The surprise Dewhurst Stakes winner Mujahid is officially rated Europe's top two-year-old of last season.
However, despite being crowned the best in the International Classifications announced yesterday, the John Dunlop-trained colt is only second favourite for the Newmarket 2,000 Guineas behind Godolphin's Prix de Salamandre winner Aljabr.
Aljabr is a best priced 6 to 1 for the Guineas with Mujahid on 8 to 1, although Aljabr is officially rated 4lbs inferior to the top-weight who earned a rating of 123.
The Middle Park Stakes winner Lujain is rated second on 122 and Aidan O'Brien's Prix Morney winner Orpen is the top-rated Irish juvenile on 119. That puts Orpen 1lb ahead of the other top Ballydoyle colt Stravinsky, who was beaten by both Mujahid and Aljabr last season.
O'Brien reported both Classic prospects in good form yesterday but was non-committal about the respective merits of both horses.
"I'm not sure. All I know at this stage is that they are two very high class colts. It's too early to talk about what we will run in the 2,000 Guineas. We can worry about that in the Spring.
"The horses are cantering away at the moment. They all seem well. The bad weather has obviously been no help but it's still very early days yet," O'Brien said.
On the home front, the Ballydoyle trainer supplies six of the top 10 juveniles in the Irish ratings.
Orpen and Stravinsky are followed by the Group One winners Lavery and the filly Sunspangled on 114. The top rated non-Ballydoyle Classic prospect is the Moyglare winner Edabiya on 113, while Dermot Weld's National Stakes victor Mus-If has been given a mark of 111.
Weld said yesterday: "That's probably a fair assessment of Mus-If. He is doing well at the moment and will hopefully improve. We will review his options in March and April."
Edabiya is reported to have strengthened up considerably through the winter and John Oxx could also have a Classic colt in Namid who is rated 110.
"He had immature, soft knees last season so we gave him a break at home. He is back with us now and has done very, very well. We hope the rest has nipped his problems in the bud and while a mile may be his limit we hope he is a Classic prospect," Oxx said.
The highest rated horse of last season in the international classifications is the American dirt champion Skip Away who has been awarded a mark of 131. He is closely followed by Godolphin's Intikhab who earned a rating of 130 on his demolition of the Queen Anne Stakes field at Royal Ascot in June. Intikhab, who has never run in a Group One race, failed to appear again afterwards.
Godolphin also had the champion four-year-old on Turf in the shape of Swain (129) while the official top three-year-old in Europe last season is the Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Desert Prince who now stands at the Irish National Stud in Kildare.
The Newmarket 2,000 Guineas winner King Of Kings is rated on 120 and O'Brien's other 1998 English Classic winner, Shahtoush (Oaks), is on 117.
The Epsom Derby victor High Rise, now with Godolphin in Dubai, is rated 127.
