A look at how this year’s Horse of the Year contenders compare with previous winners
Monday saw this year's Australian Racehorse of the Year finalists announced, including the two and three-year-old categories.
Victory is certain to be trumpeted on a stallion brochure or appear in pedigree pages for generations to come, so it is worth looking at how the horses who made this year's shortlist stack up against previous winners from a ratings perspective.
In the past 18 years, only four times has the Golden Slipper winner not been crowned Champion 2YO but never has the Slipper winner been overlooked when they've won another leg of the Sydney Triple Crown, as Rebel Dane's daughter Fireburn did in the ATC Sires'.
Her efforts in those two events earned her the best Timeform performance of any juvenile last season – 118 on each occasion – which puts her in the realm of a number of fillies to have won the award in the past 20 years.
Estijaab won the award off a 118 rating in 2018, while She Will Reign and Earthquake were rated 119 in the years they won with Miss Finland, Fashions Afield and Victory Vein all 120-raters.
The lowest-rated colt to win Champion 2YO honours was Microphone with 121 three years ago and Best Of Bordeaux is the highest-rated colt among this year's finalists, with the Snitzel colt rating 115 in his Golden Slipper second placing.
Champagne Stakes winner She's Extreme (117, Extreme Choice), Blue Diamond hero Daumier (113, Epaulette) and JJ Atkins winner Sheeza Belter (106, Gold Standard) are the other contenders for the two-year-old award.
The three-year-old awards were split in 2005 and this year's fillies' field, like the two-year-old category, all have a lower mark than most winners of the award.
Fangirl, at 115, is the highest-rated filly among the finalists with the daughter of Sebring's mark equal or better than four winners; Heavenly Glow (114), Delicacy (113), Yankee Rose (115) and Hungry Heart (113).
Atlantic Jewel is the highest-rated winner of the fillies' award at 128+.
Hinged (Worthy Cause) and Startantes (Star Turn), both 114 raters, Gypsy Goddess (109, Tarzino) and Barb Raider (107, Rebel Raider) round out the 3YO Filly of the Year contenders.
In contrast to the girls' award, the colts and geldings section boasts a couple of contenders who own ratings similar or better to most winners of the award.
Home Affairs, the glamour son of I Am Invincible who is now a stallion at Coolmore, is the highest-rated of the five finalists at 126, a mark bettered by only five winners of the award; Weekend Hussler (130), Sepoy (129), All Too Hard (129), Fastnet Rock (127) and Flying Artie (127).
Racing To Win, Haradsun, Whobegotyou, Brazen Beau, Trapeze Artist and The Autumn Sun are winners with a peak rating of 126, while Anamoe's (Street Boss) top three-year-old rating of 125 matched the peak figure of So You Think and Yes Yes Yes.
Mazu (122, Maurice), Hitotsu (120, Maurice) and Artorius (119, Flying Artie) are the other finalists in the Champion 3YO Colt or Gelding award.
The winners of the awards, including the Champion Racehorse of the Year, will be announced at an awards ceremony in Melbourne on September 3.
