Stephen Hunt runs the numbers from Foxbridge Plate Day
Stephen Hunt • August 26th, 2025 12:05 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 was one leader that won, with winners coming as far back as 8.7L (Sterling Express) off the leader at the 600m mark.
Race winners were in lanes 5,3,1,4,5,6,7,8.
Not any distinct bias between on/off pace with the track generally ok, but from the turn, lanes 4+ tend to be where you need to be.
Quantum Legend stamped himself as a three-year-old with serious potential, running to an 82.5 rating to win on debut over 1200m, but the nature of the performance suggests he's capable of much more. After settling back on the outside in a race that lacked early speed, Michael McNab was able to gain ground from the 600m to 400m as the tempo was soft but then ran home powerfully, showing a good turn of foot to put the race away by the 150m mark and was strong through the line with good overall figures with impressive sectionals. He's clearly a stakes-class talent in the making.
Shoma also caught the eye, running into second from well back in the field, sustaining a powerful run home with the second-best last 600m rating of the meeting - an effort that carries plenty of merit for an early three-year-old.
Drop Of Something, now a six-year-old gelding with 44 starts, narrowly won the Open 2100m, by 0.1 lengths with an 89.2 rating. That matches the 89 he posted at Whanganui when winning in November and is within a length of his best, a 90.2 when runner-up in the Taumarunui Gold Cup last month. Young apprentice, Sam McNab dictated terms perfectly, controlling a crawl to the 800m and still below average to the 400m, turning the race into a 400m dash home. That gave Drop Of Something 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.
Elle Sourit resumed from a spell (122 days) & continued her rise with a third straight win dating back to March. She stepped up from BM65 F&M to BM75 level, taking out the Super Seth 1500m by 0.3 lengths. Her 86.9 rating improved on the 83.5 from her previous wins.
Solidify, tried hard but couldn't match the winner. Giving Elle Sourit 5kg at the weights, he returned a slightly higher 88.5 rating.
Sterling Express made the step to Group 2 WFA company with brilliant win, highlighted by powerful sectionals from the back of the field. The overall clock backed up the quality of this run, with the speed merit across his race clearly exceeding that of the two previous 1200m races at the meeting.
When comparing the ratings of the second and third placegetters (Lhasa and Dusty Road), both overachieved, which is always a bit of a drag and good reason to review / double check, but then Twain and Sacred Satono have been handy enough.
I landed with 96.5 for the winner, a notable improvement on his previous best of 90.2, over 1200m at Ellerslie in April. However, this doesn't necessarily mean he’ll maintain that level consistently.
His form has been patchy in the past, which is always a consideration when assessing future races. Further, his two peak performances have come at 1200m when fresh, hinting at a possible preference.
Whatever he does in the future, his effort on Saturday had undeniable substance.
The table below shows recent winners of the Foxbridge Plate and their respective ratings:
