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Superstar this fella: Baeed


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Baaeed hailed after crushing star field
www.racing.com
Baaeed maintained his unbeaten run in the Juddmonte. Picture: Steve Cargill

Baaeed's stunning success in Wednesday's Juddmonte International at York had onlookers drooling and they included former top jockey Johnny Murtagh, who labelled his six-and-half-length destruction of the classy Mishriff as the "wow performance the sport had been waiting for".

Unbeaten in nine, but never tried over further than a mile, Baaeed went off the red-hot 2-5 favourite and gave his supporters hardly any worries when romping home.

"Look at the brilliance of Baaeed, soak it up and enjoy – he is a fantastic racehorse," ITV commentator Richard Hoiles purred moments after Jim Crowley's mount had flashed by the winning line.

Equally impressed was ITV colleague Murtagh, now a Group 1-winning trainer having been a world-class jockey who won the Derby three times and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe once.

"What a performance," said Murtagh, whose countless Group 1 wins in the saddle included two in the race he had just seen Baaeed dominate.

"That's the performance we've been waiting to see from him. We heard how good he is and we knew how good he was, but he had to do it on the track and going a mile and a quarter was made for him today.

"You saw how he travelled into the race and that's what good horses do, he went down to the furlong pole on the bridle, was given the office to go and quickened up. He blitzed horses rated in the 120s and that's what he needed to do. This was a wow performance.

"Now you can start making the comparisons to the two greats – Frankel and Sea The Stars – because we have seen it on the track."

Brough Scott, the author and broadcaster regarded as an authority on all things racing, was also part of ITV's coverage and said: "That was what we wanted – it was the best performance of the season and everyone was clapping as he went by the post. You suddenly got lit up and that's what racing longs for. I think he's better at a mile and a quarter – he's murdered them.

"I think Frankel's performance was the best in this race, but that is very close to it."

Classic-winning jockey Jason Weaver, a mainstay of the network, added: "I was frightened as Jim was just taking him back and being patient and confident. I wondered if he'd find. It's so hard not to do anything and then push the button, but it was control, power, domination and so much ability."

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13 hours ago, Freda said:

Not the excitement machine that was Frankel....but, the complete racehorse.

Could pass Frankel on Timeform Rankings who is the only horse in Europe to be in front of Baeed.

By Timeform — published 17th August 2022

Baaeed has been awarded a provisional Timeform rating of 137 following his victory in the Juddmonte International at York on Wednesday, making him the highest-rated horse in Europe since the days of Frankel.

 

Frankel's performance in the 2012 Queen Anne Stakes earned him a rating of 147 - the highest Flat rating in the organistation's history.

 

The highest rating achieved in Europe since Frankel retired had been 136 - a standard reached by Battaash and Cracksman - but Baaeed surpassed that benchmark on Wednesday.

 

Timeform Flat Editor David Johnson said: "The Juddmonte International has proven more of a king-making race than any other in Britain since the turn of the century, with no fewer than 11 horses breaking the 130 barrier that Timeform believe to be that of a top-class racehorse.

 

"However, few have shown themselves capable of what Baaeed did on his first start at beyond a mile in beating last year’s winner Mishriff by six-and-a-half lengths.

 

A provisional rating of 137 makes it the second-best performance put up in the Juddmonte International this century, splitting those of Frankel (143+) in 2012 and Sakhee (136) in 2001.

 

Johnson added: "Although his career is likely to conclude in following the same path as Frankel, at Timeform we’d firmly be in favour of him instead bidding to emulate Sakhee in the Arc."

 

Baaeed's sire, Sea The Stars, didn't need to show his very best form when winning the Juddmonte International or Arc but retired with a Timeform rating of 140, a figure only 13 horses have reached.

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