Does Flightline deserve to be rated Frankel's equal? Our experts have their say

Flightline was crowned the world's best racehorse on Tuesday, achieving a massive rating of 140 in the process. That puts him level with the great Frankel, but does he deserve to be?

'Likely that flawed ratings flatter him'

The fact that Flightline is officially the equal of Frankel highlights the fatal flaw in the official ratings.

Like all handicap systems compiled on a supposedly unvarying scale, official ratings are designed to fulfil two functions. The first is to assess current horses; the second is to compare them to champions of the past.

Official ratings achieve their first function efficiently but are worthless when it comes to historical comparisons.

They were created in 1977, and in their early years they were pitched at a level that was too high. That resulted in such absurdities as Three Troikas (137) being officially superior to Sea The Stars (136), and Dancing Brave (141) being officially the greatest Flat champion of the last 46 years – despite his unofficial but deserved downgrading in 2013 by the international handicappers.

Flightline's rating of 140 suggests the official ratings have returned to their original flatteringly high level. Racing Post Ratings, which have Frankel 3lb higher, and Timeform ratings (4lb higher) are much more reliable.
John Randall, racing historian

'It's nothing more than a sop'

My overwhelming feeling is that this fudge is just so dull. The stakes could not be lower: these rankings are the only attempt made to unify the varied handicapping systems of the world and they will never be used in anger. So why are we getting the please-everyone answer?

As ever with that approach, it ends up pleasing no-one. This looks like an attempt to keep working relationships cordial rather than actually decide which of the two great champions of the 21st century showed more on the track.

Because, make no mistake, the answer to that is Frankel. The margins in Flightline's best performance, the Pacific Classic, might as well have been in cubits for all they actually mattered. He broke good horses, none of whom ran remotely close to form, and yes he deserves credit for that. But both qualitative and quantitative analysis says that Frankel buried horses such as St Nicholas Abbey, Farhh and Excelebration (11 Group 1s between them) when those horses were on their game.

It is possible that Flightline was as good as Frankel and it is a shame he never got the chance to show it one way or the other in 2023. But rating them equal on the evidence presented is nothing more than a sop.
Keith Melrose, Racing Post betting editor

'Hardly a stretch to think he's on a par'

Frankel was something special so it may be hard to believe he's already been matched only a few years on, but just take another look at Flightline's last couple of races.

In the Pacific Classic at Del Mar, Flightline was more than 19 lengths too good for Country Grammer, who had earlier won the Dubai World Cup and subsequently won a Grade 2.

The attritional nature of dirt racing can lend itself to exaggerated margins – horses trying to keep up with a vastly superior rival will essentially hit the wall – so that makes it hard to pinpoint the exact level of Flightline's brilliance at Del Mar. But it was a performance backed up by speed figures and he was similarly awesome at the Breeders' Cup.

At Keeneland, Flightline chased down a fast horse in Pegasus World Cup winner Life Is Good, yet still came home virtually alone, this time from rivals who were saved from the early heat of the race and therefore should have had something left for the later stages. Third-placed Taiba has since won a Grade 1 and will likely be favourite for February's Saudi Cup, yet he was beaten almost nine lengths.

Comparing dirt and turf horses is never ideal but Flightline is arguably the best there's been in the US since Secretariat, so it's hardly a stretch to think he had about the same talent level as Frankel.
Ron Wood, international racing expert

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