World’s best racehorse Flightline equals rating of Frankel

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Trainer John Sadler was thrilled to see the remarkable Flightline named the 2022 Longines World’s Best Racehorse at a glittering awards event in London on Tuesday.

With an official rating of 140, Flightline equals Frankel’s benchmark set in 2012 under the current system. Previously, the highest rating given to a dirt horse was the 135 achieved by Cigar in 1996.

Flightline retired unbeaten in six starts, earning his historic rating in the Pacific Classic at Del Mar in September, which he won by a staggering 19 and a quarter lengths from Dubai World Cup hero Country Grammer.

He also won the Metropolitan Handicap and the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic in 2022, with the latter contest picking up the award for the world’s best race.

Sadler was understandably proud to see Flightline match Frankel’s rating, saying: “He never hid his talent – he was a star from the day he walked into the barn and that’s the way he walked out.

“We’re so grateful to have a horse like this in my career. Most horsemen never get one like this, so I feel very blessed.

“We watched Frankel run. Racing gets more international and we follow what’s happening over here so we thought that was kind of a good comparison.

“I’d like to thank Longines and the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities for this wonderful party. Everybody has treated us fabulously here in London.

“I think another point that works well is that this horse ran medication free, which I think fits really well into the international community moving forward.”

Flightline has inevitably drawn comparisons with American legend Secretariat, but Sadler prefers to focus on his own horse’s achievements and is already looking forward to what he can achieve in his second career as a stallion.

He added: “The comparisons to other horses are kind of joy killers. There’s no win in that as they’re all great horses and it’s hard to compare horses from different eras.

“He’s certainly the best we’ve seen in America for quite a while because of his brilliance, the fact that he can be so fast over a distance of ground.

“The story will keep going because he’s so well-bred, out of Tapit who is the leading sire in America. It doesn’t make it happen, but he’s got all the check marks of having a brilliant next career.

“His racing career was what it was. Each horse writes its own history and we did what we felt was best for this horse, not necessarily what was best for us. If we’d had our way we’d have raced him for another two years or something.

Flightline and Flavien Prat
Flightline and Flavien Prat (PA)

“But for Flightline it was time for him to go to stud and he’s got a really beautiful book (of mares) right off the bat, so he’s going to have a great opportunity.”

With the pressure now off, Sadler is delighted he is finally able to bask in the glory of what Flightline did on the track.

“We had a great party when we got back to Los Angeles and this has been a great trip for me. We’ve been here two or three days and it’s been a lot of fun,” he said.

“It warmed my heart when we were running in the Breeders’ Cup Classic and I’m putting the rider up and John Gosden, who did his early years in California, was right there as a fan.

“Flightline never disappointed. When he’s running it’s hard to be aggressive and say he dominates because it’s kind of bad luck. Now that it’s over now we can enjoy it a lot more.”

Drew Fleming, president and chief executive officer of Breeders’ Cup, was elated to see the Classic named World’s Best Race and admits Flightline’s display will live long in the memory.

“It was truly spectacular,” he said.

“I was very fortunate to watch Flightline run in the Met Mile and then go on to the Pacific Classic and there he just kept going and going – and the journey didn’t stop.

“Flightline came to the Breeders’ Cup and it was like The Beatles walking into the paddock – it was amazing. And then to see Flightline around the turn, in a beautiful Keeneland, it was just a truly magical day.”

Former PJA chief Struthers branches out on new venture

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Paul Struthers, formerly chief executive of the Professional Jockeys Association and head of communications for the British Horseracing Authority, has launched a new venture.

Moya Sport will offer consultancy services to governing bodies, player associations and clubs, specialising in sporting integrity, athlete welfare, stakeholder communications and crisis management.

Struthers – who announced in December 2021 he was leaving his role at the PJA – said: “I have spoken to many different people working across sport and have identified a growing need for specialist support.

“Integrity, communications and welfare teams are over-stretched but under resourced and under increasing pressure from a non-stop news cycle, social media and the explosion in citizen journalism.

