Dean Kannemeyer upset at penalty for July favourite

Handicappers of the National Horseracing Authority (NHA) have thrown a cat among the Hollywoodbets Durban July pigeons with their assessment of last weekend’s Daily News 2000.

The wise men handed Green With Envy a four-point merit rating penalty for winning a race among his age peers that he was odds-on to win – raising him from 123 to 127.

This did not please connections of the three-year-old and trainer Dean Kannemeyer promptly lodged an objection to the adjustment. An appeal will be heard by a specially convened appeal panel.

Off his old mark of 123, Green With Envy was a 28-10 favourite for the July. The new MR of 127 will make him the third highest-rated horse in the July and would be in line to carry 55.5kg to topweight See It Again’s 60kg.

In 2023, runner-up See It Again (then a three-year-old) was widely said to have only lost out due to being heavily weighted for a young horse.

If anyone thought Green With Envy got a hard deal, they should spare a thought for Daily News runner-up Flag Man.

The lightly raced Gareth van Zyl-trained gelding got smacked 34 pounds – from 92 to 126 – which is believed to be some sort of record. This places him in the higher echelons of the July entries and makes him a zero to hero story of note.

Flag Man was supplemented into the July after winning three races in a row, the best being a Middle Stakes, but wasn’t anywhere in terms of the first Durban July log or in the ante-post betting.

But his sterling effort in running Green With Envy to a short-head – and leaving the rest of the smart field trailing – has seen him, well, flagged.

Handicappers’ explanation

The handicappers explained their thinking thus:

“Green With Envy was adjusted to a rating of 127 from 123 following his success in the Grade 1 Daily News 2000 over 2000m on the turf track at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday 25 May. 

The Handicappers believed that Mid Winter Wind made for the most suitable line horse here and his rating remained unchanged on 116. It was also considered that Mid Winter Wind was attempting the 2000m trip for the first time in his career and felt the evidence suggested that he saw out the extra distance comfortably. Mid Winter Wind did appear to at least confirm his 5th place in the Grade 2 KZN Guineas in this event when also finishing in 5th place. Furthermore, the Handicappers also observed his official sectional time…

Mid Winter Wind produced a 400m to finish time of 47.951 in the KZN Guineas (1600m) and 47.861 in the Daily News 2000 (2000m) and a 200m to finish time of 23.159 in the KZN Guineas (1600m) and 23.274 in the Daily News 2000 (2000m). Given the factual evidence at hand, the Handicappers feel that Mid Winter Wind comfortably stayed the distance as a matter of fact.

In rating the race using Mid Winter Wind as the line, Pure Predator runs to a rating of 116 which is a rating he achieved in the Grade 1 SA Classic and the Grade 1 SA Derby, this effectively makes him a line horse as well and there are certainly no stamina doubts about this horse who has been a model of consistency.”

Flag Man explanation

“The previously unexposed runner up, Flag Man, was adjusted to 126 from 92.

His improvement here can be attributed to the fact that he has gone from winning a Middle Stakes race to narrowly losing a Grade 1 event. The 3rd place finisher, Barbaresco was increased to 122 from 109 and has also recorded his 1st Grade 1 placing. These adjustments placed the top 3 horses in the correct Handicap rankings with Pure Predator (119) and Mid Winter Wind (116).

Hluhluwe was given a 1-point drop from 117 to 116 so that he is not rated higher than the 116 rated Mid Winter Wind. The only other horse to have received a change in rating was William Iron Arm who was dropped to 114 from 117.”