The 2018 pattern racing season is about to go into full flow.
Before we get too immersed in it we are taking this opportunity to look back on last year and announce the winners of the Pattern Racing World Championships 2017, now in their fifth year.
How the Pattern Racing World Championships Work
These championships are created by allocating points for a placing in a Group 1 or Grade 1 race. It’s simple, in a Group or Grade 1, a win earns 10 points, second 7 points and third 5 points. Points for participants are accumulated over all G1 races in the calender year.
In 2017 306 races were included from the pattern race programme. Each race offers 22 points so there’s a total pot of 6,732 points available to win in the year. The races included all the G 1’s from Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, UAE, France, Italy, England, Germany, Ireland, USA and Canada.
Tables are created for each category based on accumulated points won establishing a championship position.
Pattern Racing World Championship Categories
There are six categories 1. Horse, 2. Trainer, 3. Jockey, 4. Sire, 5. Owner 6. Breeder. Each category compete for the same number of points.
Pattern Racing World Championship Tables
This year we have a dynamic tables for each category that you allow you to drill down into
1. each participants achievements during the year.
2. see which races they were placed in, the date of the race and the points won, all with dynamic headers.
3. you can then drill into the individual race.
4. and view more details of the participants championship position, details on the race and how it panned out for the participant.
Why Have The Pattern Racing World Championships?
Racing is an extremely competitive sport. The championships categorise racing’s participants comparing their performances globally with their peers. G1 status provides the benchmark. Achievement is recognised, consistency rewarded, standing is established.
As ever the cream rises to the top.
A Summary of the Pattern Racing World Championships 2017
Overall 2017 was a year where the Coolmore powerhouse asserted it’s dominance winning four of the six categories, prehaps a taster of what is to come over the next decade. Owner, Trainer, Jockey and Sire all went the way of the Coolmore operation. The Breeders category and Horse category went to others.
Below is the top three for each category.
Click on the header or below on the right of the to reveal the full table and find out more.
PRWC 2017 – Horse
Championship Finishing Position | Horse | Championship Points Won | No of Pattern Race Placings |
1 | Winx | 60 | 6 |
2 | Abel Tasman | 51 | 6 |
3 | Enable | 50 | 5 |
Click here for the Horse Championships of 2017
Winx came out on top in 2017. Her six runs at G1 level yielded six wins, a feat she also achieved in 2016. Her finest moment saw her capture a third consecutive Cox Plate. Unfortunately we won’t get to see Winx in Europe this year instead her trainer Chris Waller will target a fourth Cox Plate as her ultimate aim.
Abel Tasman the Kentucky Oaks winner filled second spot winning three G1’s and running second in another three.
Enable filled third spot. The Epsom Oaks winner had five G1’s wins capping off a fine season culminating in her Arc win, something she’ll try to emulate this year.
PRWC 2017 – Trainer
Championship Finishing Position | Trainer | Championship Points Won | No of Pattern Race Placings |
1 | A P O’Brien | 553 | 73 |
2 | Chad C Brown | 299 | 40 |
3 | Bob Baffert | 287 | 36 |
Click here for the Trainer Championships of 2017
It was a stunning performance from Aidan O’Brien who retains the title won in 2016 (477 points, 2016). A world record twenty-eight G1’s was accompanied by twenty-four runner-up spots and twenty-one third place finishes.
Chad Brown retains second place (301, 2016). He had fifteen G1 winners and filled the runners-up spot on twelve occasions and registered thirteen third place finishes.
Bob Baffert improved a place from fourth in 2016 (194 points, 2016) to third. He also had fifteen G1 winners and filled the runner-up spot sixteen times and registered five third place finishes.
PRWC 2017 – Jockey
Championship Finishing Position | Jockey | Championship Points Won | No of Pattern Race Placings |
1 | Ryan Moore | 359 | 45 |
2 | Mike E Smith | 250 | 31 |
3 | Jose L Ortiz | 247 | 32 |
Click here for the Jockey Championships of 2017
Ryan Moore also takes the jockey’s title, for the third year in succession. He once again improved his total (347, 2016) (270. 2015) in a year which brought twenty-two G1’s wins, twelve seconds and thirteen third place finishes. Of those wins all but one was for Aidan O’Brien. Winter, Highland Reel and Roly Poly were the triple givers. The other G1, out east, was for Osamu Hirata when he rode Gold Dream to win the Champions Cup, formerly the Japan Cup (Dirt).
Mike Smith improved from fifth last year (171, 2016) to second this year with fifteen G1’s wins. He was runner-up on ten occasions and third six times. His association with Bob Baffert yielded nine of those wins, three on Abel Tasman and two on Arrogate.
Jose Ortiz, the younger of the Ortiz brothers was the big mover going from twentieth last year (97, 2016) to third in 2017. He rode thirteen G1 winners, ran second eleven times and filled the third spot eight times. Chad Brown provided five of his G1 wins.
PRWC 2017 – Sire
Championship Finishing Position | Sire | Championship Points Won | No of Pattern Race Placings |
1 | Galileo (IRE) | 451 | 59 |
2 | Dubawi (IRE) | 200 | 28 |
3 | Medaglia d’Oro (USA) | 151 | 19 |
Click here for the Sire Championships of 2017
Galileo was just short of last years total (454, 2016) but he remains the engine for the Coolmore operation. In 2013 his score was 160, in 2014 it was 261 and in 2015 it was 257. The last two years have been stunning. He matched the twenty-four G1 win’s he had in 2016 again in 2017 with eighteen seconds and seventeen third place finishes to remain a distance clear of the field.
