When Red Anchor, Octagonal and So You Think won the Cox Plate, they were not just the best 3-year-olds of their year, they were the best horses of any age in Australia and New Zealand.
You could make a strong case for that about Surround as well.
Savabeel, a shock winner, is the only different case, but Graeme Rogerson always maintained the horse was difficult to train and Savabeel's raging early success as a stallion might suggest there was more to the horse than originally thought.
So, for today's race you have to ask one question - is Helmet the best horse currently racing in Australia?
Despite his great class, you can't give that an affirmative.
But if Helmet is beaten, that might not be the only reason.
As impressive as his Caulfield Guineas victory looked, it showed up perhaps the one flaw a top weight-for-age performer cannot afford - he is largely one-paced.
And while that all-the-way pace is enough to beat most opponents, particularly of his own age, it will seriously cut his tactical options in a Cox Plate.
Even his trainer Peter Snowden admits Helmet has been beaten each time they have tried to ride him in behind the pace with sit-sprint tactics.
Which means he will have to set his own strong pace or rely on something else that might cross him early going hard in front.
Most weight-for-age races are won by the horse with the best 200m or 300m tactical sprint. That's not Helmet in today's race.
This is not a classic Cox Plate line-up. If Sunline, Northerly or So You Think lined up in peak condition against a similar field they would be $1.50 if you were lucky.
New Zealand's Jimmy Choux is going to get his chance provided he can dodge the bullet of being caught three wide from his widish barrier.
It would be nice if they'd leave the tote open until the field leaves the straight with a lap to travel.
If Jimmy Choux is one out and one back, or one out and two back at that point, Thursday's $5.50 on Betfair will be like Christmas coming early.
If he's posted three wide with no cover leaving the straight you probably wouldn't take $20.
His rider Jonathan Riddell is usually extremely calm, leaving his sweating to the sauna and his horrendous weight problems, but it's doubtful he would have got much sleep last night.
If Jimmy Choux wins, much of the credit will be owed to Riddell.
Strong rumours went around Melbourne yesterday that New Zealand's second-best chance, Lion Tamer, will be ridden forward from his outside barrier.
The rumours included that connections might this morning be making an official statement on racing strategy through the stewards.
This might not be the best Cox field we've seen, but few have been more intriguing.
* Rain in Melbourne yesterday and the prediction of drizzle today will have had little effect on track conditions. Moonee Valley's unique surface is rarely affected by rain.
In fact, the club, even with the expectations of yesterday's and today's weather, dumped more than 30cm of irrigation on the track during the week.
* Brela Belle (R1), Zardett (R3), and Insurgent (R10) are good each-way prospects at Ellerslie today and if conditions remain testing Whoshe has the fitness to take some beating in the Wellington Guineas.
