New Approach will face into the 2008 classics with an official seal of approval as he tops the list of European juveniles from 2007 released in the World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings.
The French-trained and German-owned Manduro was labelled the world's best horse of 2007 in the report issued by handicappers from many of the world's leading racing countries.
With an official rating of 131, Andre Fabre's Prince Of Wales and Prix Jacques Le Marois winner is ranked 2lb clear of an elite trio of horses that include the Aidan O'Brien-trained Dylan Thomas. The King George and Arc hero is rated on 129 alongside the American dirt stars Curlin and Invasor.
Dylan Thomas is one of five divisional world champions that were trained in Ireland last year but with the 2008 classics looming it is New Approach's 126 rating that will have fans of the unbeaten Jim Bolger-trained colt purring.
The mark is a full 3lb higher than his former stable companion Teofilo who followed the same five-race unbeaten route in 2006 before injury prevented him running as a three-year-old.
New Approach's rating is the highest achieved by a champion juvenile in Europe since Johannesburg in 2001 and ranks with former Irish stars of the past like El Gran Senor (1983) and Storm Bird (1980). Fast Company, formerly trained by Brian Meehan but now with Godolphin, and runner-up to New Approach in the Dewhurst, is rated on 125 while Tommy Stack's Prix Morny winner, Myboycharlie, is on a mark of 122. Aidan O'Brien's Listen is the top-rated Irish filly on 117, behind the Aga Khan's Prix Marcel Boussac winner Zarkava.
"As in 2006, Irish-trained horses won four of the five domestic classics while winning nine of the domestic Group one's," pointed out Ireland's senior handicapper, Garry O'Gorman yesterday.
Dylan Thomas is the world's leading runner in the older horse (long) category while Septimus (122) is the champion older stayer. The St James's Palace winner, Excellent Art (122), is the champion three-year-old miler while Honolulu (115) is the leading three-year-old stayer.
Aidan O'Brien's star filly Peeping Fawn (122) comes out on top in two categories - the intermediate and long fillies.
In other flat racing news yesterday, Horse Racing Ireland confirmed yesterday that this year's Parknasilla Goffs Million races will be moved to a September 30th date on the back of a fixture re-shuffle caused by the delay in building plans at the Curragh.
With development delayed on a €100-million Curragh face-liftlanning difficulties, the track has successfully applied to have the Beresford Stakes card originally planned to be transferred to Naas on September 28th moved back to headquarters.
The multi-million Goffs races will now be run on the eve of the major sale on Tuesday, September 30th, having been moved from Friday, September 12th.
The move was partly made in order to protect ground for the Irish St Leger-National Stakes meetings on September 13th and 14th.
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