Territory sprint star Lucid Reflection is telling evidence of the vagaries the rating system throws up.
The seven-year-old will run in the Listed $80,000 City of Marion Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville on Saturday, but his chances of winning have not been helped by the weights.
Lucid Reflection has to carry a top weight of 58kg, the same impost given to Rocking Force.
But consider the varying form lines of those two horses.
Lucid Reflection ran second last with 58kg in an Open Handicap on the Morphettville Parks track on November 26.
Before that, he finished third to The Soldier at Fannie Bay and ninth in the Palmerston Sprint behind Sense Of Sun.
On the other hand, Rocking Force came second to Galbraith at Moonee Valley on November 19 after beating Canali in the Listed Swisse Vitamins Plate (1000m) over the Melbourne Cup Carnival at Flemington.
Now the SA handicapper will point to the fact that both have 99 ratings - but how does that happen?
Rocking Force wins a Listed sprint at Flemington in Melbourne Cup week and gets a Victorian rating of 98.
Lucid Reflection wins a WFA race at Fannie Bay in July and gets an NT rating of 103.
I just can't work that out.
KEEPING on the Adelaide theme and precocious Top End mare Dream Face puts her winning streak on the line in the City of Churches on Saturday.
The four-year-old, who has strung together six consecutive wins at Fannie Bay, tackles a hot field in the $40,000 Holdfast Insurance Handicap (1050m) at Morphettville.
With regular jockey Simone Montgomerie required to ride at the Bay this weekend, trainer Gary Clarke has engaged in-form apprentice Nathan Rose to ride Dream Face.
Rose, who is leading the apprentice premiership in Adelaide, will claim 1.5kg, meaning Dream Face will carry 52.5kg, half-a-kilogram under the minimum.
Former Darwin premiership winning rider Scott Leckey proved the highlight of the recent South Australian apprentice awards.
Leckey presented a video about his struggle to recover following that devastating race fall at Fannie Bay in 2007.
The 27-year-old made an inspirational speech about battling to walk again and to speak more fluently, but also presented himself as an example of how dangerous horse racing is and how every step possible must be taken to look after jockeys' safety.
Leckey is also gaining a following through his work in media circles as a regular tipster with The Advertiser in Adelaide .
Business must be good for Tatts, the owners of the NT TAB. Just last week they expanded their interests with the purchase of Tote Tasmania for a cool $103 million.
Subject to regulatory approvals, the transaction means Tasmania joins the TattsBet pooling and fixed price wagering systems offered in the Northern Territory, Queensland and South Australia.
Pools are predicted to be boosted between 10 to 15 per cent with the inclusion of punters betting through the Apple Isle.
Racing returns to both Darwin and Alice Springs this weekend.
Fannie Bay will play host on Saturday to a five-race card which has attracted 54 nominations, while Pioneer Park's Sunday meeting received 48 nominations.
Acceptances are released this morning.
With Andrew O'Toole away for the next few weeks, Craig Sant will host Sky Racing's Fannie Bay coverage.
An accomplished broadcaster, Sant boasts a wealth of calling experience in both horse and greyhound racing.
He has been the voice of Winnellie Park greyhound racing for the best part of eight years and spent four years as the racecaller at Pioneer Park in Alice Springs.
We finish this week by touching on the passing of Douglas Street Supermarket proprietor Ignatius "Nat" Ryan last Friday night.
Nat was a long-time friend of the Darwin Turf Club and the Racehorse Owners Association of the Northern Territory (ROANT), and regularly sponsored races at Fannie Bay.
He will be sadly missed by the racing community.
Until next week, back a winner.
Story courtesy of Gregor Mactaggart, NT News
