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A path well trod, but I had to smile when I read on the RP website about “Australian superstar Anamoe” just now.
Now don’t get me wrong, this is a proper decent horse – I remember getting up very early one morning to see him win the Cox Plate.
But his international OR seems to be 121 and even the RPR (like Timeform, often inflated by up to 7lb) themselves only rate him 123.
And Anamoe was beaten a couple of lengths into fourth behind horses with OR of 120, 117 and 117 (RPR 122, 121 and 121) subsequently.
If RPR 123 nowadays makes you a “superstar,” I wonder how many “superstars” are in training in the UK currently?
Or in Europe?
Or worldwide?
Maybe I should view it in context – we live in a world where it seems literally everyone is “awesome” or “amazing,” but even so these superlatives are surely getting so diluted by expanded use as to lose all meaning or value.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned the fact that the word “great” has lost all meaning several times on this forum.
I’m pretty sure you have and I’m even more sure you’re correct.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"While I agree about the overuse of “great”, I find it even more irritating when dismissive terms are used to describe horses who are clearly very talented.
For example, a winner of a race such as the Champion Chase being described as “modest”. Even if it isn’t one of the stronger editions of the race, the winner is invariably among the top few percent of the current population of two mile chasers. Describing such a horse as “average” or “moderate” is never accurate. Describing them as “an average winner of the race” may be appropriate when making comparisons, but that’s not the same.
I get quite upset on the horse’s behalf when I read this type of thing, which is obviously very silly, but I like to see the good horses in our sport appreciated and their achievements spoken about respectfully.
“I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned the fact that the word “great” has lost all meaning several times on this forum.”
Great post
Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
Actually I agree, Marlingford, and many many in the racing media are guilty of it.
You can even talk positively about runners in a Class 6 Handicap on the AW one wet evening if you are minded to.
“This ones’s a winner of a race,” “this one has made the frame x times,” “this is the highest-rated horse running here tonight and the quality act on the card” (who cares if that rating is only 57?) – there are ways of talking a race and runners up.
I’d support statements like “there are no bad Derby winners” because it’s simply that some Derby winners are a lot better than others.
We all have our own definitions and for me on the Flat an OR of 125 is a good Group 1 horse, an OR of 130 is very good and 135+ is great – add 7lb to those numbers for the inflated RPR/Timeform equivalents.
But that’s just my opinion – we all have our own criteria and all comments should be taken in context and allowing for caveats.
I’ve seen great 2yos (but they were only great by juvenile standards – I wouldn’t call them great racehorses per se) and over Jumps I’ve seen great Hunters’ Chasers (great within their sphere but not Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning material even in an average year).
But these superlatives are overused unconditionally a lot nowadays and I think it’s pretty risible tbh.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"“All Time Great” running for Aidan in the 13:55 at Leopardstown
the best named horse Aidan has ever trained
Ryan Moore not even onboard..
Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
““All Time Great” running for Aidan in the 13:55 at Leopardstown
the best named horse Aidan has ever trained
Ryan Moore not even onboard.. ”Walloped 25 lengths. Reminds me of the old joke
LOST: black and white three legged cat, missing tail, an eye and most of his fur, scars on face and tattered ears, answers to name of “Lucky”.
Brilliant Grass… Poor lucky hasn’t got many of those 9 lives remaining
As for the Australian superstar Anamoe he has a Lockinge entry
Ian can’t make the forum meet up but will deliver us the placard to hold up saying “You are not great, you never have been and you never will be”
Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
All Time Great is a superstar beaten only today by six other superstars.
“You’re all winners!”
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Superstar Anamoe only third to Dubai Honour.
Guess that makes Dubai Honour a super-superstar.
Which makes the 19 horses who beat Dubai Honour last year super-super-superstars.
What a time to be alive!
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"For reference from Timeform:
140+: an all-time great horse
135–139: an outstanding horse
130–134: above average Group 1 winner (a “top-class racehorse”)[4]
125–129: average Group 1 winner
116–124: average Group 2 winner
110–115: average Group 3 winner
100–105: average Listed Race winnerDubai Honour over here is a dual G2 winner and apart from a close 2nd to Sealiway in 2021 Champion Stakes he has been found wanting in G1s in Europe and has also been beaten in G2 & G3s here, his highest official rating was 122…..according to Timeform that is ‘an average G2 winner’ which I don’t think is too far off the mark. The Media are just trying to overhype Anamoe who last November was beaten by the 7yr old Zaaki in a Flemington G1…..the same Zaaki that was a dual G3 winner over here for Sir Michael Stoute in 2019 as a 4 yr old but since racing down under has won 4 G1s and 5 G2s.
I think we need to take into account Anamoe was given the ‘Australian Superstar’ moniker which (Winx aside) is relative when talking about middle distance horses down under and comparing them to their European equivalent…..it is a big reason why G2/3/Listed horses here are the most sort after to be bought to go and race down under usually with great success.
I also wonder why more trainers over here that have a good G2/3 horse don’t try what Haggas has done over the last few years and go over there to pluder their big races……Dubai Honour has won just over £2m in prize money for these last two wins alone, prior to that his total win and place prize money was just under £400k.
“We all have our own definitions and for me on the Flat an OR of 125 is a good Group 1 horse, an OR of 130 is very good and 135+ is great – add 7lb to those numbers for the inflated RPR/Timeform equivalents.”
Yes, I was pretty sure I wrote this earlier in the thread – never hurts to check, though.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"I’d have a multiple group 1 winner as an all time great ie Sea the Stars over a one off spectacular performance with a rating based on opinion
Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
Indeed, Nathan, as stated we all have our own definitions, hence our own frames of reference.
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"All ratings are based on a single performance and not an assessment of overall ability and for me the most obvious example of this was Harbinger in the King George, all his form prior to that run wsn’t anywhere in the same universe as to what he did on that day and sadly we never got to find out whether it was simply a freak performance never to be repeated or a new level of form he attained (my guess would be nearer the former).
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