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p p q Wednesday, January 12, 2011 HARBINGER THE WORLD CHAMPION Special 12-page guide to last year’s leading performers Champion Sprinter PIVOTALSire of Champion Sprinter KYLLACHYSire of Champion 3yo Sprinter SOLE POWER FOR STRAIGHT KYLLACHY LINE SPEED 107 individual winners in 2010 and filling fast for 2011 Fee: £8,000 (1st Oct LFFR) Cheveley Park Stud • www.cheveleypark.co.uk [email protected] Tel: 01638 730316 • p p q 2 Wednesday, January 12, 2011 racingpost.com Racing Post W All trained WORLD THOROUGHBRED RANKINGS PASDF- in France... Crushing Sarafina win leaves Stoute ace clear at top race, these peak figures do not same course and distance just reflect assets like consistency a month apart, which supports or versatility, which require the theory that he found his data from more than one race. perfect conditions at Ascot. Performance ratings could be Whether he might have used to measure these other repeated his high standard at attributes by recording, for another track is open to Makfi instance, the number of times question and, as he failed to International ratings a horse achieved figures over run again, he will forever carry expert Sam Walker on 120, or the span of distances that theoretical asterisk of why a single victory was at which a horse achieved ‘course specialist’ against his figures over 120. But no peak figure of 135. Goldikova enough to rule the world matter how well a horse scores That does not detract from in these assessments, the peak what he achieved in the King EA THE STARS needed rating will not be affected. In George – he still won by a no explanation. He other words, consistency won’t record margin, in a record time Lily of the Valley was, by any measure, a boost the rating. – but it does leave a question world champion. Each rating is a reflection of mark over his versatility. It SHarbinger may require what a horse achieved in a suggests he may not have been a little more chewing before given race under a given set of a shoo-in for the International digestion. circumstances. Sea The Stars at York (particularly over the The 2009 champ ticked all did not achieve his peak figure shorter trip) or the Arc. the boxes: exceptional from of 136 in the Arc, but rather in However, the overriding fact 1m to 1m4f, unbreakable the Irish Champion Stakes. is, judged on the King George, throughout a punishing The fact that bookies were Harbinger was responsible for campaign and, perhaps most so confident his rating would the highest-ranking importantly, unbeatable at the go up after the Arc that they performance of the season and highest level. were offering 8-1 it would not therefore showcased the So how does Harbinger, change shows how widely highest level of ability. winner of a single Group 1, misunderstood handicap So, if a peak performance rate just a pound beneath him figures are. Through a number rating is an indicator of peak in the World Thoroughbred of different form limiters the ability, is that the true measure Rankings with a mark of 135? Arc form was worse, so why of a champion, or should other ... ALL And why is Sir Michael Stoute’s would his rating go up? factors be taken into account? TOP CLASS colt such a clear choice as In the Irish Champion Stakes, And how then would world champion for 2010? the highest-rated race of 2009, Harbinger rank against The short answer is Sea The they went a fast pace and Sea Sea The Stars? Stars repeatedly did enough to The Stars cruised past Irish If there were such things as CHAMPIONS score only by a cosy couple of Derby hero Fame And Glory champion ratings (which there lengths, while Harbinger and St James’s Palace Stakes aren’t), they should define crushed his rivals in the King winner Mastercraftsman to what is prized most in a George. But for the long score by two and a half lengths. racehorse. Consider what answer we need to further When put into context would make the perfect equine In France we value exceptions examine the quantification of against Sea The Stars’ best athlete. Would you want a greatness in a racehorse. effort, it becomes clear how horse to have the ability to It is a common Harbinger achieved such a destroy a world-class field? misconception that peak high figure in the King George The consistency to win again THINK ABOUT IT! performance ratings, like (WTR 135), since he and again at the highest level? those used in the World annihilated the Derby and Irish The perfect physique? The Thoroughbred Rankings, are Derby winners Workforce and versatility