Sean Tarry-trained Tin Pan Alley has emerged as the top-ranked three-year-old racehorse in South Africa after a tumultuous day of racing at Turffontein at the weekend.
Meanwhile, more shots have been fired in a public argy-bargy over the relative merits of the sophomore generation of 2026.
Following Tin Pan Alley’s “emphatic victory” over older horses in Saturday’s Grade 1 1600m WFA Wilgerbosdfrift H F Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes, handicappers of the National Horseracing Authority shoved the gelding’s merit rating to 128 – an 11-point hike from 117 – elevating him among his peers and placing him in fifth spot overall on the national log of best horses.
In passing down this judgement, the handicappers delivered an unusual, stinging rebuke of two controversial appeal panels that reversed earlier assessments of the TAB Gauteng Guineas, run on 7 February, which the officials now say “created distortions” in ratings of the current crop of three-year-olds
The contretemps involves various races, horses, officials and personalities and their disagreements about minutiae too boring to dwell on here.
The interesting fact for racing fans is Tin Pan Alley has supplanted Jan Van Goyen as the country’s No 1 three-year-old. The latter, winner of the Cape Guineas, has dropped to No 4 following the stirring action at Turffontein.
That action included the Grade 1 1800m HKJC World Pool SA Classic, won impressively by another Tarry galloper, Grand Empire, who saw his MR hoisted from 108 to 120 and made him No 2 three-year-old. SA Classic runner-up Trust went up to 119 and No 3 spot.
Jan Van Goyen started as a 5-2 favourite for the Classic and finished fifth – behind his De Kock training yard stablemates Splittheeights and One Eye On Vegas, who the appeal panellists had deemed his inferiors.
The handicappers couldn’t resist some sniping in the aftermath: “The outcome of the TAB Gauteng Guineas appeal has had significant knock-on effects. The three-year-old cohort that dominated the Guineas was reduced from a level of 121 to 109. Tin Pan Alley, who finished sixth in that race, has now gone on to win a Grade 1 WFA event.
“Effectively, based on the reduced Guineas level, his performance rating has risen from 104 to 128 in just 28 days. While the handicappers clearly believe Tin Pan Alley improved in this race, the improvement would reasonably be measured from 117 to 128 based on the handicappers’ original assessment of the Gauteng Guineas,” asserted the NHA.
“When rating the Guineas, the handicappers considered the pecking order of the field, the quality of the race as a Grade 2 event, and fairness from a handicapping perspective to ensure horses would meet on proper handicap terms in future contests. The appeal outcome created distortions, including the subsequent reduction of Trust’s rating from 119 to 108 – a decision made two runs after his Grade 2 Jackpot City Dingaans victory, which the handicappers regard as contrary to the principles of handicapping.”
Officials felt justified making such uncommonly outspoken comments, as they went on to explain, “…the Trust appeal panel concluded with the following recommendation: ‘Following the running of the SA Classic, the handicappers should re-evaluate the entire three-year-old crop.’”
Other merit rating increases after the SA Classic included: Splittheeights, from 109 to 116 (after originally being hiked to 122 after winning the Guineas but then bring demoted – yes, it’s confusing!) and One Eye on Vegas, from 106 to 115.
Hazy Dazy, who won the Grade 1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic to keep Triple Tiara dreams alive for trainer Corne Spies, remains on an MR of 117 ahead of her tilt at Leg 3, the SA Oaks, in a few weeks’ time.
The NHA said: “Hazy Dazy remains three points lower that her male counterpart Grand Empire, which is within the range of the filly’s allowance while keeping her equal to the Western Cape leading filly Wish List, who is also rated 117.
“The handicappers identified Littlemissmillion as the line horse, leaving her rating unchanged at 107.”
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