The general consensus regarding last season's two-year-olds was that they lacked a little quality on previous years, but Saturday's results were promising for this season's batch.
In winning the Group 3 Breeders' Plate (1000m) by three lengths in a time of 1:00.11, the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained Empire Of Japan posted a Timeform rating that has not been bettered in that race since Performer went 115 five years ago.
The son of Snitzel and General Nediym mare Ichihara, who is a sister to the dam of Menari, put up a rating of 109, which was equal to Dubious's figure from 2018 and superior to the past three Breeders' Plate winners; Global Quest (106), Shaquero (104) and Sejardan (105).
Charge Forward (122) is the highest-rating Breeders' Plate winner of the past 30 years, while Empire Of Japan's sire Snitzel went 120 with Murtajill next best at 118.
Runner-up Mach Ten (Exceed And Excel) was assessed at 96, while third placegetter Physical Graffiti (Russian Revolution) earned a mark of 92.
While Gimcrack Stakes winner Platinum Jubilee (106) rated three pounds lower than Empire Of Japan, the placegetters from that 1000m Group 3 race rated higher in the Breeders' Plate.
Perfect Proposal (Russian Revolution) earned a mark of 100 for her on-pace performance, while third placegetter Divine Glory (Hellbent) got the same mark as the Breeders' Plate runner-up.
Platinum Jubilee, who like Perfect Proposal is trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, is a daughter of Zoustar and Miss Debutante (Fastnet Rock) who came from a seemingly impossible position at the 300m to win by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:00.22.
Coolangatta posted a 109 Timeform rating in winning last year's Gimcrack, one point higher than 2020 winner Enthaar, but Platinum Jubilee was three points up on 2019 winner Every Rose.
The highest-rating Gimcrack winner in the past 30 years was Spurcent, who went 117 in 2002, while Media (115 in 2004) and Our Joan Of Arc (114 in 2008) were next best.
In Melbourne, Exceed And Excel colt Zulfiqar, who was also an acceptor in the Breeders' Plate, became one of the higher-rating winners of the Maribyrnong Trial Stakes (1000m) in the past decade.
The James Cummings-trained colt, who is out of the American mare Sayf Shamal, went 103, which was three pounds higher than the past two winners; Get In The Spirit and Ingratiating.
Madeenaty (105) and Unite And Conquer (104) are the only higher-rating winners of the $175,000 Listed event since Risen From Doubt went 110 in 2013.
