Stephen Hunt runs the numbers on Legends Day
Stephen Hunt • February 10th, 2026 3:24 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 5.8L (Ohope Wins) off the leader at the 600m mark.
Race winners were in lanes 3,3,1,5,1,6,8,3,4.
The track played relatively even.
RACE DAY SUMMARY:
Moment Of The Day ❤️ = Opie Bosson – 100th Group 1 win on Legarto
Peach Of A Ride 🍑 = Vinnie Colgan on Autumn Glory (R4)
Horses To Follow 🔎 = Sarti (R2), Jesko Absolut & Lupo Solitario (R9)
Punters Get Paid 💵 = Ohope Wins (R7), First Five (R8)
Punters Left It In Thad's Bag 💰 = Towering Vision (R4), Khaleesi (R5), Hinekaha (R6), Arkansaw Kid (R8)
Tactics Questioned❓= Race 3 (R75 2100m) the lack of jockey initiative from those behind in a position to make a move before straightening up.
Autumn Glory scored her first Stakes win when beating the boys in the Group 2 Waikato Guineas. Unlike Ohope Wins in the Fillies Classic, Autumn Glory was well suited by a strong tempo and saved ground up the inside before bursting to the lead at the 100m mark. Given the strong early speed, the field had every possible chance to run faster overall time, and the final figure leaves something to be desired from a genuine Group 2 perspective. Given that most of the NZ Derby runners will come from this race and that Ohope Wins has set a strong standard to topple in the NZ Oaks, I’d seriously consider running Autumn Glory in the Avondale Guineas/Derby.
Legarto returned to the winner's stall for the first time in almost a year with her 98.5-rated victory in the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes, ending a 24-month drought since winning her last Group 1 with a 98.3 rating in the 2024 edition of the Herbie Dyke. She only slightly improved on her 98.3 from 2024, but it was enough to edge out Kingswood (also 97.9) in a tight finish. While her form overall is patchy, it's clear she thrives at Te Rapa and on a good track, having raced five times on the deck for four wins.
This year's race matches the 98.5 rating Royal Performer posted to win in 2021 but falls short of the better rated winners: El Vencedor (101 in 2025), Sharp N Smart (99.3 in 2023), and Lizzie L’Amour (103 in 2018).
The table below shows recent winners of the Group 1 Herbie Dyke Stakes and their respective ratings:
Ohope Wins stamped her NZ Oaks favouritism with a 0.5 length victory in the Gr.2 Fillies Classic. While her 92 rating was a touch below the 94.8 she produced when winning the Gr.2 Royal Stakes on New Years Day, in reality the 92 rating should read with a ++ sign next to it given how she achieved it in such an unfavourable scenario. Well back off a slow pace and very wide on the bend, losing ground. That scenario explains how and why she rated down on her prior run, but she was still good enough to win. This performance is still well above her main rivals for the NZ Oaks, including Autumn Glory who only rated 87.2 in the Guineas.
First Five ran to a 99 rating, making it three wins in a row and landing just shy of his 101-career peak when winning the Gr.1 Telegraph. He had a suitable race shape, with Billy Pinn making full use of his inside draw to sit just behind the leader Here To Shock at a solid early tempo to the 600m mark. That 99 sits just under the 101 Here To Shock ran in this race last year, suggesting Here to Shock ran well below expectations.
Pier was honest first-up, not at the 95.5 level he ran here first-up in the spring when third in the Theo Marks but consistent with his two 94 ratings before he went to Australia. Given he was soft in the market and better suited over further, look for a much-improved run in the Otaki Māori WFA Classic over the mile.
