CHAMPION mare Winx is the equal best horse in the world after nine successive victories (including six Group 1s) since May last year.
In the latest rankings of Longines World’s Best Racehorse which cover the period from January 1 to April 10, 2016, Winx and USA-based California Chrome share top billing on 126. This is the highest ranking for an Australian-bred and trained horse since Black Caviar was given a rating of 130 in 2013. Hong Kong trained but Australian-bred, Able Friend, achieved a ranking of 127 in 2014.
The rankings are a cumulative study compiled by a panel of international handicappers. Racing Victoria executive general manager, long-time handicapper and Longines panelist, Greg Carpenter, said: “History tells us that generally the best performance in the world each year will rate in the very high 120s or 130-plus. Right at the moment Winx and California Chrome are the pace setters.”
Aushorse webnews reports that as far as champion mares are concerned, only Black Caviar, Treve, Zenyatta, Rachel Alexander and Danedream have rated 127 or higher in the past decade and Carpenter sees Winx fitting comfortably among that group “Winx hit a figure of 126 after giving 6kg to Happy Clapper and 6.5kg to Azkadellia in the Doncaster Mile and beating them easily with a margin. In the seven days since her win the form held up with Happy Clapper running third in the Queen Elizabeth and Azkadellia winning the Queen of The Turf. Winx doesn’t have to travel to prove how good she is, but it would be great for Australian racing if she was able to campaign successfully overseas,” he said.
Among the latest rankings, Australia has two runners in the top four with the freakish performances of Chautauqua in both the Group 1 Lightning at Flemington and Group 1 TJ Smith at Randwick earning him an assessment of 121. Another Australian-bred/Hong Kong trained runner in Contentment is equal eighth on 119, while Queensland-bred Dubai hero, Buffering, is placed equal 14th on 118.
Choice Weetwood win for Sears
WHAT a difference 12 months can make. Last year Toowoomba trainer Tony Sears and wife Leigh endured the frustration of watching their horses Pillar Of Creation and Choice Bro finish second and third respectively in Toowoomba’s premier sprint, the Listed Weetwood Handicap (1200m).
This year they enjoyed the satisfaction of reversing the result with Choice Bro producing a last to first win in this year’s Weetwood held on Saturday, April 16 and Pillar Of Creation running third. Sandwiched in-between the Weetwoods was the added bonus of Sears winning his first Toowoomba trainer’s premiership for the 2014/15 racing season. Sears had also strived for many years to win the Weetwood on his hometrack stretching back to the early 1990s with Inzaman – a half-brother to Group 1 winner Oliver Twist – running second.
While it was the first black type winner for Sears, Choice Bro is a proven performer at the elite level with four wins and placings from 21 black type starts over four seasons of racing. Now a 6YO gelding by Choisir and one of six winners from the Palace Music (USA) mare Ladidi, Choice Bro was sold for $40,000 at the 2010 Inglis weanling sale in Sydney and entered the stables of New Zealand trainer John Sargent. Success was immediate with Choice Bro winning the Group 1 Manawatu Sires Produce Stakes and the Group 3 New Plymouth 2YO Classic as a 2YO followed by the.Listed Karaka Mile as a 3YO.
After racing in New Zealand and Australia, Choice Bro was acquired by Sears in February 2015 for long-term stable clients and strong country racing supporters Craig and Ann Black and has now had a further two wins and six placings with him.
Currie toasts Toowoomba Cup
LOCAL stayer Honey Toast delivered an emotional victory for young Toowoomba trainer Ben Currie by claiming the 2000m Toowoomba Cup on Saturday, April 16.
Also winner of last year’s Townsville Cup, 5YO gelding Honey Toast gave jockey Jim Byrne his third Toowoomba Cup after winning on Dutch Boy in 1994 and ‘Tis Love in 2001.
Currie will now target the second-tier staying races with Honey Toast who took his record to nine wins from 22 starts and more than $331,000 in prizemoney. By Redoute’s Choice from the Group 3 winning mare Purde (NZ) by Bahhare (USA), Honey Grove was sold for $260,000 at the 2010 Inglis Australian Easter yearling sale and had two unplaced starts for Scone trainer Paul Messara before being resold to Currie for $15,000 at the Inglis Spring Thoroughbred sale in 2014.
