Handicapping ratings update

* Emerald Princess remains unchanged on a merit rating of 98 after winning the Listed Off To Stud Stakes over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Wednesday 26 July.

The Handicappers believed that 4th placed Magical Flight made for the best line horse, leaving her unchanged on a mark of 87.  In assessing the race this way 5th placed Let's Not Linger also runs to her rating, effectively making her a line horse as well and leaving her with an unaltered mark of 87 and Emerald Princess only runs to 97, hence her unchanged rating.

The specific conditions of the race do not allow for an increase in the rating of any horse beyond the winner.

Accordingly, runner-up Lucky Miss and 3rd placed Queen Of Shadows remain unchanged on ratings of 83 and 95, respectively, despite actually running to marks of 87 and 96, respectively.

No horses were given a rating’s drop, which in summary means that no changes whatsoever were made to the merit rating of any contestant in this race.

* Love Is A Rose remains unchanged on a merit rating of 99 after winning the Grade 3 Final Fling Stakes for fillies and mares over 1950m on the winter course at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday 22 July.

The Handicappers were of the view that 3rd placed Veronica Mars made for the most suitable line horse, leaving her unchanged on a mark of 90. In assessing the race this way Love Is A Rose only runs to a mark of 95, hence her unaltered rating.

The only rating’s increase was for 2nd placed Young Love, who goes up from 92 to 95, but no fewer than five horses were given a drop.

4th placed Gold Poker Game is down from 102 to 100, Do Angels Cry drops from 92 to 89, Flower Of Saigon is down to 89 from 91, Academic Gold was trimmed from 81 to 80, and lastly, Broadway Girl drops from 94 to 92.

* Kwinta's Light has had her rating raised from 105 to 109 after she won the Listed Olympic Duel Stakes for fillies and mares over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday.

The Handicappers used runner-up Body Electric to her rating of 86 as the line horse, which leaves her rating unchanged even though Body Electric was 1.5kg under sufferance at the weights.

In fact, it was noted that five of the eight runners were under sufferance and as a consequence the majority of this field were not meeting on proper handicap terms. In rating the race this way 4th placed Sonic Burst (who was 2.5kg under sufferance) also runs to her rating of 83, effectively making her a line horse as well.

There were no ratings increases aside from the winner, while the only drop was for 3rd placed Gimme's Lassie, who is down from 104 to 101. - NHA