Longines Worlds Best Racehorse Rankings – 8 June 2014

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 rankings are for 3yos and upwards which raced between 1 January and 8 June 2014 and the latest rankings were published on 12 June 2014.   South African sires still have 2 in the top 10 with Variety Club (Var) at no 2 and Military Attack (Oratorio) in joint 6th.

JUST A WAY (JPN) [130] continues to set the pace at the top of the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings for 2014 following his triumph in the Yasuda Kinen (G1) at Tokyo racecourse last Sunday (8 June 2014).  Tackling 1600m for only the second time since his three-year-old season, and encountering soft ground for just the second time in his career, Just A Way stayed on strongly to catch GRAND PRIX BOSS (JPN) [119] in the final few strides to maintain his unbeaten record for the year, and register his second successive Group 1 victory.

KINGMAN (GB) [125] jumped to the top of the 3yo standings when capturing the Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas (G1) by an impressive five lengths at the Curragh. He is now the winner of four of his five races, his only defeat coming in the Qipco 2000 Guineas (G1) at Newmarket, where he was beaten half a length by NIGHT OF THUNDER (IRE) [120].

Third behind Night Of Thunder and Kingman in the Qipco 2000 Guineas was AUSTRALIA (GB) [123], and he underlined the strength of that form when justifying favouritism in the Investec Derby (G1) at Epsom, where he swept to the front over a furlong from home to defeat KINGSTON HILL (GB) [120] by a length and a quarter.

Also at Epsom, the gallant eight-year-old CIRRUS DES AIGLES (FR) [123] registered his third Group 1 triumph of the year and the sixth of his career when proving two lengths too good for FLINTSHIRE (GB) [119] in the Investec Coronation Cup (G1).

CALIFORNIA CHROME (USA) [124] put up the highest rated performance on Dirt in the last month when following up his victory in the Kentucky Derby (presented by Yum! Brands) (G1) with a length and a half success over RIDE ON CURLIN (USA) [120] in the Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico, but he found the final leg of the American Triple Crown a step too far, dead-heating for fourth place in the Belmont Stakes (G1).

The 2013 Belmont Stakes winner, PALACE MALICE (USA) [123], has made an excellent start to 2014, and he continued his winning ways when running out the length winner of the Metropolitan Handicap (G1) at Belmont Park, in the process recording his fourth Graded Stakes win of the year.

OLYMPIC GLORY (IRE) [122] made a successful seasonal debut when taking the JLT Lockinge Stakes (G1) at Newbury, but he proved no match for Cirrus Des Aigles when venturing beyond a mile for the first time in the Prix d’Ispahan (G1) at Longchamp.

In Singapore, Hong Kong-trained horses captured both of Kranji’s international feature races for the second successive year, with DAN EXCEL (IRE) [120] gaining a decisive length and three-quarter triumph in the Singapore Airlines International Cup (G1), and LUCKY NINE (IRE) [120] taking the KrisFlyer International Sprint (G1) for the second year in a row with an emphatic two and a half length victory.

The full list and further information on the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings are available on the IFHA website.

The next edition of the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings will be published on Thursday 10th July 2014.