Cosmic Speed winning the Gr 2 Durban Golden Horseshoe (Candiese Lenferna Photography)
The highest rated three-year-old in the country is Cosmic Speed and this is in spite of him not being a Gr 1 winner.
His rating of 116 can be compared to Sandringham Summit’s rating of 117 at this time last year and can be explained by the fact that he beat his Gr 1-winning Sean Tarry-trained stablemate Proceed by a comfortable 2,10 lengths in the Gr 2 Durban Golden Horseshoe over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Greyville.
Proceed had previously beaten Cosmic Speed by 0,75 lengths when winning the Gr 1 Gold Medallion over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville.
Proceed had also won the Gr 3 Protea Stakes and his defeat in the Golden Horseshoe was not surprising as he was drawn a tough 14 compared to the draw two that Cosmic Speed enjoyed.
Proceed has been awarded a 114 merit rating.
Interestingly, the second highest rated three-year-old in the country is the MJ Odendaal-trained The Specialist, who was beaten 3,15 lengths into third in the Golden Horseshoe. He subsequently finished a 0,70 length second in the Gr 1 World Pool Moment Of The Day Champion Stakes over 1600m to the Tony Peter-trained filly VJ’s Angel.
The Candice Dawson-trained Grand Crescendo, who was a 0,95 length third in the Champion Stakes is merit rated 114.
The crack Vaughan Marshall-trained One Stripe is merit rated 112.
His stablemate Lion Rampart was just a length behind him when they last met and he went on to obliterate a Listed field, so he is just one point lower than One Stripe on 111.
The Alec Laird-trained Gr 2 SA Nursery winner Fire Attack is also merit rated 111.
The Tarry-trained Legend Of Arthur, a twice winner who was fifth in the Champion Stakes, is also merit rated 111.
The Frank Robinson-trained Gr 2 Umkhomazi Stakes winner Cats Pajamas is merit rated 110.
The Candice Dawson-trained Truth, an easy winner of his first two starts before disappointing in two features in Durban, is on 110.
Those look to be the male three-year-olds rated 110 or above.
The highest rated three-year-old filly is the new darling of the SA turf, the Barend Botes-trained Quid Pro Quo, who is on 112.
VJ’s Angel is on 111 and looks to be the only other filly rated 110 or above. She received a gender allowance of 2,5kg when winning the Gr 1 World Pool Moment Of The Day Champion Stakes, so is rated lower than some of the horses she beat.