“At Moya Sport, we have experienced those issues first hand from both a governing body and athlete viewpoint, making us uniquely qualified to have a genuine impact helping organisations navigate an increasingly challenging environment.

“I am passionate about the vital importance of integrity, but equally passionate about athletes’ welfare and treating them fairly, which is why transparency, accountability and honesty will be at the heart of everything Moya Sport does.”

Forecast leaves ‘challenges’ ahead for Ascot’s weekend fixture

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Officials at Ascot have admitted the change in forecast “may present some challenges” in being able to stage Saturday’s card – which is headlined by the LK Bennett Clarence House Chase.

The two-mile Grade One is due to feature Willie Mullins’ Champion Chase hero Energumene against Alan King’s Arkle winner Edwardstone.

However temperatures dropped as low as minus 6C on Monday night through to Tuesday morning and clerk of the course Chris Stickles has indicated a changing forecast suggests the cold weather may now extend into the weekend.

He said: “The going remains soft, good to soft in places on the chase track and good to soft, soft in places on the hurdles course. We’re obviously frozen on both courses in places this morning following minus 6C overnight and temperatures are still below freezing now.

“The forecast now indicates that this cold spell could last into the weekend, so it has changed since yesterday. So that may present some challenges.

“Temperatures aren’t due to get much above 4C on any given day and we’re still below freezing at the moment. Its not likely to get as cold as it did last night again currently, but although it’s not forecast to get as cold as it did last night it does look like sub-zero temperatures each night.

“We’ll continue to monitor and update accordingly.”

Haydock are also “50-50” to stage their Saturday fixture where the use of frost covers may not be enough to save the Peter Marsh Chase card.

Ground staff out on the track in the fog and frost to prepare the track before a previous meeting at Haydock Park
Ground staff out on the track in the fog and frost to prepare the track before a previous meeting at Haydock Park (John Giles/PA)

“I would say we are 50-50 realistically,” said clerk of the course Kirkland Tellwright. “We were minus 3C last night and we’ve got several more nights to get through.

“Frost covers are down but they will have their work cut out on the worn ground. There is no sign of any sun today for instance. It’s just above zero but we’ve got fog pretty much slowing down any thawing activity out there.

“We’ll just have to play it as it comes. We would very much like to race and will do everything we can.”

Freezing temperatures have already took their toll on the week’s racing programme with Chepstow on Tuesday and Newbury on Wednesday abandoned due to frost.

Newcastle have taken the decision to abandon for Thursday following an inspection late on Tuesday afternoon due to a hard frost and a minimal opportunity in the forecast for conditions to improve.

Plumpton will stage a second inspection at 8.30am ahead of their meeting on Wednesday.

Frost covers are down but it reached minus 6C on Monday night. However, Tuesday evening was not set to be as cold with -2C forecast and officials are hopeful of racing.

Officials at Ludlow have announced a precautionary inspection for 9am on Wednesday ahead of the track’s scheduled Thursday fixture.

Wincanton inspect at 8am on Thursday ahead of their Somerset National card later that day, while Lingfield’s Winter Million meeting on Friday also looks in some doubt.

The entire track was covered on Monday but it is frozen under the covers after a minus 6.7C last night.

The going report states: “Highs of +1/+3C today. Cold spell continues with averaging -2/-5C overnight and day time highs of between +3/+5C. Will need some good luck from what the latest forecast states.”

All very straightforward for Gaelic Warrior at Clonmel

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Gaelic Warrior set himself up for a potential crack at the Betfair Hurdle with an effortless win at Clonmel.

Given he was sent off the hugely prohibitive 1-14 favourite in the Munster Hurdle on a card transferred after being cancelled last week, he was only doing what was expected of him.

But having won by over 80 lengths on what was his Irish debut at Tramore in December, the Boodles Hurdle runner-up once again showed he possesses a big engine.

Bounced into an early advantage by Paul Townend, he never saw another rival and while stablemate Blue Sari made grounds to claim second, he was still 15 lengths in arrears.

He did jump out to his right on occasions, just as he did when beaten at Cheltenham, but he was so far clear it was an irrelevance.

