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DYNASTY - jumped from 20 draw; taken 6 and 5 horses wide fighting for his head through first 900 metres; then settled in three wide until straight where he responded gamely to a strong ride to forge past Yard-Arm inside final 100 metres. Won fully extended but must have lost at least 3 lengths through racing wide. Beat top weight Free My Heart by 5 lengths (7 to 8lb) in receipt 11lb. At face value his performance was 3lb inferior to that of Free My Heart. Allowing for 7lb weight-for-age projection for three-year-olds and +-5lb lost through racing wide, he can now be rated 9lb superior to Free My Heart on a WFA assessment of this result. Pre-race rating 136+. Updated rating 141lb. Truly world-class! YARD-ARM - in the absence of an effective pacemaker Pierre Strydom allowed him to race into an immediate lead; set a sedate pace to the short straight; battled on bravely in the drive to the line but was unable to resist Dynasty's powerful challenge hard as he tried. Beaten just over half a length (1lb) in receipt of 3lb. Expect big improvement from this tall, late developer. Pre-race rating 132lb. Updated rating 132+. Given an effective pacemaker in the future, this exceptional colt must surely improve. RED BADGE - moved up menacingly early in straight and ran on strongly without ever getting in a serious blow. Beaten 1,5 lengths (2,5lb) on 9lb better terms than wfa. Beat top weight Free My Heart (gave 13lb) by 3,35 lengths (5lb). Merit 8lb behind Free My Heart would be a slight improvement on their Met form where Free My Heart gave him a 9lb beating. Pre-race rating 124. Adjusted rating 125. WOLF WHISTLE - ran his usual courageous race; well enough placed to win if he could but was simply held at the weights. Beat topweight Free My Heart by exactly 3 lengths (4,5lb) in receipt of 8,8lb. Form 4lb behind the grand eight-time Gr1 stakes-winner indicates that he has continued to improve with age. Pre-race rating 125. Updated rating 128. SPECIAL PARADE - finished full of running at this her first start beyond 2000 metres. Showed merit 9lb Wolf Whistle and 13lb behind Free My Heart which would confirm her standing as the best middle-distance staying filly in the country. Pre-race rating 117. Updated rating 120. ORATORY - perfectly positioned in close touch on rail but definitely not suited to the pedestrian pace. Ran on to be beaten just under 3 lengths. Merit 8lb behind Wolf Whistle is 3lb behind his pre-race rating of 123. The feeble pace certainly weighed against him. AFRICAN LION - saved ground in a good position on the rail throughout and ran on well without ever getting in a blow. Ran to his pre-race rating of 124. FREE MY HEART - how any scientific analysis of this grand 8-time Gr1 stakes-winner's form could justify his being asked to concede 3,5kg and more to the whole field is beyond comprehension. His unjust weight allottment confirms that this so-called "handicap" is nothing of the sort. In a "handicap" the handicapper is supposed to adjust the weights to give every horse a fair chance of winning. The drag effect of weight at 2200 metres = 1,5lb per length. Shame on Gold Circle for denying him any chance at all for the second time. Two years ago he ran the best race at the weights behind Trademark and Celtic Grove and earned the same honours here. Beautifully ridden by Robbie Hill he dropped out to the tail of the field from his bad draw, and put in a tremendous run in the drive to the line. What a horse and what a tragedy that the outdated and unjust weight allottment system employed by Gold Circle should have given him no chance of winning. He was beaten exactly 5 lengths (7,5lb) in the concession of 11lb. On the day he ran a 3lb better race than the winner. What a horse! STEIGER - fell in the saddling enclosure but was deemed sound enough to run. Trapped wide from his bad draw of 16. Stayed on. Ran a 115 race, well below his best. MONET - to quote Geoff Woodruff: "Kevin Derere on Special Parade knocked him out of the race in the first few hundred metres. Mark Khan was furious, as he was never in the race thereafter. Ignore the run. SURVEYOR - trapped wide from a bad draw; elected to race round the field to a forward position. Looked dangerous as he loomed up to Yard-Arm at the head of the straight but wilted at the subway. This is nowhere near his best form - ran a 124 against his best of 132 - his third consecutive below-par run at Greyville. After the race Anthony Delpech observed that "I think he needs a break after a tough season. Once given a chance to refresh I think he will be back." SET AFIRE - appeared to have every chance in the running, but apparently returned with a swollen eye as a result of a clod of dirt flying into his blinker cup. Ran a 122 against his pre-race rating of 125. HAIL CAESOUR - shaky start from no 12 draw; then refused to settle as field crawled through first 1000 metres; became rank and his jockey was helpless in trying to focus his attention to the job in hand. Came hopelessly wide and folded in the straight. |
