Monday, 3 February 2025: More two-year-old ratings to analyse with the Chairman’s, Widden and Canonbury.

THE PLAYWRIGHT winning the WIDDEN STAKES

Inkaruna

The Group 3 Chairman's Stakes (1000m) was won narrowly by Freedman debutant Inkaruna , who ran to 102 on the Racing & Sports scale.

Sword Of Legacy (rated 88 on debut) was the only horse in the field to have had a start so the standard going in didn't look all that high, and the winning rating looks well down the Blue Diamond pecking order.

102 matches what Shining Smile  ran last week in the colts and geldings division of the Blue Diamond Preview but sits well below My Gladiola  at 109 winning the fillies division.

Looking at the past ten years of Chairman's Stakes winners, Inkaruna is the equal lowest rated by R&S at 102, tying with Sebonack and Loving Gaby(+), noting that Loving Gaby won running splits far better than the raw margin, which she lived up to, eventually rated 121.

The best Chairman's winner we've seen is Extreme Choice who ran to 118+ having gone 113+ on debut at Randwick. He'd then go 123+ winning one of the best Blue Diamonds over the likes of Flying Artie, Star Turn, and Hey Doc (who finished 15th).

More recently, Coleman (111) and Enthaar (110) have won the Chairman's, both then starting favourite in the Blue Diamond and being well beaten.

I much prefer two-year-olds to have the run at 1100m in this weeks Blue Diamond Prelude and with Inkaruna a lower rated Chairman's winner, I'd be surprised if this form measured up in the Group 1.

INKARUNA winning the Lamaro's Hotel Chairman's Stakes (Chute) at Sandown in Australia.

 

Widden & Canonbury

Over to Rosehill where we saw the Widden and Canonbury Stakes at Group 3 level won by The Playwright  and Blitzburg  respectively.

The Playwright won the Widden in a three way go with a new peak rating of 105 on the R&S scale, eclipising her previous best of 99, which she ran to winning on debut and also when fourth in the Magic Millions 2yo Classic.

That's just on the soft side for Widden winners, with Lady Of Camelot (110) topping the list in the past ten years, who of course went on to win the Golden Slipper.

105 sits alongside Honesty Prevails in 2016, one pound below recent winners Queen Of The Ball and Learning To Fly (106) and three pounds below Away Game (108). It's ahead of Fiesta (104), Teaspoon (100), Mallory (100) and Amercement (98).

Like the Blue Diamond Previews last week, the girls out-rated the boys on the corresponding race, with The Playwright (105) out-rating the Canonbury winner Blitzburg at 102.

Blitzburg led throughout to run his new peak of 102, up from prior ratings of 92-94-92.

With the fillies outrating the boys despite being on the lower side of history, it's no surprise to see Blitzburg well down on recent Canonbury winning ratings.

That list is topped by Red Resistance at 112 in 2023 who has had subsequent issues, while last year's winner Prost ran to 105, as did Best Of Bordeaux in 2022.

All these Golden Slipper lead up races do is further strengthen the claim of Wodeton who looks head and shoulders above what we've seen to date.

That said, this week's Silver Slipper Stakes will see the return of a few very promising colts such as North England  and Pallaton , and the level of improvement over their first spell will be the key to the Golden Slipper.

I'd be surprised if any two-year-old that ran on Saturday will be factor in a Diamond or Slipper, but this Saturday should see a few really put their hand up to challenge in both states.