please log in to view this image A Shin Hikari is in a different league at Chantilly PICTURE: ScoopDyga The most spectacular performances of 2016 BY PETER SCARGILL6:00PM 22 OCT 2016 Inspired by the brilliance of Winx on Saturday, we've looked at six of the most awe-inspiring Flat performances of the year and ranked them based on the style of the winner and the quality of the race. 6. A SHIN HIKARI Race: Prix d'Ispahan, Chantilly In hindsight the combination of heavy ground and racing prominently probably combined to make A Shin Hikari look like Pegasus in the Prix d'Ispahan. Visually the ‘Beast from the East' was intimidatingly good, and looked as if he was going to rip apart European middle-distance racing like Godzilla on one of its trademark rampages. Ridden handily by Yutaka Take, A Shin Hikari slammed the likes of New Bay, My Dream Boat, Mondialiste and Erupt by ten lengths and more. Style: 2/5 Quality: 4/5 Overall (average of style and quality): 3/5 please log in to view this image Pakistan Star (left) sporting his eye-catching silks PICTURE: RP GRAPHICS 5. PAKISTAN STAR Race: Class 2, Sha Tin Some horses, like some people, are just cool. Pakistan Star is a cool horse. Racing in vivid green and white silks, and with a similarly eye-catching hood to complete the outfit, Pakistan Star created quite an impression on his debut at Sha Tin when starting slowly before rattling through to win. His second outing was even more startling as he wandered out of the stalls and was stone last with two furlongs to go. A furlong and a half later he was in front and coasted through the final stages, probably arching an eyebrow and giving a cheeky wink to the crowd. Style: 5 Quality: 2 Overall: 3.5 please log in to view this image Arrogate: must have joined in at halfway in the Travers Stakes PICTURE: Jessie Holmes/EquiSport Photos 4. ARROGATE Race: Travers Stakes, Saratoga Clean from mud and full of running, the most obvious explanation for Arrogate's win was that he had sneakily hidden in the bushes at the home turn and jumped in at the front to power home. The reality was all the more remarkable as the Bob Baffert-trained grey travelled powerfully at the head of the field in the Travers Stakes and made a classy field, which included Exaggerator and Creator, look bang average. It was just his third start, and his first in Grade 1 company, and he could not have been much better. Next task: the Breeders' Cup Classic next month. Style: 3 Quality: 4 Overall: 3.5 please log in to view this image Frankie Dettori and Lady Aurelia storm home in the Queen Mary PICTURE: Getty Images 3. LADY AURELIA Race: Queen Mary, Ascot We have learnt that when Wesley Ward rolls into town for Royal Ascot with a highly-regarded juvenile then we should expect something special. Few of his horses have arrived at the meeting with bigger reputations that Lady Aurelia, although Ward's pre-race tubthumping about her being the best ever did not sit that comfortably with the more reserved Brits. Well, it is fair to say Ward was spot on as Lady Aurelia travelled with typical ease before bursting clear as if she was on rocket boosters to turn the Queen Mary, one of the best juvenile races of the season, into a rout as jockey Frankie Dettori saluted the crowd. Style: 4 Quality: 4 Overall:4 please log in to view this image California Chrome: ridiculously good when winning at Del Mar PICTURE: Benoit 2. CALIFORNIA CHROMERace: Pacific Classic, Del Mar ‘Oh no!' you thought as California Chrome pinged the lids in the Pacific Classic and keenly went to the front in the hands of Victor Espinoza. Surely he couldn't win racing this freely? He was soon into his groove under Espinoza and on the turn for home he had Beholder (9 x Group 1 winner) and Dortmund (2 x Grade 1 winner, third in BC Classic) in serious trouble. You felt your eyes were tricking you, but he was off and away to record a thumping five-length win. A dejected Gary Stevens, rider of Beholder, said: "Victor was playing with us. I don't think he really let him run. That's scary to think about." Style: 4 Quality: 5 Overall: 4.5 please log in to view this image Winx: just a perfect racehorse PICTURE: Getty Images 1.WINX Race: Cox Plate, Moonee Valley You can go to many places, you can watch many races and you can see many horses, but you will struggle to find another one quite as good and quite as perfect as Winx. She lined up for the Cox Plate off the back of 12 successive wins, albeit her towering reputation and mighty class advantage had resulted in some of her races being little more than a exercise canter - albeit with a nice chunk of prize-money picked up at the end. This race was different. She was facing a high-class rival in Hartnell and she was going to have to battle to defend her title. In theory at least. What happened next was wonderful, jaw-dropping and frankly ridiculous as she showed a scintillating turn of foot to pass Hartnell and surge clear. What a mare. What a performance. Style: 5 Quality: 5 Overall: 5
For me personally the performance of the term has to be Lady Aurelia in the ‘Queen Mary’. Was truly one of those ‘wow’ performances that only happen once every few seasons and for me was the most eye popping 2YO performance I’ve seen since Arazi won the Breeders Cup Juvenile back in the 90’s (the performance, incidentally, that first got me interested in racing as a young Chuckle in short trousers. I remember being so astounded, on that occasion, that my monocle popped out). The way Lady Aurelia travelled and then went further and further clear as she quickened and then quickened again was Awesome with a capital ‘A’ in my opinion and was some performance. She’s subsequently gone onto win a Group 1 but that victory back at the Royal meeting has to be the old girl’s stellar performance. A-may-zing!
In the UK I would certainly agree, SBC, but worldwide I have to stay with this Winx mare in this year's renewal of the W.S.Cox Plate. To win possibly Australia's second most important race, certainly the second most valuable one, the way she did (and in a similar fashion in the same race in 2015) was awesome and seemingly effortless (with capitals 'A' and 'E'). Top class fields in both 2016 and 2015 too. (Never ever seen anyone with a monocle in short trousers! ).
I hope she comes over. What a crowd puller she would be. For me, the biggest crowd pullers to Royal Ascot in recent years would have been/ was/ could be: Zenyatta/Black Caviar/Winx Back in 1956 it was Ribot
Cuddies - Winx Most Spectacular Performance - Wolfgang Niedecken's BAP (Jubilaumstour 1976-2016) at Lanxess Arena, Koln on 1st June 2016!
I think my most spectacular performance was (probably) *************************************************************************************** but it's a close call
It was a better division over there when Atlantic Jewel was running, couldnt believe it when I heard the Aussie commentator describe Hartnell as a Champion, I know the horse from here and 1m2 at Moonee Valley is the last thing he wants, hes never a Group 1 horse either. Arrogates performance in the Travers was clearly the most spectacular performance of the season but as its stands its a one off for him. Cali Chrome in the Dubai World Cup was top class, impressive in the Pacific Classic as well but Dubai for me was his best performance. Nothing really stands out in Europe this year, the Ward 2yo was juicing imo and his always have an advantage over ours at that time of the year. Almanzor winning the Champion was the best we seen but think almost everyone agrees its a poor year over here.