The sponsors trimmed the Rich Ricci-owned winner into 3-1 from 11-2 for the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury as a result, a race for which he picked up a 5lb penalty.

As Gaelic Warrior is also still a novice, Coral cut him to 6-1 from 7s for the Ballymore at Cheltenham in March.

Townend said: “He was entitled to do it. We didn’t learn any more about him, but got more experience into him. He is a lovely horse.

“It is very hard work out there and he is hard enough on himself too but took breathers – the ground is proper testing.”

Regarding his tendency to jump right, he added: “I was trying to keep out to the outside (on better ground) but all the room was to the right, which was always going to happen.

“He does prefer to go right to correct himself but when he is racing and going about it, he straightens up. Hopefully he can make up for the disappointment at Cheltenham last year.”

Paul Townend with Night And Day
Paul Townend with Night And Day (Thomas Weekes/PA)

Mullins and Townend had already struck earlier on the card with another impressive odds-on winner Night And Day (2-5 favourite) in the Kilsheelan Mares Maiden Hurdle.

She is an 8-1 chance for the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle in March.

“She was doing nice work last year and was thrown in very deep (in a Fairyhouse Grade One) and she has a future, that’s for sure,” said Townend.

“The hurdles are nearly too small for her, with the size of her and she will even improve for a fence but has a future over hurdles first.”

Twiston-Davies team targeting more Trial success with Move It

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I Like To Move It will attempt to follow in the footsteps of a previous Nigel Twiston-Davies inmate by winning the New One Unibet Hurdle at Haydock on Saturday.

The race, registered as the Champion Hurdle Trial, was won by former Grand Farm inhabitant The New One for four successive years between 2015 and 2018.

Twiston-Davies and his son Sam also teamed up to win the race in 2020 so are searching for a sixth victory in 10 years in the Grade Two.

With testing ground assured, I Like To Move It will be looking to bounce back after finishing only sixth in the Relkeel Hurdle over two miles and five furlongs last time out.

Prior to that he had won the Greatwood Hurdle under top weight of 12st.

Sam Twiston-Davies said: “Obviously, it didn’t work out in the Relkeel at Cheltenham last time. He has come out of it fine and we have learned a good deal more about him.

“We are looking forward to Saturday. Haydock and soft ground will suit him, hopefully, all being well.”

Chaldean will be Dettori’s ride if he wants it, say Juddmonte

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The Juddmonte team are keeping everything crossed that leading 2000 Guineas contender Chaldean can give Frankie Dettori a Classic winner in his final year before retirement.

The popular Italian teamed up with Andrew Balding’s Frankel colt twice in the autumn, steering him to success in both the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster and the Dewhurst at Newmarket.

Speaking on a Zoom call to reveal the classifications for last season’s two-year-old crop, Juddmonte racing manager Barry Mahon confirmed Dettori will keep the ride on Chaldean, whose rating of 119 makes him the joint second-highest rated juvenile of 2022 along with Blackbeard.

Little Big Bear was crowned Europe’s champion juvenile with a mark of 124.

“He’s definitely Frankie’s ride if he wants him and he’s available and hasn’t any other commitments,” said Mahon.

“I spoke with Andrew last week about it and he was of the same mind that Frankie seemed to click well with the horse and in their two starts they built up a good rapport, so we definitely wouldn’t look to be changing anything there unless Frankie has a commitment anywhere else.

“Frankie has been a phenomenal jockey for so many years. He’s been phenomenal for the sport and is loved and adored all around the world.

“We’re very much looking forward to the next 12 months. Hopefully we’ll be able to retain his services plenty as we’ve a few nice horses in the Gosdens and elsewhere and Frankie is always top of our list when he’s available.

“Hopefully he has a good season and goes off into retirement on a good note.”

Nostrum is another exciting prospect
Nostrum is another exciting prospect (Mike Egerton/PA)

Chaldean is one of two leading Guineas contenders for Juddmonte along with Sir Michael Stoute’s Nostrum, who was beaten two and a half lengths into third place in the Dewhurst.

While Mahon is not ruling out the possibility of the pair renewing rivalry over the Rowley Mile in the 2000 Guineas, connections could instead opt to split their aces.

