Who’s got the best three-year-olds? Cape Town or Joburg?

The official handicappers rate the form of three-year-old horses in Western Cape a tad higher than that of their Highveld counterparts.

WSB SA Derby winner Malmoos had his MR pushed up from 120 to 125 after his facile victory in the Derby. However, this still has him a full five MR points below leading Western Cape three-year-old Jet Dark. The latter was assessed at 130 following his triumph in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate in January.

These numbers put Jet Dark in joint second place among the best horses in the country overall – along with Vodacom Durban July winner Belgarion and below log leader Rainbow Bridge – and Malmoos in joint 10th place.

Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks champion War Of Athena’s MR remained pegged on 122 after her equally effortless annihilation of opposition – leaving her four points behind the leading Cape sophomore filly
Captain’s Ransom.

The latter sits at joint seventh overall and War Of Athena at joint 17th . Their weekend heroics saw Malmoos and War Of Athena become the first colt and filly to land the Triple Crown and Triple Tiara in the same year.

There is excitement in South Africa about the high quality of the current generation of three-year-olds, with racing fans eagerly anticipating the showdown between the young guns of Cape Town and Joburg on the neutral territory of KwaZulu-Natal in the upcoming winter season.

No KZN-trained youngsters are anywhere near the top level. Explaining the reasoning for the Derby assessments, the NHA said: “The handicappers were unanimous in their view that third finisher Second
Base made for the ideal line horse, given that he was placed behind Malmoos in all three legs of the Triple Cown.

Furthermore, in the Derby, Second Base confirmed the form of the Grade 1 SA Classic with the likes of Shah Akbar, and Bingwa, making him the ideal candidate for line horse and leaving him unchanged on a mark of 116.

“Runner-up Pamushana’s Pride was raised from 91 to 116, making him the equal of Second Base, who finished a nose behind him in third.  It was Pamushana’s Pride’s first attempt at this sort of distance and there can be no justification for rating him lower than the line horse. Fourth- placed Sha Akbar goes up from 102 to 108, although in fact running to a mark of 113, so that he is at least rated the equal of fifth placed Bingwa, who finished a short head further adrift and who remains unchanged on 108.”

On the Oaks, the verdict was: “War Of Athena remains unchanged on a mark of 122 after she rounded off the Triple Tiara with victory in the Grade 2 Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks over 2450m at Turffontein on Saturday. It was fourth-placed Magical Flight – who had earlier finished third behind War Of Athena in the Grade 1 SA Fillies Classic in March – who was used as the line horse, which leaves her unchanged on a mark of 98.

In assessing the Oaks this way, War Of Athena runs to 112, fully ten pounds below her rating, and hence the reason for her unchanged mark. “Only one change of any kind was made to the rating of any runner in
this event, Second-placed Sparkling Water goes up from 98 to 109. With the unplaced horses beaten 17 lengths or more and having any stamina doubts exposed in a strongly-run race, it was decided to effectively ignore their performances here and none were given a ratings adjustment.”

The MR of four-year-old Got The Greenlight, winner of the third feature race on Derby day, the Grade 1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes, also remains unchanged – on 124. The 2020 Vodacom Durban July runner-up was used as the line horse.

“The handicappers opted to go the slightly more lenient route when rating the race as, after moving through the field effortlessly to obtain the lead, Got The Greenlight appeared to idle in front and needed
encouragement to complete his task,” said the NHA.

“It was felt that using the winner to his best would possibly inflate the placed runners as they may be flattered by their proximity to the winner. “Second-placed Copper Mountain was raised from 113 to 121, while the only other increase was for third finisher Tierra Del Fuego, who is up from 110 to 116.”

Updated NHA ratings list (position, name, age, MR):

1 Rainbow Bridge (6) 134
2 Belgarion (5) 130
Jet Dark (3) 130
4 Do It Again (6) 129
Summer Pudding (4) 129
6 Golden Ducat (4) 128
7 Captain’s Ransom (3) 126
Chimichuri Run (5) 126
Queen Supreme (5) 126
10 Kasimir (6) 125
Malmoos (3) 125
Rio Querari (4) 125
Rivarine (7) 125
14 Celtic Sea (5) 124
Got The Greenlight (3) 124
Sovereign Spirit (5) 124
17 Run Fox Run (5) 122
War Of Athena (3) 122
19 Copper Mountain (3) 121
True To Life (4) 121
Russet Air (5) 121