Michael Roberts Handicap (Listed)
NEWS STREAM has had his rating raised from 90 to 96 following his success in the Listed Michael Roberts Handicap over 1750m on the Scottsville inner course on Sunday 17 January. Some of this adjustment is due to the fact that NEWS STREAM was 3 pounds or 1.5 kgs under sufferance at the weights.
President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation last night and announced that the country remains on adjusted alert level 3 and therefore the status quo of ‘Racing Behind Closed Doors’ as per the NHA’s Press Release on 29 December 2020 remains in place.
JET DARK has had his merit rating raised from 109 to 130 after the solitary three-year-old in the line-up saw off a high class field of older horses on WFA terms in the Grade 1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate over 1600m on the Kenilworth summer course on Saturday 9 January.
RUNNING BRAVE remains unchanged on a mark of 119 after she captured the Grade 3 London News Stakes over 1800m on the standside track at Turffontein on Saturday 2 January. The handicappers were of the view that RUNNING BRAVE herself made for the best line horse when assessing this event, hence her unaltered rating.
The National Horseracing Authority (NHA) has pleasure in announcing the appointment of its Chief Veterinary Surgeon, Dr Thiago Luz.
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.
The National Horseracing Authority confirms that it has given careful and urgent consideration to the contents of the President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address last night, which effectively placed South Africa under NEW adjusted Level 3 Lockdown effective today, 29 December 2020.
RUSSIAN ROCK has had his merit rating upped from 95 to 114 following his success in the Grade 1 Cape Guineas over 1600m on the Kenilworth summer course on Saturday 19 December. The handicappers felt that the ultra-consistent runner-up LINEBACKER made for the most suitable line horse, which leaves him unchanged on a mark of 112.
3rd placed RASCALLION goes up slightly from 109 to 110, while 4th finisher JET DARK is up from 100 to 109, keeping him one pound below RASCALLION. There were also increases for THE GATEKEEPER, who is up from 104 to 109, and for INVINCABELLE, who was raised from 99 to 106.
Two horses were given a ratings drop, LOOK FOR HOUNDS was trimmed from 96 to 95, while WILLOW EXPRESS is down from 104 to 102.
CAPTAIN’S RANSOM remains unchanged on a rating of 116 following her fluent win in the Grade 1 World Sports Betting Cape Fillies Guineas over 1600m on the Kenilworth summer course on Saturday 12th December. It was CAPTAIN’S RANSOM herself who was deemed to make for the best line horse when assessing this race, hence her unchanged rating.
As per the President’s address to the nation last night, we are experiencing a spike in infections as the virus resurges in our communities and three hotspot areas have been identified within South Africa. These are Nelson Mandela Bay (Port Elizabeth), the Sarah Baartman District and the Garden Route.
