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Explanatory notes
GLOBEFORM deals with top class horseracing around the world, covering Graded stakes races in North America, Group races in Europe, and major events in Dubai, Hong Kong, Japan and Australia. Globeform was founded by GEIR STABELL, international handicapper at Racing Post in London, and one of the world’s leading race analysts. His global database of thoroughbreds and ratings goes back ten years, with every Graded and Group event in the northern hemisphere included. Stabell was the first handicapper to publish a ranking of the best horses in North America and Europe, years before the International Classifications achieved the same goal. Globeform remain a good step ahead in this field. We publish ratings comparing juveniles on both sides of the Atlantic every year. We publish ratings for all contenders in all races at the Dubai World Cup meeting, the Japan Cup and the Hong Kong International meeting and we publish ratings for major races in Australia, such as the Cox Plate, Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup. The ratings GLOBEFORM RATINGS are expressed in pounds, and are on the same level as the International Classifications, with a top class 3-year-old or older horse rated in the hight 120s, and the excepetional performers rated in the 130s. Very few horses achieve Globeform 130 or highter. Globeform’s highest rated horse, since the beginning of our ratings in 1991, is Dubai Millennium, who ran to GF 139 in 2000. Globeform’s ratings are adjusted as the season progresses, in order to have accurate ratings for all horses at any given time. Does this mean that a rating can change, without the horse having run since its rating was last published? Yes, it can, and if it does that is a reaction triggered by subsequent results with relevance to the horse / race in question. Whereas official ratings are extremely hard to adjust in this way, Globeform handicappers can freely “go back” and improve the accuracy of their ratings for a given race. This is more likely to happen in 2-year-old and 3-year-old races, where the class of the race is easier to assess after a number of its runners have been seen in action again. Many a juvenile maiden race has, in hindsight, been revealed as bordering on Graded class. Many an early 3yo Graded stakes has, in hindsight, been found to be very weak, sometimes worthy of a rating below the better allowance races. In such cases, adjustments were made. At the end of the season, all races are reviewed again, before Globeform’s Annual Top 100 is published in January. Admitting an unsatisfactory rating for a winner is not en embarassing exercise for a good handicapper - it is an action made in line with our strive for perfection. The Globeform handicap is a tool, and sometimes any tool needs sharpening, polishing. Maintenance work will be done on a regular basis. Thus, the latest version of Globeform’s handicap will always be the best one. Check back on a regular basis at www.globeform.com and you will always have a clear picture of the A-to-Z of the top horses and races around the world. Essay abbreviations In our presentations of horses we have made every effort to express ourselves in a “global way”, with clear information presented in a manner which is as easily understood and appreciated by European readers as well as North American readers. Any feedback on our style is more than welcome. Send your comments to the editor Horses are presented like the example below. COLSTAR (USA) 1996 b m Opening Verse - Ascend / Risen Star Trainer: Paul R. Fout, USA GLOBEFORM: 116 A daughter of the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) winner Opening Verse, Colstar has competed well with the best female turf runners in the US the past two seasons. She was taking full advantage of a good weight when beating Snow Polina (+5lb) by a head in the 2000 Flower Bowl Handicap (G1) over 1 ¼ miles at Belmont Park, but finished seventh, 4 lengths behind Perfect Sting, in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) at Churchill Downs. Colstar has kept her form well as a 5-year-old. She put up her best performance when winning the Locust Grove Handicap (G3) over 1 1/8 miles at Churchill Downs in June (a race she also won in 2000). Saving ground from post one, she finished well from off the pace to beat Solvig (-5lb) by half a length. She was close to her best again when cruising home by 3 lengths in the All Along Breeders’ Cup Stakes (G3) over 1 1/8 miles at Colonial Downs in July, where she beat Lucky Lane (-2lb) after racing just off the pace. Colstar is as effective over ten as over nine furlongs, is at her best in a strongly run race and probably prefers good to firm ground (though she has also run well on soft). Colstar’s dam Ascend ran only once. She is a daughter of the Tentam mare Wendy’s Ten, who is the dam of Montjoy, who won the Prix Guillaume d’Ornano (G2), Scottish Classic (G3) and Appleton Handicap (G3), and the US stakes winner Instinct. Race status: (G1), (G2) and (G3) = Graded / Group status of race. (LR) = Listed Race Weight differences: It is often importrant to note the weight differences between the principals: (+5lb)… “Colstar was taking full advantage of a good weight when beating Snow Polina (+5lb) by a head in the 2000 Flower Bowl Handicap (G1)”. IN THIS CASE Snow Polina was carrying 5 pounds more than Colstar. (-5lb)… “Colstar finished well from off the pace and beat Solvig (-5lb) by half a length” IN THIS CASE Solvig was carrying 5 pounds less than Colstar. |
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