Changes announced to World Thoroughbred Rankings
January 10th 2009 06:14
The 2008 World Thoroughbred Rankings will be released on Tuesday 13 January at a Press Conference to be held at the British Horseracing Authority in London.
For the first time the Rankings will list all world performances in the 2008 Calendar year, irrespective of where individual horses raced or were trained.
In the past, two separate listings have been published. The first in January, listing performances only by horses raced and trained in countries whose racing season run from January-December and dominated by horses from the USA, Europe and Japan. A second list was then published in August, listing only horses trained and raced in countries whose racing season run from August-July and dominated by horses from the UAE, Hong Kong, Australia and South Africa. Of course there has been an overlap in the past - as in the 2007 listings for both northern and southern hemispheres (racing seasons) where Curlin (through his successful travels to the UAE in 2008) was listed at equal second (northern) and as top racehorse (southern).
(photo: Getty Images)
The release of the 2008 World Thoroughbred Rankings therefore represent a landmark event in World Thoroughbred Racing, in providing a comprehensive list of the best individual performances by the World’s racing elite during the calendar year.
The listings will reveal the best performances in age and distance categories with the honour of World’s Top Ranked Racehorse for 2008 likely to rest between the incomparable (okay, I’m biased) unbeaten French filly and Arc de Triomphe heroine Zarkava, and Dubai World Cup winner Curlin. Epsom Derby winner New Approach is also considered to rate very highly.
It will be interesting to see if any Australian thoroughbreds can enter the top 10 combined listing. Takeover Target, Haradasun, Apache Cat and Weekend Hussler are all outside possibilities, though in a year of quality it may be difficult for southern hemisphere representation to make an immediate impact. Good Ba Ba, Vodka and Daiwa Scarlet from Hong Kong and Japan will be highly regarded and perhaps (any one of these) might appear in the overall top 10 - and Haradasun with his Group One win in England most likely to head the Australian contingent.
As an example of previous rankings I have reproduced those from 2007 below.
In 2007 the split listings had the Northern Hemisphere rankings - for 3yo's and up which either raced in or were trained in countries whose racing season runs from 1st January to 31st December and which were rated at 115 or above by the IFHA World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings Conference.
1 Manduro (GER)
2 Authorized (IRE)
2 Curlin (USA)
2 Dylan Thomas (IRE)
2 Invasor (ARG)
6 Street Sense (USA)
7 Admire Moon (JPN)
7 English Channel (USA)
7 Soldier Of Fortune (IRE)
10 Any Given Sunday (USA)
10 Lawyer Ron (USA)
10 Youmzain (IRE)
and the Southern Hemisphere rankings - for 3yos and up which either raced in or were trained in countries whose racing season ran from 1st August 2007 to 31st July 2008 (1st July 2007 to 30th June 2008 in South America) and which were rated at 115 or above by the IFHA World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings Conference.
1 Curlin (USA - for 29th March 2008 in Emirates Dubai World Cup)
2 El Segundo (NZ)
2 Ramonti (FR)
2 Sacred Kingdom (AUS)
5 Good Ba Ba (USA)
5 Viva Pataca (GB)
5 Weekend Hussler (AUS)
8 Apache Cat (AUS)
8 Pocket Power (SAF)
10 Archipenko (USA)
10 Efficient (NZ)
10 Haradasun (AUS - Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot June 2008)
10 Honour Devil (ARG)
10 Jay Peg (SAF)
10 J J The Jet (SAF)
10 Sun Classique (AUS)
My suggestions for top 10 for 2008:
1 Zarkava
2 Curlin
3 New Approach
4 Raven's Pass
5 Henrythenavigator
6 Duke Of Marmalade
7 Big Brown
8 Conduit
9 Goldikova
10 Zenyatta
10 Montmartre
10 Vodka
10 Good Ba Ba
For the first time the Rankings will list all world performances in the 2008 Calendar year, irrespective of where individual horses raced or were trained.
In the past, two separate listings have been published. The first in January, listing performances only by horses raced and trained in countries whose racing season run from January-December and dominated by horses from the USA, Europe and Japan. A second list was then published in August, listing only horses trained and raced in countries whose racing season run from August-July and dominated by horses from the UAE, Hong Kong, Australia and South Africa. Of course there has been an overlap in the past - as in the 2007 listings for both northern and southern hemispheres (racing seasons) where Curlin (through his successful travels to the UAE in 2008) was listed at equal second (northern) and as top racehorse (southern).
Zarkava: will she be ranked as the best horse in the world?
(photo: Getty Images)
The release of the 2008 World Thoroughbred Rankings therefore represent a landmark event in World Thoroughbred Racing, in providing a comprehensive list of the best individual performances by the World’s racing elite during the calendar year.
The listings will reveal the best performances in age and distance categories with the honour of World’s Top Ranked Racehorse for 2008 likely to rest between the incomparable (okay, I’m biased) unbeaten French filly and Arc de Triomphe heroine Zarkava, and Dubai World Cup winner Curlin. Epsom Derby winner New Approach is also considered to rate very highly.
It will be interesting to see if any Australian thoroughbreds can enter the top 10 combined listing. Takeover Target, Haradasun, Apache Cat and Weekend Hussler are all outside possibilities, though in a year of quality it may be difficult for southern hemisphere representation to make an immediate impact. Good Ba Ba, Vodka and Daiwa Scarlet from Hong Kong and Japan will be highly regarded and perhaps (any one of these) might appear in the overall top 10 - and Haradasun with his Group One win in England most likely to head the Australian contingent.
As an example of previous rankings I have reproduced those from 2007 below.
In 2007 the split listings had the Northern Hemisphere rankings - for 3yo's and up which either raced in or were trained in countries whose racing season runs from 1st January to 31st December and which were rated at 115 or above by the IFHA World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings Conference.
1 Manduro (GER)
2 Authorized (IRE)
2 Curlin (USA)
2 Dylan Thomas (IRE)
2 Invasor (ARG)
6 Street Sense (USA)
7 Admire Moon (JPN)
7 English Channel (USA)
7 Soldier Of Fortune (IRE)
10 Any Given Sunday (USA)
10 Lawyer Ron (USA)
10 Youmzain (IRE)
and the Southern Hemisphere rankings - for 3yos and up which either raced in or were trained in countries whose racing season ran from 1st August 2007 to 31st July 2008 (1st July 2007 to 30th June 2008 in South America) and which were rated at 115 or above by the IFHA World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings Conference.
1 Curlin (USA - for 29th March 2008 in Emirates Dubai World Cup)
2 El Segundo (NZ)
2 Ramonti (FR)
2 Sacred Kingdom (AUS)
5 Good Ba Ba (USA)
5 Viva Pataca (GB)
5 Weekend Hussler (AUS)
8 Apache Cat (AUS)
8 Pocket Power (SAF)
10 Archipenko (USA)
10 Efficient (NZ)
10 Haradasun (AUS - Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot June 2008)
10 Honour Devil (ARG)
10 Jay Peg (SAF)
10 J J The Jet (SAF)
10 Sun Classique (AUS)
My suggestions for top 10 for 2008:
1 Zarkava
2 Curlin
3 New Approach
4 Raven's Pass
5 Henrythenavigator
6 Duke Of Marmalade
7 Big Brown
8 Conduit
9 Goldikova
10 Zenyatta
10 Montmartre
10 Vodka
10 Good Ba Ba
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