London (GB) / Saint-Imier (Switzerland), January 23, 2019 – Swiss watchmaking brand Longines and the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) were proud to honour the 2018 top Thoroughbred racehorses and horse race during a ceremony at the iconic Landmark hotel in London. The Australian mare Winx and the British horse Cracksman were both crowned the 2018 Longines World’s Best Racehorses. Accelerate, from America, was ranked third. On this occasion, the 2018 Longines World’s Best Horse Race award was given to the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe for the third time.
 
On Wednesday January 23, Longines and its long-time partner the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), were delighted to host the 2018 Longines World’s Best Racehorse and Longines World’s Best Horse Race ceremony in London. With an equal rating of 130, Winx and Cracksman were together declared the 2018 Longines World’s Best Racehorses.
 
Winx has been in the Top 10 of the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings since 2015 and has been the highest rated filly/mare in the world since 2016. In 2018, she claimed overall top honours during a season that culminated in her becoming the only horse in history to win the Ladbrokes Cox Plate four times.
 
As co-winner, Cracksman impressed as well, with his trademark victory coming in the QIPCO Champion Stakes on British Champions Day at Ascot, where Longines is a Main Partner and the Official Timekeeper. The British runner was campaigned by the same connections as Golden Horn, the 2015 highest rated turf horse in the world. Cracksman’s jockey in 2018 was Frankie Dettori, who was named Longines World’s Best Jockey in 2018 as well as in 2015.
 
Accelerate, with a rating of 128, was honoured as the third-highest rated horse in the world during the ceremony, which for the first time was held at the iconic Landmark hotel in London. Accelerate was the dominant older horse in America in 2018, and Longines was proud to time his great victory in the Breeder’s Cup Classic at Churchill Downs.
 
This classification is established by international handicappers according to the performance of the horses in top international races. Last year, Arrogate from the United States was named the 2017 Longines World’s Best Racehorse following his epic victories in the Pegasus World Cup in Florida and the Dubai World Cup.
                                         
The representatives of the three winning horses were presented with elegant Longines watches. The connections of Winx and Cracksman also received a replica of the Longines World’s Best Racehorse vase from IFHA representatives.
 
One ceremony, two awards
 
On this occasion, Longines and the IFHA were also proud to award the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe as the 2018 Longines World’s Best Horse Race. Longines is proud to be the Official Partner and Official Timekeeper of this mythic race that takes in Paris, and attracts the best horses, breeders, trainers and owners from all over the world.
 
France Galop President Edouard de Rothschild was in London this Wednesday to accept the award. He was presented with an elegant Longines timepiece, a commemorative plate and a replica trophy representing a proud horse head. The first four finishers of the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in 2018 were Enable, Sea Of Class, Cloth Of Stars, and Waldgeist. The Arc also won the award in 2017 and was the inaugural winner of the Longines World’s Best Horse Race Award in 2015.
 
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.
 
Longines and the IFHA: a long-term partnership and common values
 
Passionate about horse racing since more than a century, Longines is proud to be the Official Partner and Official Watch of IFHA, and to lend its name to the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings. The long-term partnership between Longines and the IFHA has seen the establishment of a prestigious set of awards aimed to honour the excellence of horseracing. The Longines World’s Best Racehorse and Horse Race Award, the Longines and IFHA International Award of Merit, and the Longines World’s Best Jockey Award respectively pay tribute to the racehorses, horse races, personalities, and jockeys who excel at the highest level of the sport.
 
 
About Longines
 
Longines has been based in Saint-Imier in Switzerland since 1832. Its watchmaking expertise reflects a strong devotion to tradition, elegance and performance. Longines has generations of experience as official timekeeper of world championships and as partner of international sports federation.
 
For further information please contact:
Longines International Public Relations
2610 Saint-Imier, Switzerland
publicrelations@longines.com
www.longines.com
 
 
About the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA):
 
The International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) is the world peak body for the international sport of Thoroughbred racing. Its 60 members are the national racing authorities across the globe which stage Thoroughbred races.
Major areas of the IFHA’s activities include:
 

• Making and amending the International Agreement on Breeding, Racing and Wagering (the IABRW)
• Policy development relating to welfare and safety of horses and riders
• International Race Planning and Grading (“black type”)
• World Rankings
• The fight against Equine Prohibited Substances and Practices
• Harmonization of Race Day Rules
• Certification of IFHA Reference Labs
• Fostering commercial development of the racing industry globally

The IFHA is a foundation member with Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) of the International Horse Sports Confederation and is affiliated to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).

E-Mail : achesser@jockeyclub.com