Quality Road: top of the world according to RPRs and Beyers

  PICTURE: EquiSport Photos/Matt Wooley  

World leader Quality Road back on Monday

USA: Brillaint Quality Road, the top-rated horse in the world this year according to Racing Post Ratings, is set to return to action at Belmont Park on Monday at a Bank Holiday meeting due to be shown live by At The Races in Britain.

The Todd Pletcher-trained four-year-old has won both his starts in 2010, latterly recording a runaway near-13-length victory in the prestigious Donn Handicap on the dirt at Gulfstream Park on February 6.

RPRs allotted that thrilling display a rating of 128, which puts Quality Road 2lb clear of anything else achieved this year.

He is also well clear at the top according to the much respected Beyer speed figures published in the Daily Racing Form.

The son of Elusive Quality will make his return after a three-month absence in Monday's $500,000 Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont, a Grade 1 event known colloquially as the Met Mile.

He had his final serious workout for the race on Tuesday with a sharp 5f drill in 59.66s, despite his rider not really asking any questions until the final 100 yards according to observers.

"We were looking for something in the minute range with a decent to moderate gallop-out," Pletcher told the Form,.

"I thought it all went very, very well," added the Kentucky Derby-winning trainer.

"The one thing we're hoping for is we have him ready to run a big race off the bench and that we get the right kind of trip and surface that he likes."