WORLD Racing's undefeated champion FRANKEL dominated the headlines following the release of the 2012 World Thoroughbred Rankings (WTR) by the International Federation of Horse Authorities in London last night
Frankel, who has been retired to stud and will not race again, topped the listings at 140, the highest rating assigned to a race horse since Dancing Brave was given a mark of 141 in 1986.
Unbeaten Australian champion Black Caviar was assigned a rating of 130 by the WTR Committee and for the third straight year is the Champion Sprinter in the World.
In another remarkable year Black Caviar won all six starts, including five at Group 1 level and extended her career winning sequence to 22 after travelling to England and winning the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.
Her rating of 130 was achieved in winning the Group 1 Lightning Stakes at Flemington, where she defeated her great rival Hay List in February. That race has been re-named the Black Caviar Lightning by the Victorian Racing Club and is expected to be Black Caviar’s starting point for her farewell campaign on February 16.
Australia’s representative on the WTR Committee, Greg Carpenter, said the rating assigned to Black Caviar reflects her brilliant win over Hay List, her nearest rival in the World sprint division in the Lightning.
“It confirms her position as the greatest sprinter and the greatest female equine athlete world racing has seen in the modern era,” Carpenter said.
Black Caviar headed the Sprint division ahead of another Australian bred and trained star in Hay List (125), who achieved his rating in carrying 58.5 kilograms to a courageous victory over Buffering in the Newmarket Handicap at Flemington in March.
The mark of 125 for Hay List places the star Australian sprinter in elite company and equals the rating assigned to Oasis Dream in 2003 and Rocket Man in 2011 as the highest rating given to any sprinter other than Black Caviar since 2002.
Black Caviar and Hay List led a total domination of the Turf Sprint division by Australian bred horses with the next five spots being filled by Atlantic Jewel (122), Rocket Man (122), Sepoy (122), Foxwedge (121) and Mental (121).
Black Caviar also headed the Four Years Old and Up Mares Mile category (1301m-1899m) for her effortless win in the Group 1 Orr Stakes over 1400m at Caulfield in February when she was assigned a mark of 125.
Champion mare More Joyous was the second highest rated mare in this distance category for her win in the Doncaster Handicap in April, when she carried 57.5kg to victory in the famous Randwick mile.
The 2012 World Thoroughbred Rankings take into account all performances throughout the world, irrespective of where individual horses raced or were trained, during the calendar year.
To merit inclusion in the rankings, a horse must have been rated at 115 or above in the period under review.
RACING VICTORIA MEDIA RELEASE