He added: “It’s a nice position to be in having a number of nice two-year-olds heading into the winter and looking forward to their three-year-old campaigns.

“I suppose we might be a bit far away to be making plans about keeping them apart. In an ideal world I suppose we would like to keep them apart, with possibly one running in the English Guineas and the other go to France or Ireland.

“But there’s a lot of work to be done yet and if something had a little setback along the way it would be nice to have a replacement to fill in for the English 2000 Guineas.

“I think we’ll aim for both of them to head towards Newmarket for the time being and get a bit closer and sit down with the Abdullah family and see what they’d like to do.

“In fairness they were gallant enough to let both of them run in the Dewhurst, which was a brave call, and it was the right call in hindsight.

“Maybe it’s the case that they would like both of them to run (at Newmarket).”

A horse viewed as a possible Derby runner for the team is John and Thady Gosden’s Arrest.

Placed behind Nostrum on his introduction, he went on to win his next two starts before being narrowly denied by Dubai Mile in the Group One Criterium de Saint-Cloud.

Mahon said: “John and Thady were always very bullish about him from July onwards. I happened to be there in July and they said to me that he was the colt that was standing out to them at the time.

“He’s a very nice horse and ran a good race on his debut, the form of which has worked out very well with Nostrum finishing in front of him, and then he went on and won his two novices nicely.

“It was a big jump up from him at Saint-Cloud. He was a very immature horse and unfortunately the ground that day was horrendous – the jockeys said it was as deep as you would ever get ground.

“He ran a good race and I think his weakness maybe caught him out in the last 50 yards when Mark Johnston’s horse came past him.

“He’ll start off in a Derby trial and could go to Sandown and follow the Westover route from last year – Sandown, Epsom and the Curragh.

“He’s a nice prospect and I hope he can make up into a nice middle-distance three-year-old.”

Mahon also gave mention to two maiden winners who have not yet tested their powers at the highest level, but could do before the year is out.

He added: “We have a filly called Bluestocking who won her maiden at Salisbury for Ralph Beckett, she’s a filly we like a lot. She’s very much a three-year-old type and being by Camelot she’s bred to want 10 or 12 furlongs.

“Then there is a filly called Coppice for John and Thady Gosden. She won her maiden first time out on the all-weather and she’s a sister to Calyx.

“I think John and Thady are taking her along nice and slow. It all depends how she winters and how she is in the spring, but I think if John and Thady feel that she’s in good form and her work is forward enough, there’s every chance she’ll start off in a Guineas trial.

“If she’s a little bit slow to come to hand we’ll be conservative and might go for a novice and aim towards bigger prizes in the summer, rather than pushing her to go to the Guineas.

“I think she’ll stay well. She broke her maiden over seven furlongs and hit the line very strong that day, so I don’t think she’ll have any problem with the mile.”

Little Big Bear crowned top juvenile in Europe for last year

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Aidan O’Brien’s Little Big Bear has been crowned Europe’s champion juvenile for 2022.

Narrowly beaten on his racecourse debut at the Curragh, the son of No Nay Never went on to win each of his four subsequent starts, including the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot.

But it was his scintillating display on what proved to be his final juvenile appearance in the Group One Phoenix Stakes that saw him top the charts with a rating of 124.

Little Big Bear, who missed a planned step up to seven furlongs in the National Stakes, is O’Brien’s 12th European Champion Juvenile and is ante-post favourite for the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.

Little Big Bear with connections at the Curragh
Little Big Bear with connections at the Curragh (Lorraine O’Sullivan/PA)

O’Brien said: “We always thought from day one he was very good and we were very surprised the first day that he got beat, but with two-year-olds that can happen.

“Every run after that we did what we thought he would do. We always thought he was a very smart horse.

“We were looking forward to the National Stakes. He always showed plenty of speed, but when he stepped up to six furlongs he did really improve and I remember Ryan saying he’d get seven on his ear after the Phoenix Stakes.

“He’s by No Nay Never who is a big influence on speed, but there’s a good chance that a mile could be within his compass this year. We’re looking forward to seeing what he can do.

