|
46.
Northerly
slots in at number eight
|
17/01/2003 |
|
Australia's
Northerly has made it into the top 10 of older horses of 2002 in the latest
International Classifications.
Although the rating confirms his status as being that among the world's greats,
he was still rated below the likes of Golan and Volponi.
It isn't surprising though that he wasn't rated quite as highly as he might have
been, when you consider that Rock Of Gibraltar (128) was the lowest rated
champion ever.
Surprising really, for a horse that won seven straight Group One races, that he
rated only 1 ahead of Marienbard who won only three Group Ones in the season,
although one of these was the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Handicappers around the world had a say in the ratings and they agreed that it
was the 'ease' or lack of it apparently, that resulted in Rock Of Gibraltar
scraping into first spot.
The colt's winning margins were from a neck up to three lengths.
Regular jockey Michael Kinane said of the horse:
"He is the ultimate race-horse.
"No matter what you throw at him, he is always in charge. He really has
developed into a fantastic horse."
Top Older Horses
2002
|
Horse
|
Rating
|
Trainer
|
Country
|
|
Marienbard
|
127
|
Saeed bin Suroor
|
UK
|
|
Golan
|
126
|
Sir Michael Stoute
|
UK
|
|
Grandera
|
126
|
Saeed bin Suroor
|
UK
|
|
Keltos
|
126
|
Carlos Laffon-Parias
|
France
|
|
Azeri
|
125
|
Laura de Seroux
|
United States
|
|
Nayef
|
125
|
Marcus Tregoning
|
UK
|
|
Volponi
|
125
|
Philip Johnson
|
United States
|
|
Domedriver
|
124
|
Pascal Bary
|
France
|
|
Northerly
|
124
|
Fred Kersley
|
Australia
|
|
Orientate
|
124
|
D Wayne Lukas
|
United States
|
|
Street Cry
|
124
|
Saeed bin Suroor
|
UK
|
Top Three
Year-olds 2002
|
Horse
|
Rating
|
Trainer
|
Country
|
|
Rock Of Gibraltar
|
128
|
Aidan O'Brien
|
Ireland
|
|
High Chaparral
|
126
|
Aidan O'Brien
|
Ireland
|
|
Sulamani
|
126
|
Pascal Bary
|
France
|
|
War Emblem
|
124
|
Bob Baffert
|
United States
|
|
Act One
|
123
|
Jonathan Pease
|
France
|
|
Hawk Wing
|
123
|
Aidan O'Brien
|
Ireland
|
|
Where Or When
|
123
|
Terry Mills
|
UK
|
|
Came Home
|
121
|
J Paco Gonzalez
|
United States
|
|
Medaglia d'Oro
|
121
|
Bobby Frankel
|
United States)
|
|
Bright Sky
|
120
|
Elie Lellouche
|
France
|
|
Buddha
|
120
|
H James Bond
|
United States
|
|
Gygistar
|
120
|
Mark Hennig
|
United States
|
|
Harlan's Holiday
|
120
|
Todd A Pletcher
|
United States
|
|
Islington
|
120
|
Sir Michael Stoute
|
UK
|
|
