Gimme A Prince and Craig Zackey – a star combination (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Two South African star performers in Dean Kannemeyer’s Gimme A Prince (joint 7th) and the Vaughan Marshall champion 3yo One Stripe (joint 10th), who runs in Sunday’s HSH Princess Charlene Big Cap, feature in the first edition of the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings for 2025.
Gimme A Prince added the Khaya Stables Gr2 Diadem Stakes in February to his HKJC World Pool Gr1 Cape Flying Championship crown, while the dual Grade 1 winner One Stripe is destined for a global campaign after he bids to make it a winning swansong on African soil on Sunday in the R5 million sales race.
One Stripe gallops under regular pilot Gavin Lerena at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth recently (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
The LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings is headed by Forever Young (JPN) [128] following his impressive victory over Romantic Warrior (IRE) [127] in the Gr1 Saudi Cup last month.
In a dramatic finish to the Saudi Cup, Forever Young ran down Romantic Warrior to win by a neck. Ushba Tesoro was 10 ½ lengths back in third. Forever Young was making his first start of 2025, while Romantic Warrior came into the dirt race off of a victory in the Jebel Hatta Presented by Longines (G1) on turf.
Two horses are in the co-third position. Ka Ying Rising (NZ) [124] has continued to dominate the sprinting scene in Hong Kong with victories in the Centenary Sprint Cup (Gr1) and Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (Gr1), while in the United States, White Abarrio (USA) [124] took the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (Gr1) in his seasonal debut.
In the Pegasus, White Abarrio defeated Locked (USA) [123] by 6 1/4 lengths. Locked then went on to win the Santa Anita Handicap presented by Yaamava’ Resort & Casino (Gr1) by 8 ½ lengths in his second start of the year.
for 3yos and upwards which raced between
1st January 2025 – 9th March 2025
| Ranking | Rating | Cat | Surface | Horse | YOF | Sex | Owner | Trainer | Trained |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 128 | M | D | Forever Young (JPN) | 2021 | C | Susumu Fujita | Yoshito Yahagi | JPN |
| 2 | 127 | M | D | Romantic Warrior (IRE) | 2018 | G | Peter Lau Pak Fai | Danny Shum | HK |
| 3 | 124 | S | T | Ka Ying Rising (NZ) | 2020 | G | Ka Ying Syndicate | David Hayes | HK |
| 3 | 124 | M | D | White Abarrio (USA) | 2019 | H | C Two Racing Stable, Prince Faisal Bin Khaled Al Saud & A. Pagnano | Saffie Joseph Jr | USA |
| 5 | 123 | I | D | Locked (USA) | 2021 | C | Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners & Walmac Farm | Todd Pletcher | USA |
| 6 | 120 | M | T | Voyage Bubble (AUS) | 2018 | G | Sunshine And Moonlight Syndicate | Ricky Yiu | HK |
| 7 | 118 | L | T | Danon Decile (JPN) | 2021 | C | Danox Co Ltd | Shogo Yasuda | JPN |
| 7 | 118 | S | T | Gimme A Prince (SAF) | 2018 | G | Khaya Stables Pty Ltd | Dean Kannemeyer | SAF |
| 7 | 118 | I | T | Shin Emperor (FR) | 2021 | C | Susumu Fujita | Yoshito Yahagi | JPN |
| 10 | 117 | M | T | Another Wil (AUS) | 2019 | G | Halo Racing Services Pty Ltd, Mrs Janice McKenna et al | Ciaron Maher | AUS |
| 10 | 117 | M | D | Costa Nova (JPN) | 2020 | H | Katsumi Yoshida | Tetsuya Kimura | JPN |
| 10 | 117 | M | T | El Vencedor (NZ) | 2018 | G | D. G. Price & M. W. Freeman | Stephen Marsh | NZ |
| 10 | 117 | M | D | Journalism (USA) | 2022 | C | Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable et al | Michael McCarthy | USA |
| 10 | 117 | M | T | One Stripe (SAF) | 2021 | C | R. M. Sewgoolam | Vaughan Marshall | SAF |
| 10 | 117 | L | T | Rebel’s Romance (IRE) | 2018 | G | Godolphin | Charlie Appleby | UAE |
| 10 | 117 | M | T | Sixpence (JPN) | 2021 | C | Carrot Farm Co Ltd | Sakae Kunieda | JPN |
| 10 | 117 | S | D | Straight No Chaser (USA) | 2019 | H | MyRacehorse | Dan Blacker | USA |
| 10 | 117 | S | D | Tuz (USA) | 2017 | G | Dakki Stable | Bhupat Seemar | UAE |
| 10 | 117 | I | D | Walk of Stars (GB) | 2019 | G | Athbah Racing | Bhupat Seemar | UAE |