Dubawi moves back up the podium to second having got the bronze the previous year (146, 2016), a position he last held in 2015 when he scored 220 points.
Medaglia d’Oro is the new kid on the block, eighth the previous year (103, 2016) when he had seven G1 wins. He added another three to make it ten in 2017.
PRWC 2017 – Owner
Championship Finishing Position | Owner | Championship Points Won | No of Pattern Race Name |
1 | Coolmore Syndicate | 564 | 74 |
2 | Godolphin | 451 | 63 |
3 | Khalid Abdullah | 138 | 16 |
Click here for the Owner Championships of 2017
Coolmore is unquestionably the most powerful operation on the planet. The upward curve continues (494, 2016). Coolmore owned horses won thirty G1’s on the track last year (23, 2016), sixteen in England, seven in Ireland, three in France, three in the States and Highland Reel bowed out with the final one in Hong Kong.
Godolphin had a year of change with the departure of John Ferguson. His replacement Joe Osborne saw an improved position on 2016 (379, 2016) with the year producing eighteen G1 wins, six more than 2016. No doubt he’ll try to build on that in 2018.
Khalid Abdullah’s Juddmonte operation moved from eighth last year (66, 2016) to third in 2017. Arrogate set the world alight at the beginning of the year those with wins in the Pegasus World Cup and then that incredible performance in the Dubai World Cup, then came Enable. What a season for the Prince.
PRWC 2017 – Breeder
Championship Finishing Position | Breeder | Championship Points Won | No of Pattern Race Placings |
1 | Darley | 261 | 36 |
2 | Northern Racing | 160 | 20 |
3 | Juddmonte | 120 | 16 |
Click here for the Breeder Championships of 2017
Darley retained their number one position for the third year in a row (268, 2016). This year they had eleven G1 individual winners (eight for Godolphin) with thirteen runner-up placings and twelve third place finishes.
Northern Racing are second as they were last year (156,2016) with ten G1 wins from eight individuals.
Juddmonte filled third spot up with six G1 wins, five coming from Enable.
Group 1 Action This Weekend
There is Group 1 and Grade 1 action aplenty this weekend.
On Saturday Randwick in Sydney, Australia hosts three G1’s, the Flight Stakes, Metropolitan Stakes and the feature the Epsom Handicap with prize money of $1m for a race over a mile for older horses. Trainer Chris Waller is mob handed with eight of the eighteen runners and this can provide him an opportunity to close the gap on Aidan O’Brien in the PWRC 2018 Trainer standings.
On Sunday Caulfield runs the Hyland Race Colours Underwood Stakes with Goldophin’s Charlie Appleby running Blair House. He’ll hope he can repeat his G1 win of last weekend when Jungle Cat took top honours at G1 level at the same venue. Also on Sunday Japan resumes it’s G1 programme after a summer break with the Sprinters Stakes at Nakayama where Joao Moreira will have his first top level ride since being granted a licence to ride in Japan. They’ll miss his magic in Hong Kong.
At Newmarket, England the two-year olds take centre stage with the Cheveley Park for fillies and Middle Park for colts both over 6f sharing the bill. In the former Lady Kaya caught the eye at the Curragh when second in the Moyglare and could run well stepping down in trip from 7f.
In the States the build up really begins for the Breeders Cup with Belmont in New York hosting the Vosburgh, Joe Hirsch Turf Classic and Jockey Club Gold Cup with the latter a Breeders Cup trial on dirt over 1m2f. Diversify will go off favourite after his win in the Whitney Invitational last time out.
European interest is piqued here with the worlds two biggest owners adding spice to the mix. Coolmore run Mendelssohn and Godolphin saddle the Dubai World Cup winner, Thunder Snow. Ryan Moore travels for the ride on Mendelssohn, he currently leads PRWC 2018 Jockey and a win can extend his slim margin over Mike Smith and Jose Ortiz. Jose will have three opportunities to bridge the gap. In the owners championship there are only 10 points between Coolmore and Godolphin (1 win) at the top of PRWC 2018 Owner.
On the west coast Santa Anita has four Grade 1’s on Saturday, the Rodeo Drive Stakes, Chandelier Stakes, American Pharoah Stakes and the feature the Awesome Again Stakes, another Breeders Cup Classic trial. Accelerate will go off a short odds on price on the back on his win in the TVG Pacific Classic and a win here could push him up to third in the PRWC 2018 Horse. On Sunday the Zenyatta Stakes is the feature race with Able Tazman likely to go off favourite.
A busy weekend of G1 action which could have a big impact on the standings of PWRC’s six category championships. It’s G1 status that binds it all together. It’s PRWC 2018 that makes the participants performances comparable.
By the time Ryan Moore flies back across the Atlantic he may well be in second place in the jockey’s championship should Jose Ortiz score well at Belmont or Mike Smith score well at Santa Anita.
Blair House’s run in Australia and Thunder Snow’s run in the USA could send Godolphin to the top of the Owners Championship or maybe Ten Sovereigns at Newmarket or Mendelssohn’s American campaign will keep Coolmore on top.
One thing for sure Aidan O’Brien will stay top of the Trainer Championship.
Recommendation :
2.25 GMT Cheveley Park Stakes, Newmarket – Lady Kaya 8/1 win
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Posted in Australia, Comment, England, G1, Grade 1, Group 1, Horseracing, Japan, Pattern Racing, Pattern Racing World Championships 2018, PRWC 2018, USA
Tagged Belmont Park, Caulfield, Global Horseracing, Nakayama Racecourse, Newmarket, Randwick, Santa Anita