Arrogate Crowned Longines World's Best Racehorse Of 2016

LONDON, UK–For the second year in succession, the GI Breeders' Cup Classic has been instrumental in deciding the identity of the Longines World's Best Racehorse with the 2016 winner Arrogate (Unbridled's Song) following American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) in clinching the coveted title at a ceremony at London's Claridge's Hotel on Tuesday.

Bob Baffert enjoyed his debut visit to Britain's capital last January and he was back in town to celebrate the latest accolade for his Juddmonte Farms-owned colt, who set a new record time in the GI Travers S. at Saratoga last August when galloping to a 13 1/2-length victory, and subsequently earned an International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) rating of 134 for his season-defining performance at Santa Anita when mowing down California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit) in the stretch.

“I wish they could have called him Baffert like they did with Frankel, but that might have been tempting fate,” joked the trainer who for the second year running has had the world's highest-rated horse in his barn.

Juddmonte's homebred Frankel (GB) (Galileo {GB}) was twice named Longines World's Best Racehorse–in 2011 and 2012–his first mark of 136 equalling that awarded to Sea The Stars (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) in 2009, while his final rating of 140 is the highest ever. The operation now has another top-class representative, albeit one who was a rare sales purchase.

Juddmonte's Racing Manager Lord Grimthorpe added, “It's quite extraordinary really. Prince Khalid wanted to refocus back into California and asked Bob and Garrett [O'Rourke] to buy him some dirt-bred yearlings and they've come up with this one.”

On Saturday, Arrogate earned one of three Eclipse Award trophies for Juddmonte when coming out on top in the 3-year-old male category. His Breeders' Cup runner-up California Chrome may have scooped Horse of the Year honours at the Eclipse Awards, but he had to settle for second in the Longines World Rankings, just a pound behind Arrogate on 133, a mark he was judged to have run to when second in the Classic and also when winning the GI Awesome Again S. and GI

$1-million TVG Pacific Classic S. The popular chesnut also won the G1 Dubai World Cup at Meydan in March.

With the two top-rated horses in the world having finished half a length apart in the Breeders' Cup Classic it was no surprise to see the race awarded number one status in the Longines World's Best Horse Race rankings, with a rating of 125.25. Arrogate and California Chrome are set to go head-to-head again on Saturday in a scintillating first running of the $12-million GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park.

With California Chrome set to head straight to Kentucky's Taylor Made Farm after the race, Arrogate's longer-term aim is another shot at the Breeders' Cup Classic.

“We're going to be pointing at the Breeders' Cup again,” Baffert confirmed. “But a lot can happen between now and then.”

On the subject of this weekend's Pegasus World Cup, he added, “The horse is shipping today and there's sort of a different vibe. There's a lot of money on the line and any time you have two champions on the line it's going to be exciting. Prince Khalid is a great sportsman, usually the horse would have had a little time off, but we're going for it and he really couldn't be in better shape.”

“If this race had been here last year I'm sure American Pharoah would have been in it,” Baffert added. “It would have been a great send-off for him.”

Baffert may have flown across the Atlantic to attend the awards, but the connections of Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}), including Sydney's champion trainer Chris Waller and jockey Hugh Bowman, had a considerably longer trip to London, leaving behind an Australian summer to brave subzero temperatures in England.

Winx is yet to race outside her home nation, where she is afforded superstar status as the winner of nine Group 1 races, and she must be high on the wishlist of Royal Ascot's equine headhunter Nick Smith as a possible attendee at the Royal Meeting. She is now officially the top-rated mare and top turf horse in the world and was third overall in the Longines and IFHA rankings, with her second victory in the G1 William Hill Cox Plate earning her a mark of 132.

“It's a privilege to be associated with a horse like Winx, she's really special,” said Waller. “She just has the determination and a will to win, and that's what sets her apart.”

And Waller gave hope to Winx's fans around the world hoping to see her race away from home, adding, “If she could win a third Cox Plate that would be the pinnacle and that takes place in October. After October we'll take her on the world stage.”

