Ineligible to run

I have a share in a filly who has a MR of 75 and was entered into event 5 for 18 July at Turffontein, a MR 64. She has been declared ineligible to run, along with 8 others whose MR exceeds the MR64 limit. As no reason is given for the ineligibility I am left thinking it is because of the MR. However, other horses with MR's exceeding the upper limit frequently run in races if the maximum declarations permit their inclusion after declarations have taken place. What is interesting is that in the race concerned there is another filly with a MR exceeding the upper limit who has not been declared inelligible.

Pratically, my filly would not run but it seems strange that she is declared inelligible up front in this instance.

Can anyone shed some light on this subject.

Gajima,

As far as I know there seems to be a 'upper boundary' like in a MR 64, they would probably accept runners with MR's up to 67 or 68 (taking ito account WFA) - however as you state, these would of course be the first runners to be discarded should the field be oversubscribed.

Here's another question; if there is one spot open in a MR 64 handicap and there are 2 possible candidates for the spot - one with a 'too high' MR (say 68) and the other with a 'too low' MR (43 perhaps) - which one would get in?

I have not checked the NHA rules, but it would be nice if somebody like Vee could comment on this and explain the rule to us once and for all (well at least until the next time they change it)