3 minute read

We look at the four highest-rating Group One winners from Royal Ascot.

Charyn – 123 (Queen Anne Stakes)

Maiden Group One for Charyn who took out the traditional opener on Tuesday, running to a slight new peak of 123 on the R&S scale. While this was a slight new peak for Charyn, the four-year-old wouldn't have needed to improve on his previous peak of 121, which he'd run at all three starts this time in.

He won a listed race at Doncaster first-up and then won a strong Group 2 at Sandown, again matching that rating when second to Audience in the Lockinge behind Audience. A rating of 121 would've still comfortably won what looks a very week Queen Anne, with the second placed Docklands running to 116 and the third-placed Maljoom just 108.

In the past ten years, only Tepin (mare), Lord Glitters and Accidental Agent have run below 123 to win the Queen Anne, all running 122. Baaeed holds the call at 132 in that time while the mighty Frankel holds the record (for any race in history) with his win coming in at a whopping 147.

Showing the weakness of this race through the placegetters, no horse has run a lower rating to place in a Queen Anne this century than Maljoom sneaking into 3rd at 108. Docklands not a whole lot higher (68/72) at 116, one pound lower than Light Infantry (Man) when 3rd last year.

Rosallion – 125 (St James's Palace Stakes)

It looked a strong St James's Palace on paper with the English, Irish and French Guineas winners all lining up and it was the Irish winner that came out on top with Rosallion showing an elite turn of foot to take it, running to a new peak of 125.

125 sits just above the average winning rating of this race (124.36) and bang on the median, shared by Barney Roy in 2017.

The highest winner in the past ten years is Kingman at 128, edging out Poetic Flare at 127.

Notable Speech was the big disappointment, Charlie Appleby's 2000 Guineas winner regressing 16 pounds from his 124 win at Newmarket, beaten six lengths. The French Guineas winner Metropolitan finished third, only dropping one pound from his 117 win at Longchamp.

Auguste Rodin - 127 (Prince Of Wales's Stakes)

Taking the honour as the highest-rated horse throughout the entire Ascot carnival was Auguste Rodin who notched up his sixth career Group One with a tough win over the ten furlongs, running to a rating of 127.

This wasn't the best performance of his career, with R&S making his win in Irish Champion Stakes over Luxembourg, Nashwa and King Of Steel his peak rating of 128, but he's only one pound off it here, and notably starting to show more consistency.

He flamed up badly in Dubai but has now put two runs over 120 together, with three of his past four runs rating 126 or better.

Nothing out of the ordinary for a Prince Of Wales's here, 127 sitting right in the meat of the curve, alongside Cox Plate winner State Of Rest in 2022 and Free Eagle in 2015. The best winner of the race in the past ten years is Crystal Ocean at 130 in 2019.

Auguste Rodin can probably lay claim to being the best turf flat horse in the world at the moment just based on bulk of work, but whether he can improve and go to that 130 level might be a stretch.

Kyprios - 125 (Ascot Gold Cup)

Star stayer Kyprios won his second Gold Cup and his fifth Group One, getting the better of a Trawlerman to reverse the result from the Long Distance Cup in October.

On the R&S Scale, Kyprios has run a slight new career peak with this 125, with his other Group 1 wins reading 124-124-124-120, with the lowest of those actually coming in this race in 2022 over Mojo Star and the mighty Stradivarius.

'Strad' holds the highest rating for this race this century, running to 130 in his breathtaking 10 length win in 2020. His other two wins in the race rated to 126 and 122.

The great Yeats won this race a record four times, running to ratings of 122, 121, 126 and 126. We have him rated to a peak of 128 on three occasions.

Kyprios, while definitely not held in the same regard as a Yeats or a Stradivarius, is putting up some big staying performances, with his 125 matching the median rating of the past ten Gold Cup winners.

Horses To Note

Isle Of Jura - 123 (Group 2 Hardwick Stakes)

Big win by Isle Of Jura in what usually turns out to be a very strong form race. A clear new peak (up from 115) for Isle Of Jura to win this dominantly, with the Ciaron Maher bound Middle Earth in third.

Middle Earth was just left with too much to do off an even tempo, running to 114 (down from 119 first-up) but won that with big late splits and if he acclimatises down under, he's a player in pretty much whatever Maher sets him for.

Calandagan - 121 (Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes)

Big win by Calandagan who posted a very strong time figure in his six length win. A rare gelding to win this race, his 121 (backed up by that excellent time) is close to the highest rated winners of this race.

Nathaniel beat Fiorente by five lengths and ran to 124 in this race in 2011 and would go on to be rated 130 (multiple times).

King Of Steel won it at 122 last year and is now a 126 rated Group 1 winner.

Japan also ran to 122 in 2019 and ended up a 125 rated dual Group 1 winner.

Plenty to like about Calandagan, who we should see plenty more of as a gelding. I doubt he'd come to Australia, but if he did, he'd be close to favourite in the Cups.