Introducing the awards, Longines Vice President and Head of International Marketing Juan-Carlos Capelli spoke of the common ground between his company and the sport, saying, “Longines and horseracing share the same values: elegance, tradition and performance.”

Meanwhile, his co-host , IFHA Chairman Louis Romanet, added a light-hearted political slant to proceedings. “I hope Brexit will not damage the entente cordiale which goes back to King Louis Philippe and Queen Victoria.”

Global Representation…

The top 11 horses in the world last year emanated from seven different countries, with America being responsible for three, Australia and Japan for two apiece, and the other four representing France, Britain, Ireland and Hong Kong.

Antonio Caro and Gerard Augustin-Normand's treble Group 1 winner Almanzor (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) led the European horses, his rating of 129 having been gained in both the G1 QIPCO Champion S. and G1 QIPCO Irish Champion S. The Jean-Claude Rouget trainee also won the G1 Prix du Jockey Club in 2016.

Two pounds behind him on 127 were the Japanese duo of A Shin Hikari (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and the recently retired Maurice (Jpn) (Screen Hero {Jpn}). The globetrotting A Shin Hikari had a busy year, clocking up runs at Chantilly–where he reached his high mark by winning the G1 Prix d'Ispahan by a cool 10 lengths–Royal Ascot, Tokyo and Sha Tin. In his last two starts it was Maurice who came out best, his G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup victory being judged to be his best run of the year.

Godolphin's Frosted (Tapit) completed the American-based trio in the top 11 when posting a mark of 126 for his facile victory in the GI Mohegan Sun Metropolitan H., that 14-length win being followed by his triumph in the GI Whitney S. at Saratoga.

Easily the best of the European distaffers, Found (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) had a frustrating run of five second-place finishes throughout her ultra-consistent season, but her determination was rewarded by her well-received victory in the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, earning the Aidan O'Brien-trained filly a rating of 124. Found was also judged to have run to this mark when chasing home Almanzor in the Irish Champion S., and she was one of four horses to have finished in eighth place in the rankings, with 124 also being awarded to Hartnell (GB) (Authorized {Ire}), Postponed (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Werther (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}).

Following his export from Britain to Australia, Hartnell has proved to be one of the toughest stayers in training in his adopted country, and the Darley-bred's victory in the G1 Yellowglen Turnbull S. was judged to be his best performance of a busy campaign. Hartnell also won a brace of Group 2 races last year before finishing runner-up to Winx in the Cox Plate and third in the G1 Emirates Melbourne Cup for John O'Shea.

Best of the British-trained horses was Sheikh Mohammed Obaid's Postponed, whose trio of Group 1 victories in 2016 came in the Dubai Sheema Classic, Coronation Cup and Juddmonte International S.

Hong Kong made its presence felt in the Longines World's Best Racehorse rankings via its G1 Audermars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup winner Werther, trained by John Moore and also the winner of the 2016 BMW Hong Kong Derby.

Established by 20 handicappers from 17 different countries, the world rankings are given according to individual performances of each horse in the best international races. In 2015 American Pharoah was named Longines World's Best Racehorse, on a mark of 134, following his string of victories in the American Triple Crown and Breeders' Cup Classic.

World's Best Races…

With the GI Breeders' Cup Classic leading the way as the Longines World's Best Horse Race with a rating of 125.25, there was a three-way tie for the second-top-rated race in the world last year between the GI $1-million TVG Pacific Classic S., the G1 QIPCO Irish Champion S. and G1 William Hill Cox Plate, each achieving a mark of 124.75.

The two top horses in the world, Arrogate and California Chrome, fought out the finish to the Breeders' Cup Classic, with 'Chrome' also landing the Pacific Classic. Europe's top two, Almanzor and Found, were first and second in the Irish Champion, while Australia's leading duo of Winx and Hartnell filled the Cox Plate quinella.

