Sea The Stars best in world

IT’S OFFICIAL – Sea The Stars is the best racehorse in the world right now. And even more remarkably, the top three horses are Irish-trained three-year-olds.

That might be the statistical fallout from Saturday’s Eclipse at Sandown, but what will resonate for much longer is the memory of a performance from a horse that his jockey, Mick Kinane, yesterday described as unique.

Kinane has ridden some of the most illustrious names in world racing over the last two decades, but after Sea The Stars emulated Nashwan 20 years previously by adding the Eclipse to Guineas and Derby victories, the legendary rider didn’t mince his words.

“This is the only horse I’ve ridden capable of winning a Guineas, a 10-furlong Group One and a Derby. He’s pretty much unique,” Kinane said, less than 24 hours after Sea The Stars beat his old rival Rip Van Winkle by a length with the top older horse, Conduit, well beaten in third.

It was a remarkable performance considering the race didn’t pan out exactly as Kinane would have liked. Sea The Stars broke almost too well and Kinane was forced into having the John Oxx-trained colt first of the main players behind the pacemakers.

It meant having to hit the front at the two-furlong marker, which left Sea The Stars as a target for both Rip Van Winkle and Conduit.

Aidan O’Brien’s three-year-old put in a sustained challenge, but the overall impression was the pair of Irish horses could have gone around Sandown again and Sea The Stars would have maintained his advantage.

There was enough on show for the dual-Classic hero to earn a rating of 131 from the British and Irish handicappers, an exceptional mark for this time of year, and one that tops a collection of rare Irish talent at the top of the racing world.

When handicappers from the world’s major racing jurisdictions meet in Singapore at the end of this month, they are likely to put the seal on the subject. But currently the nearest rivals to Sea The Stars in thoroughbred rankings are Rip Van Winkle (128) and Fame And Glory (127.)

“It’s some achievement for Irish racing,” Ireland’s senior handicapper, Garry O’Gorman, said yesterday. “Sea The Stars is a horse that gets the job done and isn’t extravagant. I think Rip Van Winkle coming of age on Saturday forced Sea The Stars to reach a figure like 131. I don’t think if Rip wasn’t there that Sea The Stars would have beaten Conduit by five lengths. He’s not that type of horse.”

Kinane agrees and described the colt as “dossing” in front. Once again, though, the manner in which he travelled through the race was hugely impressive.

Kinane and Oxx both nominated September’s Irish Champion Stakes as a major objective. The King George and Juddmonte International are also options, with the latter looking the more favoured at this stage.

“He can go any distance. He just tanks along. Any speed he can follow and I don’t think he has a best distance. He can do them all,” said Oxx.

“It is very, very rare that you get a horse with all the qualities.”