Also impressive time wise, comfortably faster than the MR80 handicap and considering he carried 5kgs more than the winner of the MR95 handicap, he comfortably comes out on top there. Could be a nice sort going forward, if his career progresses as his half brother.
If you followed his debut formline(I thankfully did - Also well-beaten Maradiva finished 4th in the opener at 50-1 ) you would have found the 3rd horse(75-1) and picked up a R51 swinger - Also the fav, Gem King, was a suspected brass after Empire Glory ran unplaced earlier. Originally Voldemort(amazing debut) was nominated to run against Universal but he missed this and looks to run Saturday while Sage King only has Greg Cheyne to beat to further enhance that line on the same day.
This is where the MR stops owners from earning - He has won a weak end of season maiden - In total he has won about 37k in stakes - Now he has to run in plate races if there are any for him or go into handicaps with such a high rating - Sometimes I think MR should be linked to stakes earned in some form - There are many examples of horses with limited ability that retire winning much more in stakes than horses that are lumbered for running well in features without earning stakes - Clever trainers play the ratings and keep their horses in mediocre company to protect a limited animal
The following user(s) said Thank You: Sylvester, Craig Eudey, Pirhobeta, Felix
It must be extremely difficult...do I want the kak stakes? or do I want the accolades...?
To me the Merit rating is BS, Your trainer is your best asset, he has to be astute and pick where you want to compete accordingly.
In the long run, you choose your race...
My 2c if you have a good one the Mr won't be to much a factor . If you run in features what will the difference be? Most are set weights or I have it wrong and I am waiting for the flak.
This wasn’t a “weak out of season maiden”. The big yards are now starting to step out their unraced Classic type 3yos, and the Kenilworth 1200m is the preferred starting point for those with the scope to go a mile plus in due course. As has been pointed out by others, this horse showed great acceleration the final 300m, and on comparative times with the older horses later, easily justified the rating given. The only question mark is the going. Not all horses cope with the heavy conditions so you can’t write off those that just did not perform in the soft.
If he builds on this, and is indeed a classic prospect, AND if we get sensible programming with 3yo Novice and Graduation races available, then the MR will not matter, as he could pick up a couple more races at fixed weights and then go into the WFA features.
In any event, in a handicap race against older horses right now he would run off a nett 80, and I would think would be still well in with the likely natural further improvement at his 3rd run.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Sylvester, Pirhobeta, mikesack
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