The current best horse in the world, Baaeed (Sea The Stars), stamped himself as a great at York today in the Group 1 Juddmonte International.
He faced only five rivals in the prestigious ten-and-a-half furlong weight for age event (his first race not over a mile), but among them were two three-time Group 1 winners, Mishriff (Make Believe) and Native Trail (Oasis Dream).
It is usually a concern, no matter how small the field, when a horse races without perfect cover.
Baaeed was forced to race on the flank of his stablemate Dubai Honour (Pride Of Dubai) in fifth place after jumping from the widest draw of all and he had no horse to follow.
His supporters must have been sweating. but need not have worried.
William Haggas has likened the colt to a motorcycle … he relaxes completely and just leaves it to the rider to change gear when necessary.
At the top of the long straight Jockey Jim Crowley switched him inside of Native Trail, who had raced in third place, and had followed last year’s winner Mishriff on a slightly wider path.
Baaeed still had eight lengths to make on the pacemaker High Definition (Galileo) at that stage.
Mishriff made up the ground on the tiring leader and reached him with two-and-a-half furlongs to go, but literally cantering in behind him on a double handful was the 2/5 favourite.
James Doyle got to work on Mishriff and he maintained the one length gap until about the furlong-and-a-half mark.
Crowley then asked the question and the response was instantaneous.
Baaeed swept past Mishriff and went on to win by 6,5 lengths.
There was another 2.5 lengths to third-placed Sir Busker, winner of the Group 2 York Stakes over the course and distance last time out.
Baaeed has now won ten from ten and in his four-year-old year has followed the exact same route as the great Frankel.
Frankel won the Lockinge at Newbury by five lengths, the Queen Anne Stakes at the Royal Ascot meeting by eleven lengths, the Sussex Stakes by six lengths and the Juddmonte by seven lengths.
Baaeed has won them by 3,25 lengths, 1,75 lengths, 1,75 lengths and 6,5 lengths.
The margins might not compare, but he has done it easily and never been stretched.
He might need to run against a Frankel to prove just how good he is.
