Isotope win hits ratings highs

COMEBACK queen Isotope has Group 1 potential, ratings guru Daniel O’Sullivan says after Tony Gollan’s mare returned better than ever, winning the Magic Millions Snippets (1200m) at the Gold Coast on Saturday.

Returning off a near-death colic attack, Isotope produced a career-best 101.5 rating with O’Sullivan’s The Rating Bureau, putting her in the frame for a number of top races during the Sydney Autumn.

While she is yet to produce a figure O’Sullivan says could match it with Australia’s best sprinters, he says she will be hard to beat in any Group 1 fillies and mares race in the country.

The 101.5 rating was the highest of any runner on Magic Millions day, with O’Sullivan praising Gollan’s training performance to get her firing first-up off a ninemonth break.

“On my ratings, she is up to a new peak, about a half length better than she was before which is good off such a long break,” O’Sullivan said.

“She is going to be extremely hard to beat in any mares sprinting race, she is probably two lengths short of competing with the top-end sprinters in those really big races with Nature Strip, Eduardo and those types.

Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner Coolangatta produced a 98 weight-for-age rating, placing her above both Shaquero (96) and Exhilarates (97.5) but below Away Game (100) as previous winners of the race.

With no other major Golden Slipper contenders yet to be seen, O’Sullivan said the Ciaron Maher and David Eustacetrained filly still commands top billing for the famous twoyear-old race.

“The thing with Coolangatta is that she has only had three starts but she is so consistent,” he said.

“To win a Slipper you are talking a 104 so she is a bit off that at the moment.

“Capitalist did it, his Magic Millions win wasn’t that strong but he improved to win the Slipper.”