Black Caviar. Photo / Getty Images
Unbeaten Black Caviar has been ranked the world's best sprinter in ratings compiled by an influential British thoroughbred publication.
In latest Racing Post international ratings released after Black Caviar's Schweppes Stakes win at Moonee Valley last Saturday, the mare holds a narrow call over another Australian sprinter, the impressive Hay
List.
Trained by Peter Moody, Black Caviar was given a 129 rating by Racing Post analysts when she defeated Hot Danish on the Cox Plate undercard.
The victory was the seventh of her career and her third of the year.
It has put her one rating point clear of Hay List ahead of their much-anticipated clash at weight-for-age in the Patinack Farm Classic at Flemington on Saturday week.
The ratings are based on results of races run between 1000m and 1200m during the year.
Hong Kong star Sacred Kingdom is third with a 127 rating, two pointsclear of the ex-Australian sprinter Starspangledbanner.
Hay List had topped the ratings after winning the Manikato Stakes and Gilgai Stakes.
"The ease with which Black Caviar dispatched her rivals was unmistakable and the huge winning margin tells much of the story," the Racing Post said.
Hay List missed the Schweppes because of an elevated temperature but reeled off a blistering 45.13 seconds in an 800m Flemington jumpout on Tuesday to confirm his fitness.
"Whoever wins [the Patinack], the Ascot management would do well to get either of them to turn up to the Royal meeting next year, as these two will be the hot tickets in the 2011 sprint division," the Racing Post said.
"Even by Australian standards they look special."
So You Think, meanwhile, has been rated at 126 to be fourth on the publication's worldwide rankings from 2000m to 2200m.
In front of the Bart Cummings star are Aidan O'Brien's duo, Rip Van Winkle (128) and Cape Blanco (127), as well as the Henry Cecil-trained Twice Over (127).
- AAP
