Does Merit Rating mean anything?

Will post the CTS panel reply next . I think their one point ,why Rings and Things made it before my horse , is that he ran 4.5 lengths in front of Rockin in the Guiness .If they analysed the race like proper professionals and realized my horse was drawn 16 , Rings was drawn 7 .I was bumped repeatedly, brushed and eventually and rightfully not persevered with .Rings had a trouble free run from draw 7. They totally ignore my filly's grade 1, 2 and 3 form and take the Guineas run as the deciding factor with Rings .Obviously they cant read into a race ( or purposely chose not to),as Rings''s level of racing and Dynamic Diana for that matter, doesn't compare .Yes, her runs weren't exceptional in CT, but Tarry had a plan and paced his readiness of her for the big one.No disrespect to horse and owners of the above mentioned, i wish them well on Saturday, but i was dealt a raw hand.

Bigbrass wrote: Will post the CTS panel reply next . I think their one point ,why Rings and Things made it before my horse , is that he ran 4.5 lengths in front of Rockin in the Guiness .If they analysed the race like proper professionals and realized my horse was drawn 16 , Rings was drawn 7 .I was bumped repeatedly, brushed and eventually and rightfully not persevered with .Rings had a trouble free run from draw 7. They totally ignore my filly's grade 1, 2 and 3 form and take the Guineas run as the deciding factor with Rings .Obviously they cant read into a race ( or purposely chose not to),as Rings''s level of racing and Dynamic Diana for that matter, doesn't compare .Yes, her runs weren't exceptional in CT, but Tarry had a plan and paced his readiness of her for the big one.No disrespect to horse and owners of the above mentioned, i wish them well on Saturday, but i was dealt a raw hand.

7.1.6. Discretionary Power of the Company

Unless otherwise stated in the Race Requirements, the Company grants the Handicapper the right to establish the field in any Feature Race or Juvenile Plate. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in Condition 7, the Handicapper shall have an absolute discretion, after the closing of declarations, to:

7.1.6.1 - exempt any horse from the application to it of these Conditions governing eliminations.
7.1.6.2 - eliminate any horse from a race.

In terms of the race in question, a Panel comprising Phumelela representatives and Handicappers was duly constituted to determine the final field.

The Panel, in making its determination considered Rockin Russian’s form in her three races in the Cape. In her 1st Cape start, in the Cape Classic on 28th October, on Ratings at the time Rockin Russian was weighted to win by a wide margin.  Instead, she finished 2nd last, beaten 4.5 lengths by the winner TapO’Noth. Obviously Tap O’Noth has since turned out to be a much better horse than was evident at the time, but Rockin Russian ran a most disappointing race, especially as her sex allowance meant she was extremely well treated by the race conditions. Rockin Russian, then rated 99, ran to 80.

Rockin Russian then contested the Cape Fillies Guineas. She was weighted to finish 5th, some 2 lengths off the best weighted Snowdance. Instead she finished stone last, beaten 15.20 lengths. Admittedly she was drawn 16 out of 16 and was forced to race wide, but it was still a very much below par effort on ratings. In this race she finished some 4.70 lengths behind Rings and Things, who accordingly got into the CTS 1600m race ahead of her.  Rockin Russian, still rated 99, ran to 75. Even without excuses, it is impossible to believe she would have run anywhere near 99 and she was accordingly dropped to 95.
Rockin Russian then contested a Progress plate for 3yo fillies, where she was again weighted to win by a big margin, Instead, she laboured into 3rd place, beaten 3.65 lengths by Elusive Heart, who was 4 kgs “out” at the weights with Rockin Russian on ratings. Rockin Russian ran only to 81, and was dropped again to 90. That is her current rating – and it is 9 points higher than the best rating she has achieved in any of her 3 Cape Town starts. In this race, Rockin Russian was beaten 0.40 lengths by Freedom Charter, while receiving 3 kgs. Hence, Freedom Charter was given preference for the CTS 1600m, which of course is level weights.
There is no question on Ratings that Rockin Russian has been running many pounds below her ability in all her Cape Town starts and as such was ruled out of the CTS 1600m race in favour of horses with stronger recent credentials.

What an absolute joke. I just read the response on SP. I did not want to comment before hearing their side but how can they even remotely think that they can talk themselves out of this. I feel for you BB as they have looked for any reason not to rave your horse. Ask them how R&T is even rated 84 after her last runs. It is understandable that they cannot change the decision now, but at least then tell the truth. This drivel just further makes owners such as yourself and other owners wonder why we should continue to support this game.

Thanks , glad someone sees through their miserable drivel

Poor reply, when reading i thought it was one of our lads trying to be funny?

Sorry BB

....piss poor.....and so much for trying to go to the RA for assistance in this matter.....when they are clearly in the camp of the operators ....and a big smack in the face to an RA member.....on behalf of the operator they respond.....making no bones that they are in cohorts with them....there should be none of this together with and on behalf of....the RA should be an impartial body free of the operator.....and the champion of owners rights and their gripes....WTF..... :S

Entirely predictable response. I think that I gave you better answers :dry:

This once again shows the folly of having opinions decide the fate of the composition of a field in races.

Muhtiman wrote: [quote="Dave Scott" If the owners are RA members should demand a response

......Dave surely you jest.....this toothless old hound....no bark and no bite.....even more so that Jooste is now out of site..... :S

......when have they ever had anything to say....and even less out in Cape Town anyway...let the poor sleeping dogs lie.... :blink:[/quote]

.....Pavlof's dog syndrome....simple response to his masters voice .....like the way the Cape boys side stepped this and put it on the PHUM panel....only for the RA to get shot as the messy messenger.....

I'm obviously in the minority here ... but for me the reply makes a lot of sense .... imo no panel can (or should) read a trainer's mind to determine how 'ready' a horse was for a particular run -
in theory, the rules state that a horse participating in any race should be ready to perform at its best (protecting the poor punter and all that).

So imo her below par form in the Cape and especially the run on 27 Dec presented the panel with the opportunity to exclude her from the final field.

The only question not addressed is how she did not make the field after being 12th on the log - after her 'labouring' into 3rd place on 27 Dec ???? What changed after the 27th so that she dropped from 12th to 'not making the cut' ?

.....a better reply in the comments of the SP is that if the 2 handicappers and the ex-handicapper on the panel felt she was not running to her mark.....she should have been dropped accordingly
......they cannot have the bread buttered on both sides....of the MR argument.... :whistle:

Agree and also trainers should not use races to get horses fit , ready
apart from a punter's point of view this can happen

Muhtiman wrote: .....a better reply in the comments of the SP is that if the 2 handicappers and the ex-handicapper on the panel felt she was not running to her mark.....she should have been dropped accordingly
......they cannot have the bread buttered on both sides....of the MR argument.... :whistle:

Imo this illustrates one of the big shortcomings in the application of the MR system .... when
(and how many points) do you drop a horse - after 2 below par runs, or 3 or 4 ... in this case, how do they decide on '90' - why not '92', or '88' - as she ran to somewhere in the low eighties in her effort on the 27th