Backworth-Bred Raise The Bar: 4-3-2-1 For Paul Matchett Share Prior to her thrilling win on Thursday at the Vaal, Raise The Bar, the Backworth-bred four-year-old daughter of Goldkeeper, had contested three successive Conditions Plates at the same track since a layoff and had placed in all of them; finishing fourth, third and second respectively. Raise The Bar is by Goldkeeper (USA) out of Moving On Up (SAF) by Jallad (USA). In her first run back over the 1200m sand track, where she was drawn widest of all in an 11-strong field, never a good position in races over 1200m, 1450m and 1600m, she did well to finish five lengths behind Mina Salaam. Her penultimate start was also over 1200m and she had to jump from stall No 9 - also not a great draw - and she finished three lengths in arrears of Follow The Piper. Last Thursday she lined up in an event over 1000m in which Hidden Beauty looked a standout bet. That proved to be the case, but Raise The Bar did manage to finish a 3.75-length second. This time around Raise The Bar drew No 3 over her best distance and carried 60.5kg. Raise The Bar is a graduate from the Backworth draft of the 2009 KZN Yearling Sale. Information source courtesy of Backworth Stud. View their blog and website at www.backworth.co.za J&B MET 28 JANUARY KENILWORTH RACECOURSE FM 90 DIVIDED HANDICAP (F&M) Vaal, Sand, 1200m 19 January 2012 # LBH Horse Kg MR Dr Jockey Trainer 1 0.00 RAISE THE BAR 60.5 91 3 M Mienie Paul Matchett 2 0.25 Sapphire Ring 54.5 79 4 P Strydom Dianne Stenger 3 3.00 Minwa(AUS) 53.5 77 9 D Mansour Erico Verdonese 4 7.25 Poppins 61.0 92 8 A Delpech Gavin Van Zyl 5 10.25 Maclaine 52.0 69 5 C Maujean Louis Goosen 6 10.25 Howhighcanufly 52.5 75 2 JP van der Merwe Roy Magner 7 10.50 Goddess Athena 52.5 82 7 L Nhlapo Lucky Houdalakis 8 13.25 Pacific Dynasty 53.0 76 10 *N Juglall Wallace Tolmay 9 14.50 Small Miracle 53.0 83 1 ** J Greyling (+0.5) Dominic Zaki 10 15.75 Alouette 54.0 78 6 E Pheiffer Lucky Houdalakis