CANDIDATES FOR THE EMPERORS PALACE READY TO RUN CUP

“WHO’S IN AND WHO’S OUT?”

I was a fascinated participant in a Tellytrack programme Monday night. It’s only when you’re involved in these things, that you realise just how much research and work goes into putting on a show. For example, among the topics Monday night was Europe’s biggest race this weekend, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, and Robin Bruss had researched every horse’s Timeform rating, and then aligned the ratings to the betting. Since the race is run at weight-for-age, there should be some sort of theoretical correlation between a horse’s best form and his price in the race. Were there’s a disparity, unless there’s something wrong with the horse, there’s usually a betting opportunity in the degree to which he’s fancied, and the extent to which it falls below his best race rating.

In parallel, Robin had a schedule of the horses which looked likely candidates for this year’s R1,5million Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup. He’d extracted their merit ratings, as the invitation to participate will ultimately rest in the hands of the handicappers, and they’re likely to use the merit ratings as a guide at least, when they get down to the exercising of their discretions.

Thus far, Summerhill has had 19 of the 20 winners graduated from the sale last year, with a further eighteen having earned cheques. Of course, it used to be good enough, as a winner, to qualify for the event, but there will undoubtedly be eliminations among those that’ve already visited the winner’s enclosure, for this year’s renewal. Some of the placed horses have higher merit ratings than the winners (which begs the question, what will the handicappers do?), while there are as yet unraced horses and one or two unplaced horses, who might still get over the line.

It’s an intense affair, and as things stand, herewith the merit ratings :

HORSE	VENDOR	SIRE	SEX	MR
SMANJEMANJE	Summerhill	Kahal	C	96
ASHJAAN	Summerhill	Malhub	F	93
HAVASHA	Summerhill	Kahal	C	92
KHETHANI	Summerhill	Labeeb	C	91
ONEHUNDREDACREWOOD	Summerhill	Malhub	F	90
DIGNIFICATION	Summerhill	Muhtafal	F	89
TRAFALGAR LEGACY	Summerhill	Rock Of Gibraltar	C	88
SMANYO	Summerhill	Second Empire	C	87
MAHUBO	Summerhill	National Emblem	C	85
SICOCO	Summerhill	Muhtafal	C	84
FISANI	Summerhill	Kahal	F	83
COCOA ROSE	Summerhill	Kahal	F	82
MANNEQUIN	Summerhill	Kahal	F	82
SMART AL	Highlands	Al Mufti	C	81
VUMANI	Summerhill	Malhub	C	81
BUKA MINA	Summerhill	Slew The Red	F	80
GUNG HO	Summerhill	Labeeb	F	80
NYAKATHO	Summerhill	Labeeb	C	80
ROSETTA STONE	Ambiance	Jet Master	F	80
WARMONGER	Equine Gr	Kabool	F	80
I’LOLLIPOP	Summerhill	National Emblem	F	79
HEY MON	Summerhill	Requiem	C	78
CRY HAVOC	Sandown	Caesour	C	78
HOLD THE GOLD	Beaumont	Captain Al	C	78
I’GEM	Summerhill	Kahal	F	77
MABHALANE	Summerhill	National Emblem	C	77
MLULEKI	Summerhill	Muhtafal	C	76
GORGEOUS GEORGE	Summerhill	Labeeb	C	75
MACK M	Summerhill	Labeeb	C	75
TOBRUSKY	Summerhill	Lavery	C	75
BABAZANI	Summerhill	Slew The Red	C	74
RAJINSKY	Sandown	Parade Leader	F	74
STANN CREEK	Summerhill	Strike Smartly	F	73
JIKA MAJIKA	Summerhill	Malhub	C	71
LAST TOUCH	Summerhill	Slew The Red	F	71
RUNNING RIOT	Summerhill	Muhtafal	F	70
CRIMSON MOONLIGHT (Aus)	Brian Roux	Untouchable	F	70
GALAXY QUEST	Waterford	Kahal	C	70
SPICE CLUB	Classic	Fan Club’s Mister	F	70