The Longines Worlds Best Racehorse Rankings are for 3yos and upwards which raced between 1 January and 8 May 2016. Although CALIFORNIA CHROME (USA) [126] and WINX (AUS) [126] continue to be tied atop the third edition of the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings for 2016, the Top 10 features a multitude of new horses.
Japan’s reigning Horse of the Year MAURICE (JPN) [124] made his 2016 debut a memorable one, as he romped home by two lengths in the Gr1 Champions Mile in Hong Kong. It was Maurice’s first start since taking the Gr1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile last December, and he has won his last seven races.
Maurice was not the only one to make headlines in Hong Kong this past month, as WERTHER (NZ) [124] won the Gr1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup by 4 ½ lengths over Military Attack. The gelding came into the race off of a win in the BMW Hong Kong Derby 2016, which is a local Group 1.
In North America, undefeated NYQUIST (USA) [124] won the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands by 1 ¼ lengths to maintain his perfect record and improve his rating from 118 to 124. Other victories to his credit this season include the Gr1 Xpressbet.com Florida Derby and Gr2 San Vicente Stakes, and he is now a perfect eight-for-eight lifetime. With his win, Nyquist also joined Street Sense as the only horses ever to take both the Kentucky Derby and Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
Finishing second in the Kentucky Derby was EXAGGERATOR (USA) [121], who finds himself ranked off of his strong performance. He came into the race off a 6 ¼-length score in the Gr1 Santa Anita Derby.
Also impressing on Derby day was TEPIN (USA) [121], who cruised to victory in the Gr2 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes. In April, she added the Gr1 Coolmore Jenny Wiley Stakes to her resume. Tepin, who is a perfect four-for-four in 2016, is now being pointed toward the Gr1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot. She has won her last six races, including the Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Mile last October.
Sitting just outside the Top 10 some are some familiar names to the rankings in EFFINEX (USA) [120], FOUND (IRE) [120], and ITO (GER) [120], as well as promising 3-year-olds GALILEO GOLD (GB) [120] and MINDING (IRE) [120].
Effinex, who finished second behind last year’s LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse American Pharoah in the Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Classic, took the Gr2 Oaklawn Handicap in April, while 2015 Gr1 LONGINES Breeders’ Cup Turf heroine Found got her first victory of 2016 in the Gr3 Camelot European Breeders Fund Mooresbridge Stakes. Meanwhile, Germany’s Ito made his first start of the season a winning one in the Gr2 Gerling-Preis.
In England, Galileo Gold made his seasonal debut in the Gr1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas and won with ease by 1 ½ lengths over Massaat. The following day, Minding took the Gr1 QIPCO 1000 Guineas over Ballydoyle by 3 ½ lengths.
| LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings
Leading Horses |
|||
| Rank | Horse | Rating | Trained |
| 1 | CALIFORNIA CHROME (USA) | 126 | USA |
| 1 | WINX (AUS) | 126 | AUS |
| 3 | MAURICE (JPN) | 124 | JPN |
| 3 | NYQUIST (USA) | 124 | USA |
| 3 | POSTPONED (IRE) | 124 | GB |
| 3 | WERTHER (NZ) | 124 | HK |
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The LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings are compiled by the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings Committee and published by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA).
The next edition of the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings will be published on Thursday, 9 June 2016.
(source: IFHA)
