Has 2012 seen the worst bunch of three year olds in living memory ?

Eleanora Duse said:
While I agree with Ardross that this (2012) year's 3yos appear to be the worst for a long time I'd like to address some of the comments made about 1974, which in my opinion appear wide of the mark.

The main criticism I'd have of 1974 was that the best horse didn't win the Derby. Mercer who usually rode straightforward Derby races somehow got totally out of his ground on Bustino, got baulked at the top of the hill and despite recovering could only finish a fast finishing fourth to Snow Knight, a horse he'd already beaten twice that year. He proved his worth in his next-race when on ground he hated he was narrowly beaten by Sagaro (and we know how good he was!) and followed that up with a hammering of English Prince (then considered the best middle distance colt in Europe) at York and finally signed off with an impressive victory in the Leger.

Also the disparaging remarks about Highclere hardly tell the story. She won the 1000G by a head from a good filly called Polygamy (well clear of the rest) who then just happened to win the Oaks (yes I know Dibidale's sadlle slipped). Polygamy then ran 3rd in the Irish Oaks behind Dibidale and Gaily (who was a stablemate of Highclere and never mentioned in the same breath). Meanwhile thinking Highclere was bred more to favour 10f (being by the miler Queens Hussar) she went to Paris and won the Prix de Diane easily from Comtesse de Loir who went on to be 2nd in the Vermeille and 3rd in the Arc, so hardly a backmarker. They then tried Highclere over 12f in the KG at Ascot but she was beaten 2 and 1/2 lengths by Dahlia, who was then at her best. That seemed to do for her as she never showed the same fire again. But it is interesting to hear Michael Oswald's view that the at the end of the '80s the Queen had had 3 really good horses, the best being Dunfermline, Highclere being next and Aureole being next. He was close to all 3 of them and to rate Highclere better than Aureole hardly does her down.

Incidentally Snow Knight was third and went on to win 3 Group 1s the next season in the Americas, including beating Comtesse de Loir. The form lines in '74 (and '75) hang together very impressively with Bustino coming out the best middle distance colt and Dibidale the best filly but with Highclere very near: hardly a bad year.

I personally think the year started badly when O'Brien's superstar Apalachee proved such a flop. But that happens every second or third year whichever O'Brien you are talking about: it hardly defines the year. No with 3yos like Bustino, Dibidale, Highclere and Sagaro 1974 was far from being a poor year. You have to look elsewhere.
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Welcome Eleanora
thanks for your enlightening post.
My point was that the top rated 3yo of 74 was a handicapper, not a classic winner so the crop can be judged as disappointing on that basis.
Bustino of course should have been top rated and proved his merit at 4.
Snow Knight finished 6th in King George beaten 9lengths.
Delighted to have you on board. Keep posting.
 
Don't worry. It's not him. But I have jousted with him a few times: a waste of one's life.

Yes Take A Reef had to be a good horse. His performance in the Extel was quite something and he beat a horse called Final Chord who looked a real good one but gave him loads of weight. I think he was probably the best horse by Right Tack, probably find out now he wasn't. You had to rate him highly. But in retrospect they maybe underrated Bustino's performances.

Anyway thanks for the welcome and don't worry.
 
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