The dust has now settled on an amazing Classic weekend, not just for Ryan Moore, but for horse racing fans in general.
The amazing feats of last years hero Sea The Stars seem to have propelled the sport more into the mainstream, a fact highlighted by the coverage of Saturdays big race on all the news channels I tuned into on Saturday evening, along with the Sunday rags yesterday morning.
Who could blame them? The performance put up by Workforce on the Downs on Saturday was not something I, nor even Sir Michael Stoute was expecting. Following last years above average crop of sophomore's, the race this year (after the somewhat 'unfortunate' news about St. Nic) seemed devoid of a superstar, how wrong I was!
I was in attendance at York when Workforce was all the hype for the Dante in May. I didn't fancy him that day, preferring to throw my cash at Michael Bell's more battle-hardened Co-ordinated Cut instead. I was however, impressed with his performance in finishing runner-up, as he spent much of the final four furlongs head-cocked and tongue lolling, before running on at the finish. We all now know the events that transpired during the Dante and in retrospect it was a fantastic achievement finishing so close to Cape Blanco, a serious horse in his own right.
The vibes emanating from the yard leading upto the Derby could not have been stronger, these whispers, coupled with the fact that SMS is not one for entering horses just for an enjoyable day out pointed to a big run from Workforce on only his third career start - he didn't disappoint!
As I've explained previously, I'm a time man. Obviously, my handicapping methods incorporate more than a physical comparison of final times, however, the biggest piece in my proverbial puzzle are the digits on the stopwatch as the winner passes the post. You can now begin to imagine how I felt when I saw 2:31.33 flash before my eyes following Saturday's classic.
Last night, having managed to ease myself from the ceiling, I sat down to evaluate the race, along with Fridays Oaks and the multitude of other meetings over the weekend.
After a little deliberation, I have awarded Workforce a speed figure of 130. Which, on my scale is an amazing figure for a 3yo to achieve on only his third career start. To add a little perspective, Fame and Glory has been awarded a 125 for his impressive Coronation Cup victory, equating to a 3.75 length victory for Workforce in a match race (although we all know things aren't that simplistic!).
The figure of 130 equals Sea The Stars' Eclipse win last July, which highlights the strength of performance from the good-looking son of Kings Best.
Given the way that the horse won, along with the improvement to come, there is no way we have seen the best of this colt.
Suddenly 2010's below average division of 3 year-olds have a way above average classmate.
Incidentally, Friday's fillies classic won by Snow Fairy recorded a disappointing figure of 110, some way short of the Class Par. It seems this years classic fillies also seem a below average crop, it remains to be seen whether there is a Workforce-esque performance lurking, I certainly hope so.
Hollywood_G
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