The sub-par bunch makes the list

[my miss storm cat]

I always have problems with these silly lists BUT instead of bitching about it (for a change ), just want to point out (for those who say HK is not competitive on the world stage) that the kids, you know... the "sub par" horses or whatever that damned expression was - grabbed three of the top ten spots.

Nah nah na nah nah!

http://www.horseracingintfed.com/res...dingHorses.asp


The World's Leading Horses - 1st November 2007 to 4th May 2008
Please click on column headers to sort

Rank @ 4th May 08 Rank @ 31st Mar 08 Rank @ 25th Nov 07 Rank @ 28th Oct 07 Rank @ 7th Oct 07 Rank @ 5th Aug 07 Rank @ 10th Jun 07 Rating Cat Surface Horse A S Trainer Trained Position Race Date Group Distance Run
1 1 2 2 4 5 4 130 I Dirt Curlin (USA) 4 C S.M. Asmussen USA 1st Emirates Dubai World Cup 29th Mar 1 2000 UAE
2 126 I Dirt Big Brown (USA) 3 C R.E. Dutrow Jr USA 1st Kentucky Derby (Presented by Yum! Brands) 3rd May 1 2000 USA
3 5 11 17 15 5 4 123 L Turf * Admire Moon (JPN) 5 H H. Matsuda JPN 1st Japan Cup 25th Nov 1 2400 JPN
3 5 34 123 S Turf Sacred Kingdom (AUS) 4 G P.F. Yiu HK 1st Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint 9th Dec 1 1200 HK
5 8 11 11 10 122 L Turf Getaway (GER) 5 H A. Fabre FR 1st stanjamesuk.com Jockey Club 4th May 2 2400 GB
5 28 122 M Turf Good Ba Ba (USA) 6 G A. Schutz HK 1st Champions Mile 27th Apr 1 1600 HK
5 8 18 17 27 25 47 122 L Turf Meisho Samson (JPN) 5 H S. Takahashi JPN 3rd Japan Cup 25th Nov 1 2400 JPN
5 8 18 24 122 L Turf Pop Rock (JPN) 7 H K. Sumii JPN 2nd Japan Cup 25th Nov 1 2400 JPN
5 8 11 11 10 12 122 I Turf Ramonti (FR) 6 H S. bin Suroor UAE 1st Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup 9th Dec 1 2000 HK
5 8 18 17 15 12 8 122 I Turf Viva Pataca (GB) ex Comic Strip 6 G J. Moore HK 1st Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup 24th Feb HK 1 2000 HK
5 8 122 S,M Turf Weekend Hussler (AUS) 3 G R. McDonald AUS 1st Newmarket H/Cathay Pacific George Ryder 8th Mar/19th Apr 1 1200/1500 AUS
12 121 M Turf Henrythenavigator (USA) 3 C A.P. O'Brien IRE 1st stanjamesuk.com 2000 Guineas 3rd May 1 1600 GB
12 19 121 L Turf Matsurida Gogh (JPN) 5 H S. Kunieda JPN 1st Arima Kinen/Nikkei Sho 23rd Dec/29th Mar 1/2 2500 JPN
14 28 120 I Turf Archipenko (USA) 4 C M.F. De Kock UAE 1st Audemars Piguet QE II Cup 27th Apr 1 2000 HK
14 22 28 27 21 19 13 120 M Turf * Daiwa Major (JPN) 7 H H. Uehara JPN 1st Mile Championship 18th Nov 1 1600 JPN
14 22 34 120 E Turf Efficient (NZ) 4 G G. Rogerson AUS 1st Emirates Melbourne Cup 6th Nov 1 3200 AUS
14 22 120 M Dirt Honour Devil (ARG) 3 C M.F. De Kock UAE 1st Al Naboodah UAE Derby 29th Mar 2 1800 UAE
14 22 120 M Turf Jay Peg (SAF) 4 C H.J. Brown UAE 1st Dubai Duty Free 29th Mar 1 1777 UAE
14 8 17 16 39 120 M Turf Kip Deville (USA) 5 H R.E. Dutrow Jr USA 1st Maker's Mark Mile 11th Apr 1 1600 USA
14 120 M Turf New Approach (IRE) 3 C J.S. Bolger IRE 2nd stanjamesuk.com 2000 Guineas 3rd May 1 1600 GB
14 39 120 I Turf Pocket Power (SAF) 5 G M.W. Bass SAF 1st J & B Met 26th Jan 1 2000 SAF
14 22 120 L Turf Sun Classique (AUS) 4 F M.F. De Kock UAE 1st Nakheel Dubai Sheema Classic 29th Mar 1 2400 UAE
