Love the discussion on this thread having just caught up on the last couple of days worth. Do think people can get very set in their minds about what they think/believe will happen that they can then not see reason to any other arguments. Like Shishkin in head gear, they plant themselves and won't budge! That's not limited to just this thread btw.
Anyway, where do we start? Crambo's RPR (and the other runners) would be based on the consistencies that we know. Slate House is unexposed and an improver who has now won his last four (three in handicap company and therefore last two when the handicapper has penalised him as he felt fit). He gives no accurate guide to base a race of not knowing where is improvement ends. Fine Margin was stepping up to 3m for the first time but had switched yards and clearly improved on anything he had shown previous. Crambo had won his last race and though not necessarily suited to how the race has run, he has still run a good race and run to an improved level having gone up 6lb in the weights. Gowel Road was having his first try at 3m also but seemed a fairly consistent horse who had run to an RPR of 140+ 5 times from 12 runs previous. Seemed to find a rating of 145 too high in the Coral Cup in 2022 and thus was able to race off 140 with his absence. Bold Endeavour is the real marker though. Third in a 3m handicap over course and distance in May off a mark of 140 and running to a 142 RPR. Pretty consistent, his last 4 hurdle runs were all within 7lb of each other according to RPR at trips between 2m 4f and 3m including last time when 3rd at Newbury over 3m and given a 137. Lord Snootie in 6th, another horse who had consistent RPRs going in at trips around 3m. A blunder last time at Galway probably prevented him from another RPR in the low 120s. Santos Blue in 7th had shown promise on only try at 3m when 3rd behind Broadway Boy at Cheltenham last season and returned with an encouraging run when finishing 2 1/2 lengths behind Crambo. With a 6lb pull he is a further 6 lengths behind suggesting Crambo has improved slightly for the run whereas Santos Blue has regressed a touch. He does give another accurate measure when trying to determine RPRs having peaked twice with RPRs of 129 the last twice and given 126 for this.
What I am getting at is that the race when assessing RPRs wouldn't be largely based on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd somewhat, but more on those horses that seemed to run their race in behind with the likes of Gowel Road but more so Bold Endeavour, Lord Snootie and Santos Blue. None of that is to say that in the future the RPRs for those ahead won't rise or that they are not capable of more. In fact the front three all ran their best RPRs so look to be improving and can surely post even higher ratings. However, when assessed purely in the context of this race then what they have been given appear right, give or take a pound.
Apologies if I have confused anyone there. Feel free to skip it all. Just giving an example of how I would handicap and assess the rating of a race.
Oh, and Buddys One won't be disgraced in the Hatton's Grace. Doubt he will win but hoping for a nice eyecatching race a few lengths behind...