“That (2000 Guineas) is what we’re thinking at the moment.”

Reflecting on Little Big Bear, Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board handicapper Mark Bird said: “His dominant performances in taking the Group Three Anglesey Stakes and the Group One Phoenix Stakes propelled him clear of his rivals in the race to be Europe’s top two-year-old from an early stage of the season and whetted the appetite for what promises to be an exciting three-year-old career.”

Not for the first time O’Brien made a significant impact on the upper echelons of the rankings, with Little Big Bear 5lb clear of stablemate Blackbeard (119), who in turn finds himself 1lb ahead of another potential Ballydoyle star in the impressive Vertem Futurity Stakes winner Auguste Rodin – clear favourite for the Derby at Epsom.

O’Brien said: “We think Auguste Rodin is a very good horse. We were nearly not running him in the Vertem Futurity as he’s a lovely, big, slick horse and we were worried about the ground.

“He’s a very good mover with a good mind, we always thought he’d be a better horse at three and we think he’ll get middle distances, so the plan with him is he’ll probably start in the Guineas and see where we go from there.”

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Victoria Road also features in the top 10 with a mark of 115, while O’Brien feels there is more to come from 114-rated Juvenile Fillies’ Turf heroine Meditate.

Meditate in action at the Curragh
Meditate in action at the Curragh (Donall Farmer/PA)

“With Meditate, the twice she got beat it was probably our fault,” he added.

“When she got beaten in the Moyglare, she’s a filly that has plenty of speed and we made the running with her over seven furlongs in soft to heavy ground, so that didn’t make a lot of sense when you look back.

“Then we might have panicked a little bit and ran her back in the Cheveley Park a bit too quick. She ran very well, but was probably a little bit flat.

“We were very happy going to America that she’d had a bit of time to freshen up and we knew the way we wanted to ride her this time. We always thought she was a very high-class, high-quality filly.

“It was only when we stepped Victoria Road up in trip that we started to get the best out of him.

“He could be a French Classic-type horse – French Guineas/French Derby-type horse.”

As far as the fillies were concerned, it was Meditate’s Moyglare Stud Stakes conqueror Tahiyra, with a mark of 118, who provided another major milestone in the career of the legendary Dermot Weld, ending the season as the trainer’s first ever European Champion Two-Year-Old Filly.

Bird said of Tahiyra: “She set off impressively in the illustrious hoofprints of her half-sister and Breeders’ Cup heroine Tarnawa, when winning at Group One level on just her second start.

“Providing Dermot Weld with his inaugural European Juvenile Champion filly, she is owner H.H. Aga Khan’s first juvenile female champion since Zarkava in 2007.”

O’Brien also gave mention to Justify filly Statuette, who was two from two last season but has not been seen in competitive action since landing a Group Two at the Curragh in June.

He said: “She’s a massive filly and I was surprised she came as quick as she did. We tried to back away from her and when we did she started to grow more.

“We’re very happy with her and we’ll take our time with her. We’ll train her for the Classics and see where we go, but we won’t force her.

“If it comes too quick for her we can go to Ascot, but I’m very happy with how she’s done physically.

“She’s going to be a filly to look forward to.”

O’Brien: Luxembourg is exciting for next year

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Aidan O’Brien is confident Luxembourg will make his mark at the highest level again this season.

Unbeaten in three juvenile starts in 2021, the Camelot colt kicked off last term with a third-placed finish in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket in April but did not run again until mid-August.

He was workmanlike on his comeback in the Royal Whip Stakes when needing the run and raised his game significantly to see off the French challenge Onesto and Vadeni in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown the following month.

Luxembourg could finish only seventh on his most recent appearance in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, but O’Brien is in no doubt he will be a force to be reckoned with as a four-year-old.

He said: “We were very happy with his first run back at the Curragh and delighted with him in Leopardstown.

“We trained him very hard for Leopardstown and a combination of that and the very soft ground in France for the Arc, it might have just been all a little bit too much for him.

“We think he’s going to be very smart this year.”

