Top Ten Performances of the Flat Season 2013

There may have been a rather large Frankel-shaped hole in the 2013 flat season but you can’t live in the past and thankfully new equine stars emerged, stepped up and thrilled with their performances over the past season.

Across the globe we were witness to some incredible displays that will live long in the memory and contributed to another fantastic season of flat racing.

As is now customary, my countdown of the ten performances that stood out most to me over the past season follow and as always my selections are based on a tried and tested method of form, visual impression and most importantly: bias.

The idea of the list if to highlight individual brilliance and horses that single-handedly stole the show so many of the pulsating Toronado-Dawn Approach clashes and a lot of the Breeders’ Cup action doesn’t make it in given that a lot of those races’ magic was down to more than one horse.

King George 2013 Preview

What's that coming over the Hill? - Supplemented Hillstar can step up and win the King George

Just before the time of writing this preview the 2013 renewal of the King George lost a lot of its gloss with the terrible career-ending injury to favourite St. Nicholas Abbey.

At the time of writing it is unknown whether the injury will also be life-ending, but hopefully St. Nic can be saved and can go on to the stud career I always expected of him.

This year’s King George was already just missing something for me and with St. Nic now out too it really does feel a little lackluster. That said, it does look competitive stuff and could end up being a wide open renewal of a race that has provided some real thrills over the last few years.

The race has always had a distinctly international flavour and this year’s renewal is no different, and what better place to start than with the highest rated horse in training in the world Cirrus Des Aigles.