Investec Dingaans winners Unparalleled was the latest to let the crop down when only managing a six length fifth against older horses in Saturday’s President’s Champions Challenge, not a bad effort but he was still put in his place.

Act Of War, as the winner of the Gr 3 Cape Classic, the Gr 2 Selangor Cup and the Gr 1 Grand Parade Cape Guineas, was the first three-year-old male to put his hand up this season and would probably be given the Equus Award if it was decided today. He was found to have been “a bit quiet” after his disappointing Investec Cape Derby run and tests then found him to have had a “little bit of inflammation in the airwaves” and “a couple of things in his blood that were “not right”. However, trainer Joey Ramsden still did not feel that the findings were enough to detract from the winning performance of Ertijaal.

Therefore it could possibly have been simply a case of not staying the trip. Act Of War is due to stay in Cape Town for the Winter Series.

The racing pubic clearly over reacted to Ertijaal’s easy win in the Cape Derby to the extent that one or two called it “the best performance by a three-year-old in the world this year”, having not appeared to notice that the 114 merit rated Act Of War had finished together with three horses merit rated between 82 and 92. The handicappers duly only accorded Ertijaal a 107 merit rating. Ertijaal has a daisy cutting action and his two subsequent defeats in the Gr 1 SA Classic and Gr 1 SA Derby respectively were on unsuitable soft ground. However, champions should be able to go on any ground.

Harry’s Son, an Equus Champion as a two-year-old, is in contention for the Equus Award again as he was impressive when winning both the Gr 3 Graham Beck Stakes over 1400m and the Gr 2 Betting World Gauteng Guineas and he had excuses for all three of his defeats this season. He clearly doesn’t go well in soft ground, as was the case when easily defeated by Unparalleled in the Investec Dingaans and when finishing fifth in the SA Classic. In the early morning of his Cape Guineas runner up finish his aeroplane was delayed and he had to stand on the tarmac for three hours before a two-legged flight via Port Elizabeth. He could still stake a claim by winning races like the Gr 2 KRA Guineas on Saturday.

French Navy was an impressive winner of the SA Classic in very soft going after being beaten into third in the Dingaans and into second in the Gauteng Guineas. He finished third in Saturday’s Derby behind the new kid on the block Legal Eagle. Deputy Jud, runner up in the SA Derby and third in the SA Classic, looks to be an out and out stayer.

The ball is in the court of the like of Legal Eagle to rescue the reputation of the crop. This Grey’s Inn gelding was unexposed before Saturday’s emphatic victory and jockey Anton Marcus said that he gave the feel of an immature sort who had improvement to come. Trainer Sean Tarry said that Legal Eagle would be prepared in Johannesburg for the Vodacom Durban July.

The promising Mike de Kock-trained Anjaal looked to have turned the corner when easily winning his last start over 1400m and he is another who could make an impact. His 105 merit-rated stablemate Jayyed won his maiden last week after successful throat surgery to correct a breathing problem and could still be anything.

Down in Durban the likes of Heartland and Ultimate Dollar will be able to put their hands up by winning races like the Gr 2 KRA Guineas and/or the Gr 1 Daily News 2000. They both look to be coming into their own and possess plenty of class. St Tropez can’t be written off either as he will likely enjoy a step up in trip from 1600m. Another who could make an impact is Light The Lights, who was always likely to come into his own in the latter half of the season.

July entry The Conglomerate is a relatively unexposed sort who could also still make an impact as he beat the season’s disappointment MLJet cosily in the Politician Stakes, although he was receiving 3kg. Kingvoldt is also in Durban but is not a July entry so it looks likely that he will stick to a mile and be entered in races like the Rising Sun Gold Challenge. However, he has proved a bridesmaid to Act Of War and he failed against older horses in the L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate.

Duncan Howells said that the impressive Saratoga Dancer would largely be given easier tasks until next season and Alistair Gordon has said the same about Royal Life. Gr 1 winner as a two-year-old, Afrikaburn is back in training and should be ready to race in about five or six weeks time and Run Rhino Run is highly regarded so they are two others to consider.

Guiness, one of the best sprinters of the crop, is on the sidelines.

Zambezi River has only lost once from distances of 1200-1400m, so is one who could still make an impact. His only defeat over that distance range was by Brutal Force over 1200m. Brutal Force has since been beaten by another promising three-year-old, Tomba La Bomba over 1400m, although he was giving the latter 4kg and only went down by 1,25 lengths.

Trip To Heaven beat older horses in the Gr 2 Stonach Group Racing Merchants but hasn’t been seen out since January 3. Belong To Me has some good form on the Highveld, but his chances of making an impact in the Gr 1 Golden Horse Casino Sprint were dented on Sunday when he was beaten 8,1 lengths by older horses over the Scottsville 1100m in the Listed In Full Flight Handicap .

Overall, the three-year-old male crop have consistently disappointed against older horses and the form of their own races is muddled, so they look to be a below par crop to date, unlike their female counterparts who are possibly one of the best ever crop of three-year-old fillies.

The 117 merit rating of Act Of War certainly looks too high, especially when considering that Majmu, who is the best of the brilliant three-year-old classic fillies, is only a 114. Act Of War looks to have been the yardstick by which the handicappers have measured the crop, so their overall merit ratings should be treated with caution.