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World's Best Racehorse Rankings

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The Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings (LWBRR), known as World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings (WTRR) before 2012, are horseracing's equivalent to World Rankings by other major sporting organizations such as ATP Tennis Rankings, World Golf Rankings, FIFA World Rankings for soccer and IRB Rugby World Rankings. The Longines Rankings are based on the rating earned by horses running worldwide from North and South America, Europe, Middle East, South Africa, Asia through to Australia and New Zealand.

The ratings are compiled under the auspices of The International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) by racing officials & handicappers representing the five continents who compile the ranking order by agreeing on the rating for each horse. The ratings are based on the performance of horses in elite races held during the designated period which takes in account the quality of opposition and achievements of each horse. The annual rankings denote the champions in the various distance categories for example sprint or mile, surface either turf or dirt/artificial and also the fillies & mares category.

According to the IFHA website, "The IFHA World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings are the official assessment of the top performers." In 1977, France, Great Britain and Ireland published the first internationally agreed assessment of racing merit on behalf of the European Pattern Committee under the banner of the International Classifications. In 1985, Germany and Italy joined the system, to be followed by North America (both Canada and the United States) and Japan in the mid 1990s.

The Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings measure a given horse's peak performance during the year. Throughout the year the Longines Rankings are published at regular intervals and the final annual rankings are released in January. The three highest-rated horses are honored during the Longines World's Best Racehorse and Longines World's Best Horse Race Ceremony.[1]

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The ratings for the horses also help establish two other awards: the aforementioned Longines World's Best Horse Race and the Longines World's Best Jockey. The Longines World's Best Horse Race award recognizes the best-rated race of the highest-rated Group 1 international races as established by a panel of international handicappers. The ratings of the top four finishers in each race serve as basis for the assessment. Introduced in 2015, the award was won by the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021. The Breeders' Cup Classic won in 2016 and 2022, while in 2020, the Juddmonte International won the title. In 2023, the Japan Cup in association with Longines was named the World's Best Horse Race. Additionally, the IFHA releases the top 100 Group/Grade 1 races each year.[2]

The Longines World's Best Jockey[3] is named each December. The top 100 Group 1 and Grade 1 races serve as the base of this annual competition to recognize top jockeys throughout the world. Frankie Dettori has won the award four times, as he was named the Longines World's Best Jockey in 2015, 2018, 2019, and 2020. Hugh Bowman won the title in 2017, while Ryan Moore took the inaugural contest in 2014 as well as the 2016, 2021, and 2023 editions. James McDonald won the title in 2022.

World Championship

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International Federation of Horseracing Authorities was founded in 1961 and 1983 but now (2024) have not an official World Horse Racing Championship.[4][5][6][7][8][9]

Top ranked horses

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  • Horse names are followed by a suffix indicating the country where foaled.
Year Rating Horse Trained Race
2003 134 Hawk Wing (USA) Ireland Lockinge Stakes
2004 130 Ghostzapper (USA) United States Breeders' Cup Classic
2005 130 Hurricane Run (IRE) France Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
2006 129 Invasor (ARG) United States Breeders' Cup Classic
2007 131 Manduro (GER) France Prince of Wales's Stakes
2008 130 Curlin (USA) United States Dubai World Cup / Stephen Foster Handicap
130 New Approach (IRE) Ireland Champion Stakes
2009 136 Sea The Stars (IRE) Ireland Irish Champion Stakes
2010 135 Harbinger (GB) Great Britain King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes
2011 136 Frankel (GB)[10] Great Britain Sussex Stakes
2012 140 Frankel (GB)[11] Great Britain Queen Anne Stakes / Juddmonte International Stakes
2013 130 Treve (FR) France Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
130 Black Caviar (AUS) Australia T J Smith Stakes
2014 130 Just A Way (JPN) Japan Dubai Duty Free
2015 134 American Pharoah (USA) United States Breeders' Cup Classic
2016 134 Arrogate (USA) United States Breeders' Cup Classic
2017 134 Arrogate (USA) United States Dubai World Cup
2018 130 Cracksman (GB) Great Britain Champion Stakes
130 Winx (AUS) Australia Queen Elizabeth Stakes (ATC)
2019 128 Crystal Ocean (GB) Great Britain Prince of Wales's Stakes
128 Enable (GB) Great Britain King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes
128 Waldgeist (GB) France Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
2020 130 Ghaiyyath (IRE) Great Britain International Stakes
2021 129 Knicks Go (USA) United States Breeders' Cup Classic
2022 140 Flightline (USA) United States Pacific Classic
2023 135 Equinox (JPN) Japan Japan Cup

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "International Federation of Horseracing Authorities".
  2. ^ "The LONGINES World's Top 100 Group/Grade 1 Races for 3yos and upwards - 2018". Retrieved 23 September 2023.
  3. ^ "International Federation of Horseracing Authorities".
  4. ^ "International Federation of Horseracing Authorities". www.ifhaonline.org. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  5. ^ "International Federation of Horseracing Authorities". www.ifhaonline.org. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  6. ^ "How a horse racing Olympics could work to make the sport better". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  7. ^ "Saudi Arabia To Launch Horse Racing Championship To Rival Breeders' Cup, Dubai World Cup". Paulick Report | Shining Light on the Horse Industry. 7 February 2018. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  8. ^ "When the Breeders' Cup isn't the be-all and end-all of championship racing | Topics: Washington DC International, Xtra Heat, Breeders' Cup, Let's Elope". Thoroughbred Racing Commentary. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  9. ^ Finnegan, William (15 May 2021). "Can Horse Racing Survive?". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  10. ^ The World Thoroughbred Rankings - 1st February 2011 to 31st July 2011 Retrieved 12 Aug 2011
  11. ^ 2012 WORLD THOROUGHBRED RANKINGS
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  • International Federation of Horseracing Authorities [1]