Poetic Flare is world’s top three-year-old

UNLESS today’s Irish Derby produces a stunning winner, Poetic Flare is likely to be confirmed as the top-rated three-year-old in the world when the World’s Best Racehorse Rankings are updated next week.

The Jim Bolger-trained colt improved his official Irish rating by 4lb to 122 when winning the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot in record time.

Garry O’Gorman, senior flat handicapper with the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board, said: “While Poetic Flare remains behind the older miler Palace Pier (125), who was recently named the world’s top-rated thoroughbred, his performance at Royal Ascot rated 1lb better than the race rating Palace Pier achieved in the Queen Anne Stakes (121), and a clash between the generations and this duo is eagerly anticipated.”

Poetic Flare’s new rating puts him 1lb ahead of Derby winner Adayar (121), Belmont Stakes winner Essential Quality (121) and 2lb higher than dual French classic winner St Mark’s Basilica (120) and the two Japanese classic-winning colts: Efforia (120) and Shahryar (120).

Snowfall (120) is second only to older Japanese mare Gran Alegria (121) in the Longines-sponsored rankings for fillies and mares, the pair currently well clear of both Kentucky Oaks winner Malathaat and Coronation Stakes winner Alcohol Free, both on 115.

O’Gorman commented: “Overall the level of the three-year-old fillies worldwide would be underwhelming at present, with both Mother Earth (111) and Empress Josephine (108) currently rating as below-average winners of the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket and the Curragh respectively.”

However, Gold Cup winner Subjectivist has the handicappers purring. O’Gorman rated the horse’s Ascot performance on 123, with the British handicapper settling for 122. Only Stradivarius (125) has put up a better performance in the race this century.