Racing: Bahr has form to pull rank

Xaar's ascendancy over his generation has gained due recognition in the International Classification for two-year-olds, in which he is rated 8lb clear of Second Empire. Independent ratings, which assess both form and time performances, reach a similar conclusion, while placing Xaar on a higher overall mark, 130.

It is harder to concur with the official assessments of Central Park And Daggers Drawn, whose Dewhurst Stakes flops have been ignored in the Classification. They are placed ahead of Tamarisk, who beat them at Newmarket. Conversely, the handicappers seem to have ignored the best runs by Arkadian Hero and King Of Kings.

The greatest divergence between The Independent's ratings and the International Classification concerns the unbeaten Bahr, rated only 106 in the official rankings. She would deserve better on her bare form against the smart Fruits Of Love, Quiet Assurance and City Honours in the Washington Singer Stakes. But the exceptional time of Bahr's debut win at Doncaster, rated 121, suggests she is top-class. Now with Godolphin, she looks tailor-made for the Oaks.