The Winx Stakes clash of Autumn Glow-Sheza Alibi and 11 other Group 1 winners has Australian racing fans excited, but incredibly, the race is not likely to be the best 1400m race in world on Saturday.
The international ratings, which hold the key to World Pool inclusion, would rate the City Of York Stakes a much better contest than Winx.
The 1400m contest at York was boosted to Group 1 level without much fanfare last year, particularly given that English media want their say in the Australian pattern.
York will have a 125-rater Notable Speech, a mark Australian horses can only dream of given the recent history of the World’s Best Racehorse Ranking, Queen Anne Stakes winner Ten Bob Tony, which is on 121 mark, and Japanese raider Satono Reve at 119 heading into the race.
The Winx Stakes has Autumn Glow at 120 and Ceolwulf, a 119 rater from 2025, with a big drop-off to Sheza Alibi, Aeliana and others.
It is a result of international handicappers failing to recognise Australian horses beyond 120 marks for the past two years.
Until 2024, Australia regularly had around half-dozen horses rated at 120 and above in the World ranking.
The drop-off seems strange when compared to Timeform ratings over the same period, which have been consistent in having Australian horses around the same high-water marks in 2025 and 2026 as they did for the previous five years.
Golden Eagle winner Lake Forest is another City of York runner and is a good comparison point for Saturday, as he came back to Australia last year and couldn’t keep at the top level over here.
He is the second pick in betting at $5.50 for the York race and would be more than $51 in the Winx.
It will be a clear test for the international panel when they rate two races on different sides of the world on the same day, given the undoubted quality in both races.
