Anglo Irish Jumps Classifications: Galopin Des Champs tops ratings

Constitution Hill wins the Champion Hurdle! 🔥#Cheltenham pic.twitter.com/QYkJkD2JpZ

— Great British Racing (@GBRacing) March 14, 2023

Energumene earned his mark of 176 after a dominant 10-length success when defending his Queen Mother Champion Chase crown at Cheltenham in March, while the leading British horse over fences was Henderson’s Shishkin (173) thanks to a 16-length win in February’s Ascot Chase.

El Fabiolo (Mullins) tops the novice chase ranks on a perch of 170, while his owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede are also responsible for the highest-rated novice hurdler in Impaire Et Passe (160).

Top chasers

179 Galopin Des Champs
175 Energumene
173 Shishkin
172 Bravemansgame
170 L’Homme Presse, El Fabiolo

Martin Greenwood, the British Horseracing Authority’s steeplechase handicap team leader, said: “Ireland is responsible for two of the top three chase horses in the 2022-23 Anglo Irish Jumps Classifications.

“Galopin des Champs and Energumene head the staying and short distance divisions respectively after dominant displays at the Cheltenham Festival.

“The GB team bagged the middle-distance division with Shishkin, who was upped in trip and secured big-race success at Ascot and Aintree.

“The home contingent can also look to the likes of Bravemansgame (172), L’Homme Presse (170) and Ahoy Senor (169) as part of a decent season in the staying ranks, while Edwardstone (169) and Greaneteen (168) feature high up in the two-mile arena.”

Top hurdlers

175 Constitution Hill
165 State Man
161 Sire Du Berlais
160 Impaire Et Passe, Teahupoo, Klassical Dream

Andrew Mealor, BHA hurdle handicap team leader, commented: “Constitution Hill topped the hurdle rankings for the second season running as he added another four Grade One races to his burgeoning CV.

“His top performance of 175 came when beating State Man by nine lengths in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, a rating which puts him behind only triple Champion Hurdle winner Istabraq and Faugheen, both 176, among the top two-milers since Classifications were first published.”

Andrew Shaw, senior National Hunt handicapper for the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board, added: “Galopin Des Champs followed up his two Grade One victories at Punchestown and Leopardstown with the best performance by a staying chaser this season in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup.

“Although beaten for the first time over fences by Fastorslow at Punchestown the following month, at only seven years of age he has the potential to go on and win at least one more Gold Cup.

“Energumene consolidated his position as the leading two-mile chaser with an emphatic 10-length victory in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham.

“However, his chances of becoming the first horse since Badsworth Boy to win the race on three consecutive occasions will be seriously tested by stable companion El Fabiolo, the highest rated novice chaser in training and who joins Altior as the only two-mile novice to have achieved a figure of 170 since the Classifications began.”

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