Winx’s Doncaster Mile win has elevated her to the top of the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings which were released on Thursday in Europe.
Winx, above, has been rated the equal best racehorse in the world. Photo by Steve Hart.
Winx was given a rating of 126 by the International Federation of Horse Racing Authorities and shares the top spot with internationally acclaimed California Chrome who scored a last start three and three quarter lengths win in the Group 1 US$10m Dubai World Cup (2000m) at Meydan in Dubai on March 26.
Australia’s representative on the International Panel of Handicapper, Racing Victoria’s Chief Handicapper Greg Carpenter, said that Winx’s equal number one rating was a huge boost for the Australian Racing Industry.
“It’s just such high praise for her win in the Doncaster Mile,” Carpenter said on Friday.
“To think she’s been given the same rating for her win as California Chrome did in a really dominant World Cup performance is a great result for Australian racing.
“It’s really exciting news for Australian racing and of course Chris Waller and his team.”
“That’s an extraordinarily high figure for a mare.”
“When you think of the great mares of the last decade only horses like Black Caviar, Treve, Zenyatta, Rachel Alexander and Danedream have been able to run to figures of 127 and higher.”
The Chris Waller trained Winx collected her sixth Group 1 trophy and her ninth win in succession with her victory in the Group 1 $3m The Star Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick on the first day of ‘The Championships’ on April 2.
Winx is the winner of thirteen of her nineteen starts and her win in the 2015 Group 1 $3m Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley is the pinnacle of her six Group 1 victories.
The Team Hawkes trained Chautauqua has been ranked the world’s best sprinter with a rating of 121, also making is the fourth best race horse in the world.
Chautauqua was rated on the strength of his Autumn Carnival performances that saw him claim two Group 1 wins in the Group 1 $750,000 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) at Flemington on February 20 and in the Group 1 $2.5m Darley T J Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on April 2.
Seven times Group 1 winner Buffering was also rated highly at 118, making the Robert Heathcote trained eight year old the third best sprinter in the world.
Buffering, a last start winner of the Group 1 US$1m Al Quoz Sprint (1000m) at Meydan in Dubai on March 26, and Chautauqua are both heading to Hong Kong to take on a strong international field of sprinters in the Group 1 HK$10,000,000 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m) at Sha Tin in Hong Kong on May 1.
“Of course both Chautauqua and Buffering now head to Hong Kong to run in the Group 1sprint early in May,” Carpenter said.
“Really hopeful that Buffering will run well again, but I’m thinking that Chautauqua might be able to exert his dominance on that field, and go to an even higher level than the 121 he sits (currently).
“(Buffering is) the oldest horse in that list, and for him to run to a career-equalling high figure of 118, was just a wonderful acknowledgement of his win in the Al Quoz.”
