The IFHA’s World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings (WTRR) Conference (1) issued the 2005 World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings, the official end of season assessment of the top horses to have raced or been trained during 2005 in countries whose season runs from 1st January to 31st December.
Top horse in the 2005 WTRR is HURRICANE RUN (IRE) [130T], whose 2 length victory in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe-Lucien Barriere (G1) at Longchamp (2400m/1 mile 4f) in October was rated the best performance during the year. HURRICANE RUN won two Group 1 and two Group 2 races in 2005, and was beaten only once, when going down by a neck to SHAMARDAL (USA) [125T] in the Prix du Jockey Club (G1) at Chantilly (2100m/1 mile 2½f) in June.
In achieving a rating of 130, HURRICANE RUN emulated the highest-rated horse of 2004, GHOSTZAPPER (USA) [128D]. GHOSTZAPPER was only seen only once in 2005, winning the Metropolitan Handicap (G1) at Belmont Park (1600m/1 mile) by 6.25 lengths in fine style. Sadly, injury then intervened, but GHOSTZAPPER's victory in the Metropolitan earned him the second highest rating in the world in 2005, and the highest once again on Dirt, just 2lb below his mark in the previous year.
WESTERNER (GB) [126T], runner-up to HURRICANE RUN in the Arc, shares third spot with AZAMOUR (IRE) [126T], whose best performance was achieved in winning the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes (G1) at Newbury (2400m /1 mile 4f) in July.
The principal global category-toppers in the 2005 World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings are as follows:-
World's Top Ranked Horse (and 3yo) - HURRICANE RUN (IRE) Rated 130T Trained by A. Fabre in France
World's Top Ranked Older Horse - GHOSTZAPPER (USA) Rated 128D Trained by R.J. Frankel in USA
World's Top Ranked Filly/Mare (and 3yo Filly/Mare) - DIVINE PROPORTIONS (USA) Rated 122T Trained by P. Bary in France
World's Top Ranked Older Filly/Mare - ALEXANDER GOLDRUN (IRE) Rated 119T Trained by J.S. Bolger in Ireland;
PRIDE (FR) Rated 119T Trained by A. de Royer Dupre in France;
SOVIET SONG (IRE) Rated 119T Trained by J.R. Fanshawe in GB
World's Top Ranked 3yo Sprinter • S - LOST IN THE FOG (USA) Rated 119D Trained by G. Gilchrist in USA; SILVER TRAIN (USA) Rated 119D Trained by R.E. Dutrow Jr in USA
World's Top Ranked Sprinter (and Older Sprinter) • S - SILENT WITNESS (AUS) Rated 123T Trained by A.S. Cruz in Hong Kong
(ex Eltira)
World's Top Ranked 3yo Miler • M - SHAMARDAL (USA) Rated 125T Trained by S. bin Suroor in UAE/GB
World's Top Ranked Miler (and Older Miler) • M - GHOSTZAPPER (USA) Rated 128D Trained by R.J. Frankel in USA
World's Top Ranked 3yo Intermediate Distance Horse • I - AFLEET ALEX (USA) Rated 124D Trained by T.F. Ritchey in USA
World's Top Ranked Intermediate Distance Horse (and Older Intermediate) • I - SAINT LIAM (USA) Rated 125D Trained by R.E. Dutrow Jr in USA
World's Top Ranked Long Distance Horse (and 3yo Long) • L - HURRICANE RUN (IRE) Rated 130T Trained by A. Fabre in France
World's Top Ranked Older Long Distance Horse • L - AZAMOUR (IRE) Rated 126T Trained by J.M. Oxx in Ireland; WESTERNER (GB) Rated 126T Trained by E. Lellouche in France
World's Top Ranked 3yo Extended Distance Horse • E - DEEP IMPACT (JPN) Rated 118T Trained by Y. Ikee in Japan
World's Top Ranked Older Extended Distance Horse • E - WESTERNER (GB) Rated 118T Trained by E. Lellouche in France
Explanatory notes:
(1) The third World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings (WTRR) Conference took place in Hong Kong in December 2005. The Conference was held under the auspices of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), and followed on from the initial WTRR Conference held in Hong Kong in December 2004, and the 2004/5 WTRR Conference, which took place in Singapore in July 2005.
(2)The IFHA World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings are the official end of season assessment of the top performers. In 1977, France, Great Britain and Ireland published the first internationally agreed assessment of racing merit on behalf of the European Pattern Committee under the banner of the International Classifications. In 1985, Germany and Italy joined the system, to be followed by North America (both Canada and the United States) and Japan in the mid 1990s.
The International Classifications continued to expand, with more and more countries becoming involved. During 2003, responsibility for the Classifications was transferred from the European Pattern Committee to the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities, under whose direction the inaugural WTRR Conference was held in Hong Kong in 2004.
(3)The World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings (WTRR) are published twice a year, after each WTRR Conference, and reflect the overall ability of those horses included. The January publication includes the end of season assessments of horses aged three years old and upwards which have either raced in, or been trained in, countries whose racing season runs from 1st January to 31st December, while the August edition incorporates those horses which have raced in or been trained in countries who race from 1st August to 31st July (1st July to 30th June in South America). To merit inclusion, a horse must be assessed at a rating of 115 or higher by the Conference on its performances during the period under review.
(4)
The Rankings are published on the IFHA website (www.IFHAOnline.org), along with tables showing the top 10 horses in individual countries and the winners of Group / Grade 1 races, together with their race ratings.
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