Stephen Hunt runs the numbers from Canterbury Belle Stakes Day
Stephen Hunt • September 16th, 2025 1:35 PM • 4 min read
FIVE HIGHEST RATED WINNERS FROM THE LAST 7 DAYS
WAIKATO THOROUGHBRED RACING @ TE RAPA
SPEED RATINGS
How the track played…
There were zero leaders that won, with winners coming as far back as 5.0L (Smart Love) off the leader at the 600m mark.
Race winners were in lanes 3,5,2,6,5,2,5,6.
Possibly a small penalty for horses that were rails in run, but overall, the track played fair with no obvious bias.
VCE - VISION COMPLETE EARTHWORKS, OPEN HANDICAP, 1600M
Agera, now a six-year-old gelding with 22 starts, dominated the Open Mile, winning by 2.3 lengths with a 90.5 rating. That sits within a length of his best, a 91.5 win on the Cambridge Synthetic in mid-August. Matt Cartwright dictated terms perfectly when sitting outside leader, controlling a crawl to the 800m and still below average to the 400m, turning the race into a 400m dash home. That gave Agera every favour, but it's no knock on him, he capitalised on the advantage given to him by the riders of those behind being too passive, particularly inside the 600m when there was still little speed. Agera showed he still has plenty to offer heading into the spring.
POWER FARMING – WE KEEP YOU GROWING, OPEN HANDICAP, 1200M
Midnight Edition ended last preparation with a 1200m win at Te Rapa, posting a new peak rating of 96, and he returned on Sunday to better that mark, running a 96.4 rating with a strong win over the same trip and venue. He looks like he can measure up to a Group 3 or Group 2 sprint this campaign, though his record to date suggests he could stretch out to the mile.
Twain’s effort in running second shouldn't be overlooked. Despite finishing second as the $2.40 favourite, beaten 3.3 lengths. He did give the winner 5.5kg at the weights and when adjusted to weight-for-age, the son by Per Incanto ran a new peak (93.2). Midnight Scandal (85.3) and Archaic Smile (84.3) also ran well in what looks likely to be a good form race.
AUTOPOINT - PREMIUM CARS, R65 BENCHMARK, 1300M
Smart Love made an outstanding return to racing, winning the R65 Sprint after 309 days on the sidelines, a testament to the terrific training effort of Lance O’Sullivan & Andew Scott. The four-year-old mare showed a good turn of foot to put the race away by the 200m mark and was strong through the line, returning with an 87.6 rating, right in line with her 87.5 peak from her Maiden win over 1600m at Te Rapa in November. With only four starts under her belt, she still looks to have some untapped upside.
RICCARTON PARK – CANTERBURY JC @ RICCARTON PARK
NZB CANTERBURY BELLE STAKES, 3YOF SW, 1200M
Miss Starlight extended her winning streak to three to score over 1200m by 1.8 lengths, with a solid 88.5 rating, slightly improving on her prior 86. While dominant, speed comparisons across the four 1200m races on the day, particularly with the previous race won by Candycane, provide context that keeps her rating from going higher, even allowing for the age differences. That’s not a knock, she’s now three from three with dominant wins, and as long as a horse remains unbeaten and continues to progress, it’s hard to put a ceiling on them. That said, she still needs to lift a few lengths into the 96+ range to measure up to a Group 1 1000 Guineas, which is reportedly her target.
The table below shows recent winners of the Canterbury Belle Stakes and their respective ratings:
