England’s retired super star Frankel has been named the best horse of modern times after receiving a ranking of 140 by the World Thoroughbred Rankings handicappers in London on Tuesday.
Frankel has surpassed 1986 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Dancing Brave whose 141 ranking was revised by modern day assessors and downgraded leaving the undefeated stallion at the top of the all time rankings.
“Frankel is the new benchmark for equine excellence,” said Garry O’Gorman, senior handicapper of the Turf Club and co-chairman of the World Rankings Supervisory Committee.
The World Thoroughbred Rankings started out as the International Classifications in 1977 and have agreed that Frankel’s outstanding career of fourteen wins from as many starts including ten Group 1s was worthy of the highest ranking.
Frankel ran his last race on October 20 last year and as expected coasted to an easy win over Cirrus Des Aigles in the Group 1 £1.3m The QIPCO Champion Stakes (1 mile 2 furlongs) at Ascot on October 20.
The Prince Khalid Abdullah owned Frankel is due to start stud duties at Banstead Manor Stud in a month’s time on Valentine’s Day, February 14 with a proposed booking of 130 to 135 high quality mares for the season.
Champion Stakes runner-up Cirrus Des Aigles received a ranking of 131, the second highest rated horse with top miler Excelebration and Australia’s super sprinter Black Caviar on 130.
Black Caviar was rated the greatest female equine athlete of the modern era by Racing Victoria chief handicapper Greg Carpenter after the undefeated mare was rated the champion sprinter in the world for the third successive year.
Black Caviar raced through 2012 undefeated from six starts with five Group 1 wins taking her record to twenty-two wins and included the highlight of her illustrious career when trainer Peter Moody took her to England to win the Group 1 £500,000 The Diamond Jubilee Stakes (6 furlongs) at Royal Ascot on June 23.
The great mare’s rating of 130 was achieved when beating arch rival Hay List in the Group 1 $750,000 Coolmore Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on February 18 prompting the Victoria Racing Club to rename the Lightning to the Black Caviar Lightning.
Black Caviar also beat More Joyous in the Four Years Old and Up Mares Mile category (1301m-1899m) being assigned a ranking of 125 courtesy of her effortless win in the Group 1 $400,000 Sportingbet C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield the week before the Lightning.
