Twenty countries represented in IFHA's 2013 World's Best Racehorse Rankings

Twenty countries represented in IFHA's 2013 World's Best

Racehorse Rankings

Australian sprinting sensation Black Caviar and France's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine Treve share top billing on the International

Federation of Horseracing Authorities' (IFHA) World's Best Racehorse Rankings of

2013 at a mark of 130.

The now-retired Black Caviar achieved that rating twice last year, first going

1000 meters in the February 16 Lightning Stakes at Flemington, and again in her

final career outing in Randwick's T.J. Smith Stakes on April 13.

The then

three-year-old filly Treve, winner of the Prix de Diane earlier in the

season, was assigned a 130 rating for her runaway five-length Arc score

for owner Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al Thani and trainer and trainer

Criquette Head-Maarek.

This marks the first time since the

commencement of the International Classifications in 1977 that the top two-rated horses in the world have both been female, and the first time a

Southern Hemisphere-based horse has topped the rankings.

Reigning American Horse of the Year Wise Dan's repeat victory in the Woodbine Mile tied with former Japanese Horse of the Year

Orfevre's eight-length decimation of the Arima Kinen as

the second-best performances in the world last year at a rating of 129.

It was another dead-heat for third, with Lord Kanaloa's

authoritative repeat victory in the Hong Kong Sprint deemed

the equal of Novellist's King George VI &

Queen Elizabeth II Stakes victory at 128.

A quintet of performances

were ranked 125 -- Animal Kingdom's win in the Dubai World Cup; Mucho Macho Man's Breeders' Cup

Classic victory; Toronado's Sussex

Stakes score; and a pair of performances by Toronado's stablemate Olympic Glory:

his win in the Queen Elizabeth II

Stakes and his flying second-place finish behind Moonlight Cloud in the Prix Jacques le Marois.

Sixteen additional performances by American-based horses

made the top 50 on rankings.

Fort Larned was assigned 124 for his Stephen

Foster victory, while Game on Dude achieved the same mark for a trio of

victories last year in the Santa Anita Handicap, Hollywood Gold Cup and Pacific Classic.

Mucho Macho Man also achieved that mark for his Awesome Again victory, while

Will Take Charge was rated 124 for his Breeders' Cup Classic second.

Point of Entry and Will Take Charge received marks of 123 for their Gulfstream Park

Turf Handicap and Clark Handicap victories, respectively, while Ron the Greek's Jockey Club Gold Cup win achieved

122. Beholder's Breeders' Cup Distaff

victory was assigned 121, while five further performances were ranked 120 --

Orb's Kentucky Derby victory, Sahara Sky's Met Mile score, Za Approval's Breeders' Cup

Mile second, and Princess of Sylmar's Kentucky Oaks and Beldame Invitational victories.

Three additional Breeders' Cup performances made the top

50 -- Declaration of War's Classic third, Magician's Breeders' Cup Turf victory and Indy

Point's Turf fourth.

"2013 was truly an exceptional and exciting year in

global horse racing, where a number of brilliant performances were achieved on the racetrack and

key partnerships and initiatives were undertaken by horse racing bodies," said Louis

Romanet, chairman of the IFHA. "One of the more important developments was the partnership between

Longines and the IFHA, which saw the presentation of the first Longines and IFHA

International Award of Merit (presented to Jim Bolger), and the inaugural Longines World's Best

Racehorse Ceremony, held in Hong Kong."

Garry O'Gorman, co-chairman of the World Rankings

Supervisory Committee, described how the rankings reflect the rising internationalization of

racing.

"The global nature of our sport is mirrored directly in the Longines World's Best

Racehorse Rankings," he said. "For 2013, no less than 20 countries are represented, and the

top 10 racehorses in the world are equally diverse, being comprised of four horses trained in

Europe, three horses trained in North America, two horses trained in Asia and one horse trained

in Australia."

The rankings are

compiled by racing officials and handicappers representing the five continents. The rankings

are based on the performance of horses in elite races during the specified time period, and

they also take into account the quality of the opposition and the achievements of each

horse. The rankings are published at regular intervals throughout the year, and culminate in

this year-end ranking released each January.

For a full list of all performances worldwide

ranked 115 or higher last year, please

click here. For a breakdown of the leaders by age group, sex,

distance and surface, please

click here.

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