23 28 119 S Dirt Benny The Bull (USA) 5 H R.E. Dutrow Jr USA 1st Gulf News Dubai Golden Shaheen 29th Mar 1 1200 UAE
23 28 119 L Turf Doctor Dino (FR) 6 H R. Gibson FR 1st/3rd Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Vase/Nakheel Dubai Sheema Classic 9th Dec/29th Mar 1 2400 HK/UAE
23 28 27 21 25 119 I Turf Duke Of Marmalade (IRE) 4 C A.P. O'Brien IRE 1st Prix Ganay 40eme Anniversaire Air Mauritius 27th Apr 1 2100 FR
23 39 119 M Dirt Heatseeker (IRE) 5 H J. Hollendorfer USA 2nd Oaklawn H 5th Apr 2 1800 USA
23 28 12 8 119 M Turf Linngari (IRE) 6 H H.J. Brown UAE 1st Meydan Racecourse H 24th Jan - 1500 UAE
23 28 47 45 39 119 L Turf Quijano (GER) 6 G P. Schiergen GER 4th Nakheel Dubai Sheema Classic 29th Mar 1 2400 UAE
23 119 M Turf Racing To Win (AUS) 5 G J. O'Shea AUS 2nd Cathay Pacific George Ryder 19th Apr 1 1500 AUS
23 28 119 I Turf Sirmione (AUS) 4 G B. Cummings AUS 1st Darley Australian Cup 8th Mar 1 2000 AUS
31 118 E Turf Admire Jupiter (JPN) 5 H Y. Tomomichi JPN 1st Tenno Sho (Spring) 4th May 1 3200 JPN
31 118 S Turf Apache Cat (AUS) 5 G G. Eurell AUS 1st Sydney City Lexus T.J. Smith 26th Apr 1 1200 AUS
31 118 M Turf Armada (NZ) ex After The Dance 6 G J. Size HK 2nd Champions Mile 27th Apr 1 1600 HK
31 39 33 118 M Turf Creachadoir (IRE) 4 C S bin Suroor UAE 2nd Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Mile 9th Dec 1 1600 HK
31 39 118 L Turf Delta Blues (JPN) 7 H K. Sumii JPN 5th Japan Cup 25th Nov 1 2400 JPN
31 39 118 S Dirt Diabolical (USA) 5 H S bin Suroor UAE 1st Mahab Al Shimaal - Green Desert 6th Mar 3 1200 UAE
31 118 M Dirt Divine Park (USA) 4 C K.P.McLaughlin USA 1st Westchester H 30th Apr 3 1600 USA
31 47 118 M Turf Einstein (BRZ) 6 H Ms H. Pitts USA 1st Woodford Reserve Turf Classic 3rd May 1 1800 USA
31 39 118 I Dirt Go Between (USA) 5 H W.I. Mott USA 2nd Santa Anita H 1st Mar 1 2000 USA
31 118 S Dirt Greg's Gold (USA) 7 G D. E. Hofmans USA 1st Potrero Grande H 5th Apr 2 1300 USA
31 19 34 33 118 M Dirt Midnight Lute (USA) 5 H B. Baffert USA 2nd Hill 'N' Dale Cigar Mile H 24th Nov 1 1600 USA
31 39 34 33 27 25 47 118 S Turf Miss Andretti (AUS) 6 M L. Freedman AUS 1st The Age Classic 10th Nov 1 1200 AUS
31 118 M Dirt Monterey Jazz (USA) 4 C C. Dollase USA 1st Strub/Texas Mile 2nd Feb/26th Apr 2/3 1800/1600 USA
31 47 118 S Turf Mythical Flight (SAF) 4 G S. G. Tarry SAF 1st Lebelo Sprint H 22nd Dec 3 1000 SAF
31 39 38 24 118 M Turf Oracle West (SAF) 6 G M.F. De Kock UAE 1st Meydan Racecourse H 8th Feb - 1777 UAE
31 45 39 33 118 I Turf Saddex (GB) 5 H P. Rau GER 2nd Prix Ganay 40eme Anniversaire Air Mauritius 27th Apr 1 2100 FR
31 39 118 M Turf Super Hornet (JPN) 5 H Y.Yahagi JPN 2nd Mile Championship 18th Nov 1 1600 JPN
31 39 118 L Turf Sushisan (AUS) 5 G H.J. Brown UAE 6th Nakheel Dubai Sheema Classic 29th Mar 1 2400 UAE
31 39 45 39 38 24 118 M Turf Takeover Target (AUS) 8 G J. Janiak AUS 2nd Villiers H 5th Jan 2 1400 AUS
31 47 118 M Dirt Tiago (USA) 4 C J. A. Shirreffs USA 1st Oaklawn H 5th Apr 2 1800 USA
31 39 118 M,I Dirt Vermilion (JPN) 6 H S. Ishizaka JPN 1st Japan Cup Dirt/Tokyo Daishoten/February 24th Nov/29th Dec/24th Feb 1/L/1 2100/2000/1600 JPN
31 4 5 5 4 25 33 118 L Turf Youmzain (IRE) 5 H M.R. Channon GB 5th Nakheel Dubai Sheema Classic 29th Mar 1 2400 UAE

