A SOUTH AFRICAN WORLD CHAMPION AT LAST

J J The Jet Plane - Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint (Gr1)
(Photo : Hong Kong Jockey Club)

J J THE JET PLANE
“Joint Highest Rated Sprinter” 

The World Thoroughbred Ratings were issued Wednesday, and from a South African perspective, they were a cause celebre, even if only in a single respect. J J The Jet Plane, following his spectacular run in the Hong Kong Sprint last month, is officially the joint highest rated sprinter. That’s some achievement, given that South African horses domestically are not rated at all (which means that the likes of Pocket Power don’t come into the reckoning), and that the ratings committee have a habit of treating horses untried in Europe or North America with less respect than they deserve. You have to be some kind of a performer to make it to the top, and then some. While we’ve mentioned it before, there is a connection with us in JJ’s case. His first five dams and both the grand dam and great grand dam of his sire, Jet Master, all resided here, which reminds us of the value of “family”.

The official world champion (the highest rated horse of the year) is the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Harbinger. His mark of 135 for his success in Ascot’s Gr1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes has only been bettered by three Champions in the past 20 years – Generous (137 in 1991), Peintre Celebre (137 in 1997) and Sea The Stars (136 in 2009).

The son of Juddmonte Farm’s Dansili, now retired to stand at stud in Japan, was a 180,000gns Tattersalls October Yearling Sale purchase by John Warren Bloodstock and raced for Highclere Thoroughbreds.

He was rated 6lb ahead of the best dirt horse, Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Classic victor Blame (Arch), while Quality Road (Elusive Quality) was one of three horses allocated a further 1lb less.

Also on 128 were the joint best three-year-olds, Makfi (Dubawi) and Workforce (King’s Best), both British Classic winners and products of European-based Darley sires.

Multiple Gr1 winners again last season, Goldikova (Anabaa) and Zenyatta (Street Cry) shared top billing as the best older fillies/mares on 125, while the title of top three-year-old filly was split between the French-trained pair Lily Of The Valley (Galileo) and Sarafina (Refuse To Bend), both on 121.

The top European-raced two-year-olds, rated 126, were Dream Ahead (Diktat) and Frankel (Galileo).

Click here for comprehensive analysis of the
2010 World Thoroughbred Rankings