The official listing of the top horses in the world
(covering the period 1st March to 5th September 2010)
Although his racing career is sadly now over, the hold of HARBINGER (GB) [135] on the title of top-rated horse in the world was strengthened last weekend by the dominant 5.5 length victory of CAPE BLANCO (IRE) [127] in the Tattersalls Millions Irish Champion Stakes (G1).
World Thoroughbred Rankings Top 16 horses |
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Rank |
Horse |
Rating |
Trained |
1 |
Harbinger (GB) |
135 |
GB |
2 |
Makfi (GB) |
128 |
FR |
2 |
Quality Road (USA) |
128 |
USA |
4 |
Canford Cliffs (IRE) |
127 |
GB |
4 |
Cape Blanco (IRE) |
127 |
IRE |
6 |
Rip Van Winkle (IRE) |
126 |
IRE |
6 |
Workforce (GB) |
126 |
GB |
8 |
Twice Over (GB) |
125 |
GB |
8 |
Zenyatta (USA) |
125 |
USA |
10 |
Blame (USA) |
124 |
USA |
10 |
Byword (GB) |
124 |
FR |
10 |
Dick Turpin (IRE) |
124 |
GB |
10 |
Fame And Glory (GB) |
124 |
IRE |
10 |
Goldikova (IRE) |
124 |
FR |
10 |
Lope de Vega (IRE) |
124 |
FR |
10 |
Paco Boy (IRE) |
124 |
GB |
Cape Blanco, who had earlier triumphed in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby (G1), was no match for Harbinger in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1) at Ascot in July, but he stepped up on that effort to produce the best performance of his career to date in defeating his stable companion, RIP VAN WINKLE (IRE) [126], and TWICE OVER (GB) [125] at Leopardstown. Rip Van Winkle and Twice Over had themselves fought out the finish of the Juddmonte International (G1) at York the previous month.
Cape Blanco now shares fourth spot in the WTR with Sussex Stakes (G1) winner CANFORD CLIFFS (IRE) [127], and just above them in the table sit MAKFI (GB) [128] and QUALITY ROAD (USA) [128].
Makfi rose to prominence when taking the Stan James 2000 Guineas (G1) at Newmarket in May, but he lost his unbeaten record when a below par seventh in the St James’s Palace Stakes (G1) at Ascot the following month. However, he bounced back to form with a vengeance in the Prix du Haras de Fresnay-Le-Buffard Jacques Le Marois (G1) in August, in which he came home clear of the top Turf filly/mare, GOLDIKOVA (IRE) [124] and PACO BOY (IRE) [124], who had previously filled the first two places in the Queen Anne Stakes (G1) at Ascot.
Quality Road has been the top Dirt horse in all five editions of the WTR published so far this year. He met his first defeat of the season when failing by just a head to concede 5lb to the very progressive BLAME (USA) [124] in the Whitney Handicap (G1) at Saratoga in August, but returned to winning ways with a 4.5 length success in the Woodward Stakes (G1) over the same course and distance in early September.
Joint third behind Quality Road and Blame in the dirt standings are the leading three-year-olds on the surface, the retired ESKENDEREYA (USA) [123] and LOOKIN AT LUCKY (USA) [123].
Eskendereya captured the Wood Memorial Stakes (G1) at Aqueduct by nearly 10 lengths before being struck by injury. Lookin At Lucky gained his fourth success at the highest level in the Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico in May, but put up an even better effort when taking the Izod Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1) at Monmouth Park in early August.
MIDDAY (GB) [123] recorded her fourth Group 1 success with an emphatic 3 length triumph in the Darley Yorkshire Oaks at York, and now ranks just 1lb below Goldikova. However, the highest-rated filly/mare overall, and also the highest-rated performer on an artificial surface, continues to be the unbeaten ZENYATTA (USA) [125], on the strength of her victory in the Vanity Handicap (G1) at Hollywood Park in June.
SO YOU THINK (NZ) [122] returned to action with a half length win over WHOBEGOTYOU (AUS) [120] in the New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes (G2) at Caulfield, while British-trained DEBUSSY (IRE) [120] travelled to Chicago to take the Arlington Million Stakes (G1) by a similar margin from GIO PONTI (USA) [119].
The World Thoroughbred Rankings are compiled by the World Rankings Supervisory Committee and published by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA).
For further details on the World Thoroughbred Rankings, please contact:
Nigel Gray, co-chairman World Rankings Supervisory Committee
Garry O'Gorman
Senior Flat Handicapper, Irish Turf Club
Telephone +353 5997 26596
Email gaogorman@eircom.net
Tom
Robbins, chairman North American Ratings Committee
Executive Vice President, Racing & Industry Relations, Racing Secretary, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club
Telephone +1 858 792 4230
Email tomr@dmtc.com
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The full list and further information on the World Thoroughbred Rankings are available on the IFHA web site http://www.ifhaonline.org/
The next edition of the World Thoroughbred Rankings will be released on 7th October 2010.