* Retired or no longer racing

[my miss storm cat]

Three Hong Kong horses among world’s top ten 10 May 2008

Hong Kong Jockey Club

It’s official. Hong Kong racing has reached its highest ever level of global recognition.

Sacred Kingdom, Good Ba Ba and Viva Pataca have translated their status as the highest-rated horses locally to be among the top ten active thoroughbreds in the world, according to rankings just published by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities.

Trained by Ricky Yiu Poon-fai, Sacred Kingdom is third on the list overall and is the top-ranked active turf performer at an assessment of 123 after a season in which his tearaway success in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint stood out.

With four Gr.1 wins during the campaign, principally the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Mile and the Champions Mile, the Andreas Schutz-trained Good Ba Ba is ranked the world’s leading miler on a mark of 122 alongside Weekend Hussler from Australia.

Also rated 122 is Viva Pataca, stabled with John Moore and winner of the Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup. The six-year-old joins Ramonti, his conqueror in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup, at the apex of turf horses at intermediate distances (1900m to 2100m).

“It’s terrific that we are home to the world’s best sprinter and miler. Also, the fact that both Viva Pataca and Ramonti determined their positions in Hong Kong is a fine endorsement for our Turf World Championships in December. We have never had such a concentration of local stars among the very best in the world and full credit to the connections involved,” said Mr William A Nader, the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Executive Director of Racing.

The American four-year-old Curlin, who won the Dubai World Cup in a canter at the end of March, is the highest ranked thoroughbred on the planet currently at a mark of 130. Rated second on a level of 126 is Big Brown, last weekend’s Kentucky Derby hero.

[_ed_]

Hard to disagree with that top 10.

Surprised to see Efficient as high as 14 though...I guess that's just my irrational hatred of the Melbourne Cup! Can think of quite a few Aus/NZ horses I would rate above him.

[my miss storm cat]

A few days old but...


TIMEFORM GLOBAL TOP 20
1 CURLIN S M Asmussen, USA 134
2 DUKE OF MARMALADE A P O'Brien, Ireland 133
3 BIG BROWN R E Dutrow, jnr, USA 132
3 PAPAL BULL Sir Michael Stoute, GB 132§
5 HENRYTHENAVIGATOR A P O'Brien, Ireland 131
5 NEW APPROACH J S Bolger, Ireland 131
5 SACRED KINGDOM P F Yiu, Hong Kong 131
8 RAVEN'S PASS J H M Gosden, GB 130
8 SOLDIER OF FORTUNE A P O'Brien, Ireland 130
8 TARTAN BEARER Sir Michael Stoute, GB 130
8 WEEKEND HUSSLER Ross McDonald, Australia 130
8 YOUMZAIN M R Channon, GB 130
13 GETAWAY A Fabre, France 129
13 GOOD BA BA A Schutz, Hong Kong 129
15 MONTMARTRE A de Royer Dupre, France 128+
15 SAKHEE'S SECRET H Morrison, GB 128
15 SEPTIMUS A P O'Brien, Ireland 128
18 APACHE CAT Greg Eurell, Australia 127
18 ARCHIPENKO M F de Kock, South Africa 127
18 MARCHAND D'OR F Head, France 127
18 MATSURIDA GOGH S Kunieda, Japan 127
18 MISS ANDRETTI Lee Freeman, Australia 127
18 VIVA PATACA J Moore, Hong Kong 127
18 YEATS A P O'Brien, Ireland 127