OH my God! So it's finally happened. The Sport of Kings has two genuine champions on each side of the pond.

There have been plenty of good horses in recent times, but in many cases we (TV pundits and journalists) have exaggerated their capabilities to create interest in the game.

A classic example would be Enable, who of course was a really good horse, winning two Arcs and loads of King Georges.

But she never achieved a rating that allowed her to be considered one of the greats.

Now, though, in the monstrous beast Flightline, and the equally undefeated and super-talented UK champion Baaeed, we have two horses who have broken the magical rating of 130+.

That's the crucial barrier mark.

For some time now, Baaeed has been the best horse on planet Earth.

But that was blown out of the water in the Pacific Classic on Saturday when Flightline smashed up the Dubai World Cup winner Country Grammer and made him look like a 90-year-old pensioner crossing the road with two sticks, let alone one.

Most read in Horse Racing

OFFERS OF THE DAY

Specials

Tote: Bet £5 get £20 in free bets – CLAIM HERE

William Hill: Bet £10 Get £30 in free bets – CLAIM HERE

Betfair: Bet £10 Get £30 – CLAIM HERE

Paddy Power: Bet £20 and get it back as cash if it loses – CLAIM HERE

Sky Bet: Bet £10 on Racing and get £30 in free bets –CLAIM HERE

Ladbrokes: Bet £5 Get £20 – CLAIM HERE

Coral: Bet £5 Get £20 – CLAIM HERE

Tote: *New customers online only. Place your first bet on racing pools for a minimum of £5 and win or lose you will receive £20 Tote Credit. £20 Tote Credit rewarded as £10 redeemable against racing bets only and £10 redeemable against UK and Irish placepot bets only. Tote Credit cannot be withdrawn, exchanged, or substituted and expires after 7 days. Qualifying bet is the first racing pool bet added to the bet-slip. Ten to Follow, virtual and football bets do not qualify. Totewin will be the qualifying bet when a Totewin and a Toteplace bet are struck at the same time. New UK & ROI customers only. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. begambleaware.org

William Hill: 18+. Play Safe. From 00:01 on 13.04.2022. £30 bonus. New customers only. Minimum £10 stake on odds of 1/2 (1.5) or greater on sportsbook. Further terms apply. Begambleaware.org#ad

Betfair – Place a min £10 bet on the Sportsbook on odds of min 1/2 (1.5), get £30 in Free Bets. Rewards valid for 30 days. SMS verification required. Only deposits via cards will qualify. T&Cs apply. Please Gamble Responsibly 18+ begambleaware.org

Paddy Power: New customers only. Place your FIRST bet on any market at odds of min 2.0 (EVS) and if it loses we will refund your stake in CASH. Max refund for this offer is £20. Only deposits made using cards will qualify for this promotion. T&Cs apply. 18+ Begambleaware.org

Sky Bet: NEW CUSTOMERS ONLY. FIRST SINGLE & E/W BET ONLY ODDS OF 1/1 OR GREATER. 3 X £10 BET TOKENS. FREE BET STAKES NOT INCLUDED IN RETURNS. FREE BETS ONLY REDEEMABLE ON HORSE RACING. FREE BETS ARE NON WITHDRAWABLE. NO FREE BET EXPIRY. ELIGIBILITY RESTRICTIONS AND FURTHER T&CS APPLY.

Ladbrokes: 18+ New UK+IRE Customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. Min first £/€5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 to get 4x £/€5 free bets. Free bets available to use on selected sportsbook markets only. Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. Restrictions + T&Cs apply. Begambleaware.org

Coral: Eligible UK+IRE players. Paypal & some deposit & bet types excl. Min first £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 = 4x £5 free bets. Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. No cash-out, restrictions & T&Cs apply. 18+ T&Cs Apply. Begambleaware.org

It's worth remembering that Country Grammer – rated about a stone below Baaeed but beaten nearly 20 lengths! – is a very strong stayer.

And Flightline's middle pace took him so much out of his comfort zone that he was just left to plod on in a different stratosphere.

Oddly, both Flightline and Baaeed run over a mile and a quarter.

They are both unbeaten. But they will never meet.

That's frustrating, but Flightline runs on dirt, and Baaeed on grass.

Now one would have to imagine that only in hell would horses that enjoy such different surfaces be made to come together.

But for those of us who are not absolutely sure to go to heaven, it's one hell of a party to look forward to on the dark side.

There are two questions that I get asked most about horseracing.

The first is whether I prefer jumps or Flat racing, and the second is usually about what race I have enjoyed most.

Every year there are races that you think are special, and fill you full of enjoyment.

But as a racing fan there will only be a very few moments in your life when you look at a race and say to yourself, 'hell, did that really just happen?'

I would say that I have experienced that sensation four times since I've watched Flat racing.

The first would have to be sure Shergar's victory in the Derby.

The second, no doubt, when Arazi won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

The third, of course, would be Frankel's 2000 Guineas. And now Flightline at Del Mar in Saturday's Grade 1 extravaganza.

Flightline will probably only race two more times this season. Who knows if he will race on after that.

Baaeed will race one more time, in either the Champion Stakes at Ascot or the Arc.

My message to all of you is enjoy them while you can. What a great sport.

FREE BETS GET OVER £2,000 IN SIGN UP OFFERS HERE

Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. 18+. T&Cs apply. Begambleaware.org

Remember to gamble responsibly

A responsible gambler is someone who:

• Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
• Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
• Never chases their losses
• Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
• Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
• Gamble Aware – www.begambleaware.org

Source: Read Full Article