Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Races

[my miss storm cat]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

As for the other races, I totally expected to see Dylan Thomas and Excellent Art get their asses kicked. I guess nobody has paid any attention to the post BC results of several of the horses that have run back that put in big efforts in the BC races. Nobiz Like Shobiz, Host, Midnight Lute and Cosmonaut all have come back to get handled at short odds. I don't think people realize what it means to train a horse to be at his absolute best at the end of a long season for a specific race and then ask them to come back and repeat that effort again on a relatively quick turnaround. Dylan's connections did him wrong twice. I've long said that there is a reason why no Arc winner has come over to win the BC Turf and Dylan continued that tradition this year. Many people wanted to write off his loss as a result of the course but he proved here that it wasn't the course, it was bad training decisions. The horse was clearly at the end of his rope in the Arc, when barely outlasting a rival that he had destroyed a few months earlier and when zig-zagging all over Paris to get it done. Not only did they try to squeeze the lemon again but they tried to do it twice. For good measure, they did it both times after shipping very long distances.

I agree kingie but you're kinda making it like people here picked those two when in reality most of us were just excited about the races. I don't think anyone here expected either to win.

There have been quite a few threads where Dylan was discussed..... just to be fair, i don't remember anyone here saying anything other than it's been a long season for him, too long.

EA never had a chance.

Now Good Ba Ba..... (!!!!!)

[my miss storm cat]

I meant to ask you King, what did you think of the locals?

Just wondering cause of the Silent Witness (applause! ) debate days..... you kinda said he won cause he beat the same horses over and over.

What did you think? Were you impressed?

[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by my miss storm cat

I meant to ask you King, what did you think of the locals?

Just wondering cause of the Silent Witness (applause! ) debate days..... you kinda said he won cause he beat the same horses over and over.

What did you think? Were you impressed?

I didn't think too much of them. They ran ok races but I didn't see anything that I was too turned on by. The Good Ba Ba win was probably the best one because I thought it was one that came over a decent field of horses. But he was all out to beat what I felt was a second rate Euro 3yo and I didn't think Darjina got a chance to show her best although the more I watch it, the more I think that even with a clear run, she wasn't getting there. Overall, I think they gave a good account of themselves. Certainly no embarrassment.

And I still think that Silent Witness was one of the most overrated horses I've ever seen.

[my miss storm cat]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

I didn't think too much of them. They ran ok races but I didn't see anything that I was too turned on by. The Good Ba Ba win was probably the best one because I thought it was one that came over a decent field of horses. But he was all out to beat what I felt was a second rate Euro 3yo and I didn't think Darjina got a chance to show her best although the more I watch it, the more I think that even with a clear run, she wasn't getting there. Overall, I think they gave a good account of themselves. Certainly no embarrassment.

And I still think that Silent Witness was one of the most overrated horses I've ever seen.

Instead of having this debate again about the great and gallant champion of the world, the incomparable, the brilliant Silent Witness... c'mon King, sing it with me. His theme song. Makes me all teary-eyed and i'm not kidding.

http://www.silentwitness.com.hk/engl...5_showcase.asp

[brockguy]

isnt sacred kingdom rated at least as high as Silent Witness??

[my miss storm cat]

Originally Posted by brockguy

isnt sacred kingdom rated at least as high as Silent Witness??

As high, and there are people who aren't happy about it.

* * *


SCMP.....

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Kingdom the equal of Witness, but not Andretti


ALAN AITKEN
Sacred Kingdom's brilliant Sprint victory has seen him equal Silent Witness' international mark of 123. Photos: Kenneth Chan

The world's handicappers have officially sanctioned Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint winner Sacred Kingdom on a figure equal to the best achieved by the great Silent Witness, but stopped short of agreeing he is the world champion.
The rating of 123, foreshadowed by Jockey Club chief handicapper Nigel Gray after last Sunday's international meeting, has been confirmed after the annual gathering of handicappers this week in Hong Kong and is the highest rating listed.

However, Australia's Miss Andretti was left on 120, which includes a four-pound allowance for her being female, so her rating remains 124 in effect and she is still the world champion sprinter.

Ricky Yiu Poon-fie's Sacred Kingdom's mark is equal to the peak achieved by Silent Witness when he dominated the rankings for more than two years. It continues Hong Kong's strong influence at the top of the sprinting category, after Fairy King Prawn, Silent Witness and Absolute Champion were all ranked as the world's leading or joint-top turf sprinter.

The elevation of Yiu's sprinter is the fourth time in the past five years that the Sprint winner has been given a high mark.

Hong Kong Mile hero Good Ba Ba has also been elevated from his prior rating of 115 to an international mark of 119 after his defeat of 118-rated Creachadoir, with the Godolphin horse remaining on that mark.

Viva Pataca has remained in the world's top 20 on 122 after his unlucky defeat by 123-rated Godolphin horse Ramonti, who stays on 123.

The Vase winner Doctor Dino has been raised to 119 from 117, while runner-up Quijano remains on a 119 assessment.

[King Glorious]

I don't know anything about these ratings but from the looks of it, they are pretty slanted towards Asian horses. How in the world is this Miss Andretti rated as the world champion sprinter? Is this only for grass? Even so, didn't Sacred Kingdom just kick her ass?

So the highest Silent Witness ever reached was 123? Same as Sacred Kingdon and below the number of Miss Andretti? How can that be? Foreign observers have been saying that Silent Witness was a super horse but these rankings point him out to be relatively ordinary among top horses.