michael clover article totally incorrect

one has to wonder about the knowledge of some of the so called racing journalists in this country when you read Michael clovers article posted on the gold circle website..in fact one has to ask who actually proof reads these articles before they get put out to the public because im sure they don't have a clue either..im sure bob can post the article the one which reads futura playing catch up.....his statements regarding that act of war has the same merit rating as legislate and that majmu when you take her sex allowance into account make her OFFICIALLY THE BEST HORSE IN THE COUNTRY OFF A MR OF 114 are totally way off the mark..he fails to realise that these ratings for the 3yos are gross ratings and not net ratings...then he mentions the fact that the 6th placed runner in the cape guineas arniston merit rating was left at a 92...does he not know the ruling that only the first 5 past the post are liable for merit ratings increases for group 1 and 2 races...mediocrity continues

CHAMPIONS Cup winner Futura will be given a work-out at Kenilworth on Saturday in a bid to make up for being forced to miss his L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate preliminary.

Brett Crawford said: “He was coughing and had to be given medication to nip it in the bud, and the medication meant that he had to be scratched from the Diadem. That race was going to be a gallop so now I will bring him to the course to gallop him.”

Futura remains 7-2 second favourite for the J & B Met with Betting World which has eased Legislate from 2-1 to 22-10. The Vodacom Durban July winner will gallop at Kenilworth on Wednesday and continues to please Justin Snaith who said “he is doing well.”

Act Of War has drifted from 6-1 a week ago to 15-2, presumably because punters are waiting to see whether he will run or instead opt for either Saturday week’s L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate or the Investec Cape Derby on Met day.

Joey Ramsden, speaking from England, said on Saturday: “He came out of the Guineas very nicely and we will freshen him up this week.” Asked whether the colt could go for the Queen’s Plate, Ramsden said: “He could very well run but I will have a chat with Markus Jooste and a longer one with Derek Brugman.”

The handicappers raised Act Of War by 2kg to 117 for his Guineas win, the same merit rating as Legislate and half a kilo higher than Triple Crown winner Louis The King. However, when you take the sex allowance into account, Cape Fillies Guineas winner Majmu (114) is officially the best horse in the country.

Guineas runner-up Harry’s Son was left on an unchanged 114 while third-placed Kingvoldt was upped 3kg to 113. Ramsden said: “He is in a few places but he may well go for the R1 million CTS Book 1 Graduates race on 24 January.”

The Sean Tarry fourth and fifth, Imperial Gold and Zambezi River, were raised 7kg and 5.5kg to 102 and 101 but sixth-placed Arniston was left on 92 – much to his trainer’s relief! Snaith said: “He ran on well in the Guineas and he may now run in the Politician Stakes over 1 800m on Saturday week.”

Both Mljet (eighth) and Light The Lights (ninth) ran below form and will miss the Politician.

Vaughan Marshall said: “The draw is a killer, as we all know. Mljet will go to Jo’burg and run in the Betting World Gauteng Guineas (Feb 28). I am taking 26 horses to Joburg and they will leave in the middle of next month. My assistant Adele Alsop will go up there for the first month and then I will go.”

Glen Kotzen added: “Light The Lights did everything right but never kicked and he pulled up coughing. He goes straight for the Cape Derby.”

Michael Clower for www.goldcircle.co.za

Brett Crawford said: “He was coughing and had to be given medication to nip it in the bud, and the medication meant that he had to be scratched from the Diadem. That race was going to be a gallop so now I will bring him to the course to gallop him.”

This quote, if true should have the stipes barking as it is a serious breach of the rules(I did not make them before people get excited)

62.1 Every HORSE shall be run and shall be allowed to run to the best of its ability and on
its merits.

read with rule

72.1.34 in any manner, prevent a HORSE from winning a RACE or being placed in a RACE
or from running in accordance with RULE 62.1;
72.1.35 do anything or fail to do anything which may have the effect of preventing a
HORSE from winning a RACE or obtaining the best possible placing in a RACE or
from running in accordance with RULE 62.

This is common practice in South Africa and we would be NAIVE to think that it is only done for Feature Races. This is how the MR System is manipulated - A punter looking at the Diadem may well have backed Futura as this horse HAS won over this 1200m a year ago so why would they think it was just a gallop(Obviously he has shown Graded form over further but then he should have been entered over further and his place in this sprint should have been given to a genuine "trier")
You cannot have different rules for Graded horses and others for run of the mill types. Either amend the rule or apply it but allowing this type of thing is wrong. I will not be swayed that "the program needs adjustment - You either send your horse out trying every time or you wait until its ready - Those are the rules and they need application - Jet Belle is another that according to Teletrack "would need the run".
There is a solution to this, apply the IN and Out running rule to horses that run a certain amount of MR points behind in a race than they should have(obviously if there is a medical, equipment or problem in running then nobody can be blamed)
For me the way to attract new punters is to have an almost over regulated industry that can stop manipulation and give punters piece of mind. South Africa could be the cleanest Racing jurisdiction in the world if the rules were revised and applied strictly.

It's dusgusting Mr H imo

Punters shagged left right and cdnter

We must realize that Trainers are only doing this because the NHRA are not acting - I challenge the NHRA to show me where they have applied these rules. I don't have the time to check but there are many cases of horses that are middle/stayer types starting their campaigns off over 1200m-1400m when their winning form is over 2000m plus(proven form not a young horse having its first or second run) - Now if that horse runs down the drain, sanction the trainer as he had no right as per the rules to enter the horse in a race where it was not distance suited and was "in need of a run" I know the program is blamed for this but then revise it instead of turning a blind eye to transgressions at the expense of the Betting Public.
And that is not to say that Futura would not have placed or even won this race as Jackson had a similar prep and ran second in the Diadem as well as earning in the Mercury Sprint. The difference here is the trainer is alleged to have said the horse was "going for a gallop" which is against the rules.

I have been going on about this for years!!!
UK trainers can bring a horse, racing fit into a group 1 derby distance, but we hear that in SA, only racing gets them fit!
Never quite understood that.