Scotia on great horses.

This would help us find the best, but imho Rachel will beat Zenyatta.

With you on that, Dave.

I'm very much of the opinion that it will depend on the racetrack between Rachel and Zenyatta. Unfortunately there are no "galloping" tracks in the US. All the run ins are around 2 furlongs. If these two superb animals met on a track with a good 4 or 5 furlong run in I have NO doubt Zenyatta would win. But as things stand RA would probably just shade it.......Nou doubt though that I think Zenyatta is the most athletic and attractive race mare I have ever seen!

Sea The Stars 'fresh and well' following York win


SEA THE STARS was reported to have come out of his latest race better than he did the Coral-Eclipse by trainer John Oxx, although the four-time Group 1 winner's presence in the line-up for the Tattersalls Millions Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on September 5 remains under threat from the weather.


Despite having to work harderthan expected to see off Mastercraftsman in the Juddmonte International at York last Tuesday, Sea The Stars' trainer felt he had taken the Group 1 contest better than his previous race at Sandown.



The son of Cape Cross is 4-7 with Paddy Power to extend his sequence this season to five at Leopardstown, with his main rival Fame And Glory 6-4.

Oxx said: "Sea The Stars is fresh and well. He's fresher than he was after the Eclipse at Sandown. He's eaten up well since the York race and has had a canter."

Sea The Stars asserts superiority once again


WORLD CLASS: An analysis of the best performances of last week according to Racing Post Ratings

TOP OF THE CLASS: Sea The Stars 131+

Juddmonte International Stakes, York, 1m2f88y, 18 August

ANOTHER win. Another Group 1. Another world class performance.

Alright, the form doesn't stack up like in the Eclipse, but there was still plenty to admire about the world leader's latest success.

Obviously the time was good, with both Sea The Stars (131+) and runner-up Mastercraftsman (129) finishing well inside the track record – albeit on a fast track with a new drainage system.

And what little collateral form there was also looks sound, with the second arriving on the back of top-level wins in the Irish Guineas and St James's Palace Stakes.

But most encouraging was the way the winner did it.

He worried some supporters for a brief moment between the two and the one pole. He still had a couple of lengths to make up and Mick Kinane had started to ask him for his effort.

For the first time the chips were down and for a split-second he looked vulnerable. How would he respond? Would this break him?

He answered those questions the only way he knows how, by asserting his superiority.

This newly-uncovered never-say-die attitude is yet another string to his bow and it gives an extra degree of confidence to those who are going to take short odds on his remaining couple of starts.

If a certain Danish lager did racehorses, this boy would need to be their blueprint – he's certainly closer to perfection than those suspiciously motionless sausages in their current barbecue-themed ad.

Dear oh dear, juxtaposing glue and sausages with the world's best racehorse. That line probably won't appear in any of his stallion marketing.

As regards his future, the way he closed out this race suggested he would be well up to producing a 130s figure if stepped back up to 1m4f.

His only previous run at that trip was in the Epsom Derby, where he posted an RPR of 124+. Since then he ran to a mark of 134+ over Sandown's stiff 1m2f, while his latest RPR of 131+ came over the extended intermediate trip of 1m2f88y.

In fact, after this latest stamina indicator, it is even more disappointing that he is avoiding a date with Triple Crown destiny in a bid to hopefully land a third 1m2f event.

He has already proven his superiority over 1m2f, but if he won the St Leger, he would become only the sixteenth horse in over 250 years to complete the most coveted hat-trick in European racing.

The Leger was ruled out some time ago, but there must be some part of John Oxx that wishes his superstar was heading to Doncaster.

Going back to Tuesday's race, it would be unfair to overlook the valiant runner-up, Mastercraftsman.

The quadruple Group 1 winner now takes high rank amongst his peers with an RPR of 129.

A figure that high has been good enough for a top-six berth on the overall list for each of the last three years.

It was quite an achievement for him to push Sea The Stars all the way on his first try at 1m2f and this effort just goes to show what a strong hand Aidan O'Brien has in the three-year-olddivision.

Aside from Sea The Stars, he has the three highest-rated colts by RPR, with Rip Van Winkle (132) and Fame And Glory (126) also under his care.

Pick of the dirt/all-weather figures this week was the 121 achieved by Careless Jewelin the Alabama Stakes at Saratoga.

The three-year-old daughter of Tapit sauntered home by 11-lengths from a decent field, which included four fillies with G1 black-type.
TOP DIRT/AW PERFORMERS

1. Well Armed (US) Dubai World Cup 128
2. Rachel Alexandra (US) Haskell Invitational 127
3. Rail Trip (US) Hollywood Gold Cup
125
4. Big City Man (KSA) Golden Shaheen
124
Quality Road (US)
Amsterdam S 124
Zenyatta (US) Vanity Handicap 124
7. Fabulous Strike (US) Carter Handicap 122
Game Face (US)
Princess Rooney 122
Summer Bird (US) Belmont Stakes 122
Two Step Salsa (UAE)
Wasel Trophy 122
Zensational (US) Bing Crosby 122


TOP TURF PERFORMERS

1. Sea The Stars (IRE) Eclipse 134
2. Rip Van Winkle (IRE)
Eclipse 132
3. Goldikova (FR)
Jacques Le Marois
130
4. Gladiatorus (UAE)
Dubai Duty Free 129
Mastercraftsman (IRE)
International S
129
6. Conduit (GB)
King George VI
127
Scenic Blast (AUS)
King's Stand 127
8. Fame And Glory (IRE) Irish Derby 126
Paco Boy (GB) Queen Anne/Sussex 126
10. Sacred Kingdom (HK) KrisFlyer Sprint 125
Tartan Bearer (GB) King George VI 125
Yeats (IRE)
Ascot Gold Cup 125