to win over sprint all-encompassing figures that Cape Blanco, as well as two distances and staying trips? A Interested in discovering take account of the many Group 1 winners from the turn of foot that left the others different attributes that make older generation, winning by standing? The media appeal French races, training centres? up a champion. They are not. an easy 11 lengths. and popularity of a Hollywood Handicapping figures represent Although a brilliant effort, star? Or a combination of only the level of form a horse the King George was the only each? And would all owners – Make the first step, contact us! achieved in a given race. When occasion Harbinger earned a and anybody else with an it comes to peak performance mark in the 130s and that interest in such matters – value ratings, they are purely a performance was, thanks to the same attributes by the measure of the best form a injury, never followed up, thus same measure? FRBC YOUR GATEWAY TO FRANCE horse has shown either in its raising some debate over his The problem with the career or, as with the WTR champion status. one-figure-fits-all view of +33 1 49 10 23 32 ∞ www.frbc.net classifications, in a given year. Including his Hardwicke handicapping is it assumes the In being a measure of a Stakes romp, Harbinger posted horse who has the highest single performance in a single his best two efforts over the ability is also the most durable p p q Racing Post Wednesday, January 12, 2011 3 OLDER HORSES, PAGE 4 EDWARD WHITAKER (RACINGPOST.COM/PHOTOS) unable to be rated up with the need to, produce it in 2010. best Europeans and North TOP TEN OVERALL Another wondermare in a Americans in that distance 1 Harbinger (GB) 135 time rich with such was category. But on his final start 2 Blame (US) 129 Zenyatta (WTR 125) and if of the campaign, when third in 3 Makfi (Fr) 128 the repeatability formula is applied to the incalculable the Melbourne Cup, he Quality Road (US) 128 managed to secure the title of variables like flair and Workforce (GB) 128 leading stayer for 2010. character, she would score He is set to race for 6 Canford Cliffs (GB) 127 highly. Ballydoyle this year when Nakayama Festa (Jap) 127 Ignoring her mammoth hopefully we will be able to 8 Cape Blanco (Ire) 126 popularity, she achieved a see exactly what he can do Dream Ahead (GB) 126 good deal on the track as well. She went unbeaten in her first against the rest of the world. Frankel (GB) 126 19 starts over four seasons, O YOU THINK is one of Rip Van Winkle (Ire) 126 each time using that killer turn two Australian-trained So You Think (Aus) 126 of foot, before her grand finale horses who managed in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, to top a distance NATIONAL CHAMPIONS when she ran a peculiar yet S category last season, hugely impressive race in the other being the highly GB Harbinger 135 defeat. promising sprinter Black USBlame 129 Given that performance Caviar (WTR 123). Collateral FrMakfi 128ratings are a measure of what form lines suggest the Jap Nakayama Festa 127 was achieved on the track and unbeaten-in-eight filly has a Aus So You Think 126 not what could have been, good few pounds in hand of there will always be any other sprinter on the Ire Cape Blanco/ Rip Van Winkle 126 open-ended cases, like that of planet and, when you factor in Canford Cliffs (WTR 127), her distaff weight allowance, SAf JJ The Jet Plane 122 who gave the impression he she could well keep her perfect Sing Rocket Man 121 was a champion in the making record intact in 2011. HK Sacred Kingdom 121 but never quite had the Goldikova (WTR 125) Ger Scalo 120 opportunity to showcase the continued to showcase her UAE Allybar/Al Shemali 119 extent of his ability. remarkable durability at the Canford Cliffs: wasn’t able to reveal the true extent of his ability, but is back for more Ita Jakkalberry 119 He will have another chance age of five. With five Group 1 to impress in 2011, but for and versatile, but in reality a every horse up against history fifth horse in 14 years to have wins, including four against NZ Lion Tamer 118 Harbinger it remains a case of handicap rating is just one to find how unique they are run to 135 or more and the colts, in three different Norw Appel Au Maitre/ what might have been, as the figure that helps to build up and, essentially, how long therefore his season has a countries, she clearly topped Touch Of Hawk 112 horse who showed the greatest the picture of a racehorse. It is before (or since) another repeatability of just under the consistency table for 2010.