The relatively unheralded American sire Temple City made the biggest impression in international racing last week, with his progeny taking two of the five G1 races run around the world.
The victories of the Chad Brown-trained 3-year-old Annals Of Time in the Hollywood Derby and of Graham Motion’s Miss Temple City in the weekend’s other Del Mar feature, the Matriarch Stakes, sent the 11-year-old son of Dynaformer soaring 50 places to #111 in the sires’ standings in the TRC Global Rankings.
As the graph here illustrates, 2016 has been a landmark year for the stallion, who stands at Spendthrift Farm in Kentucky. Miss Temple City, who prevailed by a nose in a blanket finish on Sunday, has been his standout, winning three Grade 1s and finishing a creditable fourth after bad luck in running in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.
The graph shows her sire’s progressive trajectory over the past two seasons, with a clear surge after the 4-year-old’s first G1 win of the year, in the Maker’s 46 Mile at Keeneland in April, and, of course, another big rise this week.
The Carla Gaines-trained 4-year-old Bolo has been another fine contributor to the Temple City cause, winning a Grade 2 on turf at Santa Anita in February and finishing runner-up in a Grade 1 there in March.
On this evidence, there could well be more to come, particularly on turf, from Temple City, who was a versatile performer himself on a variety of surfaces over distances up to a mile and a half.
TRC Global Rankings: other significant climbers this week
JOCKEY: Takuya Ono (Japan). Highlights of the week: rode Sound True, winner of the week’s richest race, the G1 Champions Cup in Chukyo, Japan, on Sunday; 9pt gain (equal biggest of the week); moves up from 317 to 216.
OWNER: Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum (Australia). Highlight: the Dubaian may have more runners in Australia than anywhere else, but his big rise this week is largely down to a race in the U.S. His Vale Dori, a son of his stallion Asiatic Boy (also a big climber this week), was odds-on winner of the G2 Bayakoa Handicap at Del Mar; 6pt gain; moves up from 124 to 68.
TRAINER: Fraser Auret (New Zealand). Highlight: trains Aide Memoire, winner of the G1 Rydges Wellington Captain Cook Stakes at Trentham; 9pt gain (joint highest with jockey Takuya Ono - see above); climbs from 386 to 250.
SIRE: Admire Don (Japan). Highlights: the son of the late Timber Country, winner of the 1991 Preakness Stakes, is the sire of the Ryan Moore-ridden Albert, winner of a G2 at Nakayama on Saturday;
Admire Don stands in South Korea; 6pt gain; climbs from 176 to 129.
Click here for a list of the week’s biggest points gainers.