Luxembourg looks set to follow a tried and tested route, with the Tattersalls Gold Cup already identified as his first Group One objective before a potential appearance at Royal Ascot.

Aidan O'Brien has high hopes for Luxembourg in 2023
Aidan O’Brien has high hopes for Luxembourg in 2023 (Brian Lawless/PA)

O’Brien added: “We’ll start him at a mile and a quarter and look at a couple of those Irish mile-and-a-quarter races on the way to the Tattersalls Gold Cup.

“Then we could go from the Tattersalls on to maybe Royal Ascot for the Prince of Wales’s and we can go up in trip then after that.

“I didn’t think he’d get back for the Irish Champion the way he did, his run in the Arc was a respectable run and we thought there was plenty more to come from him.

“We think he’s going to be a very exciting horse.”

Skeltons chasing more weekend headlines at Haydock

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Harry and Dan Skelton have their eyes on another fruitful day on Saturday following a dream weekend at Warwick and Kempton.

A Grade Two double at Warwick courtesy of Grey Dawning and Galia Des Liteaux was supplemented by the mare West Balboa winning the Lanzarote Hurdle under Bridget Andrews, who is Harry Skelton’s wife.

The brothers have now set their sights on Haydock with the exciting Pembroke entered in the Sky Bet Supreme Trial Rossington Main Novices’ Hurdle, old favourite Blaklion in the Peter Marsh Chase and Lac De Constance in the Patrick Coyne Memorial Altcar Novices Chase.

“Lac De Constance was good first time, but just a bit novicey second time,” said Harry Skelton.

Blaklion could be out again this weekend
Blaklion could be out again this weekend (Mike Egerton/PA)

“I think the step up to two and half (miles) will help him. The softer the ground, the better. He has Arkle and Turners Novices’ Chase entries (at the Cheltenham Festival), but nothing is set in stone for him.

“If Blaklion goes, he loves it round Haydock, loves the heavy ground. He seems in really good form at home and he seems to have much the same enthusiasm.

“Pembroke will be up in class and it was a good performance at Ludlow last time. We hope he can cope with going up in class.

“He is a nice, progressive horse. He is a lovely horse, long-term, who we think will be really good.”

Cold spell beginning to hit racing hard

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Freezing temperatures are beginning to take a toll on the racing programme with Chepstow on Tuesday and Newbury on Wednesday abandoned due to frost.

With temperatures falling dramatically across the country for the second big cold snap of the winter, Chepstow and Newbury were added to Fontwell on Monday as meetings lost this week.

Chepstow were due to inspect at 7.30am but the decision to abandon was taken before then after it reached -6C overnight at the Monmouthshire venue.

Conditions at Newbury were already testing after over 60 millimetres of rain in the past week.

However, it was frost that put the nail in the coffin, with a -4C on Monday night and another hard frost forecast for Tuesday, with -5C possible.

Clonmel’s meeting in Ireland on Tuesday did survive an inspection, though.

Plumpton will inspect at 2pm on Tuesday ahead of Wednesday’s meeting.

Frost covers are down but it reached -6C on Monday with temperatures not getting above freezing until 10am with a possible high of 3C.

Tuesday evening is not set to be as cold with -2C forecast.

The going report read: “Temperatures dropped much lower than forecasted overnight. With frozen areas will inspect at 2pm hoping to see improvement, with the feeling if the frozen areas come out today we would have a good chance with temperatures not forecasted to drop as low tonight.”

Lingfield’s Winter Million meeting on Friday looks in some doubt, however.

The entire track was covered on Monday but it is frozen under the covers after a -6.7C last night.

The going report states: “Highs of +1/+3C today. Cold spell continues with averaging -2/-5C overnight and day time highs of between +3/+5C. Will need some good luck from what the latest forecast states.”

Ascot’s Clarence House Chase card on Saturday is being protected by frost sheets on the take offs and landings and the shaded area in the home straight.

While temperatures are due to be below freezing every night this week, daytime temperatures of of 4C offer encouragement.

Haydock reports that temperatures in the Merseyside area are due to rise towards the end of the week, although there is a risk of snow on Wednesday.