing threeyear-olds making major improvement at around this time of the year and the handicappers saw no reason not to take Shango’s impressive performance at face value,” the team said.

Third-placed Cockney Pride also remains unchanged, on 110, but fourth finisher Battle Of Alesia was upped from 94 to 108.

Other changes were to the ratings of John Hancock, up from 99 to 101; Donderweer up from 95 to 100, and Astrix, up from 103 to 104. This makes Astrix equal to Promiseofamaster, who finished behind Astrix here and who was also beaten by Astrix in a graduation plate in September. It was felt that this entitles Astrix to a rating which is at least equal to Promiseofamaster’s,” the team said.

In the New Turf Carriers Merchants Grade 2 Handicap, the Handicapping Team raised winner Mardi Gras’ rating to 124 from 116.

The Handicapping Team felt fourth-placed Ultra Magnus would not have run worse in a race of this stature than his rating which was earned in offseason KwaZulu-Natal races and used him as the line horse, which means that his rating remains unchanged on 107.

Runner-up Warrior’s Rest goes up from 110 to 113 and thirdplaced Van Halen was raised from 122 to 124.

The ratings of two horses were dropped with Clever Guy going from 112 to 110 and Valbonne from 108 to 106.

In the WSB Ipi Tombe Challenge - (Grade 2) – winner Ronnie’s Candy has had her rating raised from 112 to 115.

In rating the race this way, runner-up In The Dance, third-placed Wisteria Walk and fourth-placed Perfect Tigress all run to their ratings, effectively making them all line horses.

The winner aside, the only change made to the rating of any horse here was to Roy’s Riviera trimmed from 109 to 108.

In the Grade 3 Magnolia Handicap, the winner, True To Life as had her rating increased from 107 to 117.

Fourth-placed Pool Party was used as the line horse, so her rating remains on 102.

Runner-up Dancing Queen was raised from 101 to 104 and thirdplaced Sarah from 118 to 119.

Green Plains was dropped from 111 to 108, Desert Rhythm from 104 to 102, Lesedi La Rona from 99 to 97, and Dalai’s Promise goes from 102 to 100.

The winner of the Listed Racing Association Handicap, Bondiblu, has had her rating increased from 97 to 100.

Here, the Handicapping Team felt third-placed Factor Fifty made for the correct line horse, and as such her rating remains unchanged on 99, but runner-up Ali Bon Dubai was raised from 105 to 107.

Flichity By Farr was dropped from 102 to 100, and Noble Secret from 111 to 110. – NHA