Port Elizabeth Gold Cup (Listed) 

BARAK has had his merit rating raised from 85 to 91 following his success in the Listed Port Elizabeth Gold Cup over 3200m on the turf track at Fairview on Friday 15 July.  The Handicappers were of the view that runner-up ANCIENT TIMES made for the best line horse, leaving him unchanged on a rating of 95.

In assessing the race this way, BARAK actually achieves a mark of 94.  However, the specific race conditions only allow for a maximum six pounds rating increase for the winner and no other increases, and as such BARAK has had to be capped at a rating of 91. 

However, no fewer than five horses received a rating’s drop.  Third placed FIND ME UNAFRAID – who has now finished behind stable companion ANCIENT TIMES in three consecutive races – was dropped from 95 to his achieved 94, which at least leaves him on a lower mark than ANCIENT TIMES.  MISS ORANGE was dropped from 89 to 86, SUPER HANDSOME is down to 81 from 84, MASTER SUPREME (who won the corresponding race in 2021 but who has been out of sorts recently) is down from 94 to 92, and lastly SUPER NOIR drops from 71 to 69.