After just seven days on top of the world, Hugh Bowman’s reign is over - at least for now. The Aussie took over the number one spot in the TRC Global Rankings from Ryan Moore last week, but he has fallen behind again in this week’s updated standings.
Ironically, this comes after a week in which Bowman was more successful in the races that count (remember, the TRC rankings are based exclusively on performances in Group and Graded contests).
Indeed, Moore has been in action in Britain, and last week there was no Group racing at all there. But the Englishman didn’t have to do anything to reclaim the top position as Bowman was a net points loser in the rolling three-year cycle of the rankings.
The most significant racing may be over for the season in Australia, but there’s still enough Group action down under for Bowman to win the #1 position back in the next few weeks. The top-level races may be just around the corner in Europe, but Moore has plenty of points to defend so don’t expect it to be a formality that he regains his stranglehold at the top.
The pair, separated by just one TRC ranking point, are 28 clear of Japan-based Mirco Demuro, who is now five points ahead of fellow Italian Frankie Dettori and U.S.-based Venezuelan Javier Castellano, who are tied for fourth.
The switch in emphasis to the U.S. and Europe over the next few months will inevitably see a slight realignment in the rankings, especially in the jockey and trainer categories.
Aidan O’Brien retains a healthy lead over Darren Weir at the top of the trainer standings going into the new European season, so it is likely to be some time before he is challenged. Among those set to improve their positions are John Gosden (currently #8) and Andre Fabre (#12), who have both begun the new season in strong form.
Fabre is responsible for one of last week’s most impressive winners in Europe, the Maisons-Laffitte G3 winner Al Wukair, now second favourite behind the O’Brien-trained Galileo colt Churchill for the British 2,000 Guineas on May 6.
He was awarded a Racing Post Rating of 117 for that performance, just in front of Arkansas Derby winner Classic Empire (116), but the week’s highest mark (119) was achieved by the outstanding mare Stellar Wind in the G1 Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park on Friday and Al Ain, winner of the $2 million G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2,000 Guineas) at Nakayama on Sunday.
Al Ain is yet another son of Deep Impact, who retains a two-point lead at the top of the sires’ standings, ahead of Galileo.