Northern Hemisphere handicappers have delivered a snub to Sunline, rating her below nine female gallopers in the international classifications.
Her co-trainer Trevor McKee went as far as to say Sunline was the best horse of either sex in the world after winning the Hong Kong Mile from Fairy King Prawn in December.
But the panel that puts together the International Classifications gave her 54.43kg, dismissing her claims to be rated the best filly or mare in the world.
Best female galloper is the filly Egyptband.
She is rated 57.15kg after running second to Sinndar in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Next is the Brazilian-bred dirt mare Riboletta on 56.69kg. She was unbeatable in the US until the Breeders' Cup Distaff.
The winner of that race, Spain, is on 55.33kg, along with American Oaks winner Jostle, Irish Oaks winner Petrushka and the Breeders Cup Filly And Mare Turf winner Perfect Sting.
Arc de Triomphe third Volvoreta, Breeders' Cup Sprint runner-up Honest Lady and the English-trained mare Shiva are on 54.88kg.
Even more surprising to New Zealanders will be the panel's rating of former Matamata mare Happyanunoit as equal with Sunline on 54.43kg despite winning just once.
Fairy King Prawn is rated 0.90kg ahead of Sunline on 55.33kg. The difference is a compliment to Sunline as Fairy King Prawn conceded 2.5kg to her in Hong Kong under the weight-for-age scale.
Sunline's rating astonished McKee, who could only say "they need their heads read".
Sunline was given a relatively low rating of 53.52kg last year.
However, authoritative English publication Timeform rated her the best turf mare in the world for 1999 on 56.69kg.
- NZPA
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