There is nothing like the publication of official ratings to start debate among racing fans and the latest LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings will certainly do that.
Cracksman joins Winx at the top of the list on a rating of 130 after his runaway win in the Champion Stakes at Ascot and Hong Kong’s best horse Beauty Generation is now firmly inside the world’s top ten with a new rating of 126 for his impressive success in last month’s Oriental Watch Sha Tin Trophy.
Those who base their view of world racing simply on Group 1 contests run at level weights may wonder how a Group 2 win can result in Beauty Generation being rated ahead of world-class horses like the Arc winner Enable and the American Triple Crown winner Justify and, for me, the answer lies in Hong Kong’s handicap system.
Our racing programme is all the better for encouraging connections to accept the challenge of whether their very best horses can give weight to strong opposition under high-class handicap conditions.
It takes a very unusual horse to give 16lb and a beating to a good young rival like Singapore Sling, but that is what John Moore’s gelding did on his latest start and the other beaten horses that day included a string of G1 winners.
The fact that Beauty Generation is now rated just 1lb behind one of Hong Kong’s greatest ever horses – namely John’s brilliant chestnut Able Friend – is high praise indeed and it will be great to see him again in the BOCHK Wealth Management Jockey Club Mile next weekend.
Hong Kong racing has always been about competition on the track and in the saddle, so it has been good to see our recent arrivals Silvestre de Sousa and Alexis Badel mark their return with a winner each this week.
Both jockeys add to the international appeal of our sport and that will be on show again next week when we announce the list of star riders competing for the LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship at Happy Valley on 5 December.
Racegoers can expect to see some world-class names doing battle on what is always a wonderful night but first we have a strong Saturday card at Sha Tin with the Class 1 Panasonic Cup over 1400m as the feature.
The pace should be good thanks to Wah May Friend, giving every horse a fair chance to show its best. Conte may be forced to push forward from his wide draw, while Calculation and California Whip will both race prominently, so does for Simply Brilliant. Morethanlucky may post three-wide while Rattan could settle at the back early for a late run.
Little Giant, Simply Brilliant and Morethanlucky are working extremely well and are all good chances to win or at least to be placed.
Little Giant, with regular rider Zac Purton, would have been my favourite if he would have not drawn gate 10. He could be three wide, which will not be easy, but he can be placed.
Simply Brilliant made a very good impression in his last race, his first of the season, when finishing strongly for third after failing to find clear running. He is my first choice, while Morethanlucky is more a place chance in my assessment.
Other place chances are Jolly Banner, with Alexis Badel on board, and Rattan, who finished strongly in his last start over course and distance.
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