Racing: Time something of a record

No one knows what to make of Darci Brahma's astonishing 1.19.97 1400m in winning Saturday's Hawkes Bay Guineas.

For starters it's probably a world record for turf racing.

The first point that needs registering is that we have probably not seen a faster racing strip in decades than the one at Hastings.

For example, earlier in the day, Sea Shells, still on the verge of open company, ran the 1400m less than one second slower in 1.20.92.

To give Darci Brahma's time relativity, at Randwick, where they run many of Australia's fastest 1400m and 1600m, wonderful old campaigner Grand Armee holds the 1400m track record at 1.21.06.

The win showed Darci Brahma to be an outstanding colt.

Whether his time showed him to be a world record holder is an entirely different matter.