In fifth place on 124 was the G1 QIPCO British Champion S., one of two races on QIPCO British Champions Day to make the top 10 along with the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S (121.25).

The GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf was awarded a mark of 122.25, having been won in 2016 by Coolmore's Highland Reel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) with Juddmonte's high-class stallion Flintshire (GB) (Dansili {GB}) in second. The pair were co-twelfth, with Kitasan Black (Jpn) (Black Tide {Jpn}), Nyquist (Uncle Mo) and Satono Crown (Jpn) (Marju {Ire}), in the world racehorse rankings on 123.

The G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and G1 China Horse Club George Ryder S. took equal seventh on 122, with the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic presented by Longines weighed in as the ninth-best race in the world last year on 121.5.

The top-rated sprint race in the world was the Longines Hong Kong Sprint (118.75), while the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger) was the best staying race of the year (118.5) and the top race restricted to fillies and mares only was the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (120.5).

Of the 100 best races in the world in 2016 according to rankings, Australia and the USA hosted the greatest number with 23 each. Nineteen were run in Britain, 12 in Japan, 11 in Hong Kong, seven in France, four in the UAE, three in Ireland and one apiece in Germany, Canada and South Africa.

Once again, a panel of international handicappers is consulted to assess the Longines World's Best Horse Race from the highest-rated Group 1 international races. They consider the ratings of the top four finishers in each race.

Juan-Carlos Capelli presented Longines watches to Craig Fravel, chief executive officer and president of Breeders' Cup, and Bryan Pettigrew, senior vice president, marketing and sponsorship, and the pair also received a replica of the Longines World's Best Horse Race trophy from IFHA Chairman Louis Romanet.

The World Waits For Winx…

Any hopes of Winx running at Royal Ascot this year were dashed by Chris Waller's assertions that the mare's priority will be attempting to win a third Cox Plate in October. However, he didn't rule out a trip to Europe, or perhaps even America, in 2018.

“Racing is such a global sport these days and to be recognised as the best turf horse in the world is a really big thing,” said Sydney's champion trainer.

Waller has had noted success with European imports in Australia and he brought sprinter Brazen Beau to Ascot in 2015, but that experience has made him wary of asking too much of a horse after being flown to the other side of the world.

He said, “The control travelling to different time zones and hemispheres has on horses is a huge thing. To put it in human terms I'd say it's like having jetlag for six months plus. We have a lot of horses coming over from Europe and I don't see complete acclimatisation until about 14 months after they arrive because of their body clock adjusting.”

With that in mind, a future international target for Winx will be centred on a campaign rather than just one appearance.

“After Winx's third Cox Plate attempt she'll be coming to the world stage but it won't be for just one run––we want to give her a proper preparation to make sure she can compete at the highest level,” he continued. “We need to find a race programme that fits together, starting a little bit easier and ending with a really big race. My thoughts are that she might start over 1400 metres in Europe but 1600 to 2000 metres are her best distances.”

The trainer believes that his charge, now five, has the ideal temperament to cope with the travelling required. He said, “She won't win by big margins, she'll race up to her best at whatever is against her. A great example is the barrier trials we have in Australia––she's had 10 barrier trials and she's never won one of them but in a race she's just a different machine. She's obsessed with winning, her determination is unbelievable, it's quite exceptional, and that has taken us on a ride that we never expected. If it takes us on another ride to England or France then that same determination should get us out of trouble. I think she'll be a pretty straightforward horse to travel. She's very athletic––her weight stays the same even if she has a week away from training.”

And Winx and Waller may not stop at Europe. “Once we're up in the Northern Hemisphere even going to the Breeders' Cup wouldn't be impossible. It's a matter of being level-headed and thinking about what we're taking on. If she went to the Breeders' Cup why wouldn't she run over a mile on the turf, but the Classic would have to be a possibility, too. Bob Baffert said to me that he believes her racing style looks like a dirt horse and being by Street Cry that's possible. I'm not sure if that was a challenge or not.”