The horse racing world gathered in London on Tuesday to celebrate the 2023 Longines World Racing Awards hosted by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities where the World’s Top Thoroughbred Racehorse and Longines World’s Best Horse Race was announced
Japan were the toast of the racing world with the recently retired Japanese champion, Equinox crowned the 2023 Longines World’s Best Racehorse and the 2023 Japan Cup recognised as the Longines World’s Best Horse Race. Equinox achieved his rating of 135 in his dominant Japan Cup win to become the highest mark a Japanese horse has received under the current system, beating the 134 that El Condor Pasa earned in 1999.
Flemington featured strongly among the top 100 races, with seven Group 1 races featuring on the list. Leading the way was the Kennedy Champions Mile with a ranking of 119.75 making it the equal highest ranked Australian race alongside the WS Cox Plate held at Moonee Valley.
Proving to be home to the world’s fastest horses, the Yulong Stud Newmarket Handicap ran at Flemington rocketed up the rankings in 2023 and was ranked the world’s highest rated sprint race.
The Longines World’s Best Horse Race Award recognises the best-rated race of the highest-rated Group/Grade 1 international races as established by a panel of international handicappers. The ratings of the top four finishers in each race serve as basis for the assessment.
The 2023 Lexus Melbourne Cup winner, Without A Fight (IRE) was rated 24th in the world with a rating of 121. Following his Cup triumph, he became the first horse to complete the Caulfield-Melbourne Cup double since Ethereal in 2001. Eighteen Australian-trained horses featured inside the top 100 ranked racehorses including Flemington Group 1 winners Without A Fight (IRE) – 121, Gold Trip (FR) – 120, Mr Brightside (NZ) – 120, Imperatriz (NZ) – 118, Cascadian (GB) – 117 and In Secret (AUS) – 117.