Irish, European & World Thoroughbred Rankings 2020
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IRISH, EUROPEAN & WORLD THOROUGHBRED RANKINGS 2020 INDEX OF CONTENTS Section 1 - Irish Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings 2020 Overview 1 Category Champions 3 Irish Two Year Old Rankings 4 Irish Three Year Old Rankings 7 Irish Four Year Old & Upwards Rankings 12 Irish Thoroughbred Rankings by Distance Category 19 Irish Rating List 2020 – Alphabetical Listing 24 AW Rating List 34 Quality Control 34 Section 2 – Statistical Summary 2020 35 Ratings Review: All Horses 36 Ratings Review: Horses Rated 100+ 37 Summary of Performances: Overview 40 Summary of Performances: Pattern Races 43 Summary of Performances: Handicap Races 47 Section 3 – LONGINES’ World Best Racehorse Rankings 2020 53 Overview 54 Category Champions 55 LWBRR Listing for 2020 57 World Group/Grade One Races (3yos+) Order of Merit 62 Section 4 - European Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings 2020 63 Category Champions 65 European Two Year Overview 66 European Two Year Old Rankings (110+) 67 European Three Year Olds Rankings (110+) 68 European Four Year Old & Upwards Rankings (110+) 70 Section 5 – Appendices 73 Irish Champion Racehorses 74 European Champion Racehorses 77 World Champion Racehorses 80 World Champion Racehorses - By Distance Category 83 SECTION 1 IRISH THOROUGHBRED RACEHORSE RANKINGS 2020 IRISH THOROUGHBRED RACEHORSE RANKINGS 2020 OVERVIEW 2020 was an unusual year to say the least with the normal racing calendar disrupted by a global pandemic and this may account in part for 12 of the 13 domestic Group 1 races being kept at home, including all five Classics. On a positive note, there were four Irish Group 1 races included in the listing of the World’s Top 100 Races (there were three in 2019) with the Irish Champion Stakes (124.75 – the average rating of the first four finishers) at Leopardstown narrowly pipped into second place by the Juddmonte International (125.25) at York with the oft derided Tattersalls Gold Cup (121.75) in thirteenth place. Somewhat paradoxically no Irish trained horse appears in the top 20 of the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings (LWBRR) listing for 2020. However, this does not accurately portray the quality, in particular, of Irish fillies/mares in the past season. No less than three fillies/mares were rated at 122 (LOVE(IRE)/MAGICAL(IRE)/TARNAWA(IRE)) which is our highest ever number historically at that exalted level (122+) since the Classifications commenced back in 1977. Insofar as these fillies/mares would be in receipt of the sex allowance running against colts (3lbs in Europe), one can argue that only two horses in the world rated superior (in real terms, in terms of race conditions) to our top three fillies/mares. These were GHAIYYATH (IRE)(130) and the American 3-y-o AUTHENTIC (USA)(126) and this puts a somewhat different perspective on matters. FOUR YEAR OLDS AND UPWARDS The British-trained World Champion Colt GHAIYYATH (IRE)(130) achieved the highest race rating in Ireland (123) in 2020 when beaten into second place by MAGICAL (IRE)(122) when carrying 3lbs more than her (sex allowance) in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown. Ironically, this was his worst performance (and only defeat) in 2020 when he achieved an overall rating of 130. MAGICAL (IRE) won three Group 1s during 2020 and has now rated at 122 for three consecutive years. She became only the second horse ever to win the Irish Champion Stakes (G1) in consecutive years (along with Dylan Thomas (IRE)(129) in 2006/2007) – ditto in winning the Tattersalls Gold Cup (G1) twice along with So You Think (AUS)(126) in 2011/2012. In her final season racing, she achieved the mantle of Top Older Mare in the World over 10 furlongs. TARNAWA (IRE)(122) improved her rating from 108 in 2019 to 122 when remaining unbeaten in four starts (including 3 Group 1s) in 2020, culminating in her most impressive performance in winning the Longines Breeders Cup Turf (G1) when she defeated MAGICAL (IRE) at Keeneland in November. In the process, she earned the accolade of Joint Top European Older Filly/Mare over 12f (along with ENABLE(GB)(122)) and one would have to go back to the 1980s and the likes of Blue Wind (1981) and Committed (1984) to find fillies of comparable quality trained by her trainer Dermot Weld. ANTHONY VAN DYCK (IRE)(122) was the top domestically-trained older colt in 2020 just ahead of his stablemate CIRCUS MAXIMUS (IRE)(120). While the former won the Prix Foy (G1) and the latter won the Queen Anne Stakes (G1), both horses achieved their highest ratings in defeat. ANTHONY VAN DYCK (IRE) was second to GHAIYYATH (IRE) in the Hurworth Coronation Cup (G1) at Newmarket and also to Australian mare VERRY ELLEEGANT(NZ)(116) in the Stella Artois Caulfield Cup (G1) at Caulfield while CIRCUS MAXIMUS (IRE) achieved his rating in running up to MOHAATHER(GB)(124) in the Qatar Sussex Stakes (G1) at Goodwood. SEARCH FOR A SONG (IRE)(116) repeated her success in the Comer Group International Irish St Leger (G1) at the Curragh, in the process putting up the best staying performance by an older mare in the world in 2020. She is the third filly /mare to win this race this century after Kastoria (IRE)(117)(2006) and Voleuse de Coeurs (IRE) (117)(2013). TWILIGHT PAYMENT (117) has steadily increased his rating over the years from 108 to 110 and then to 113 (from 2017-2019 inclusive) before achieving Top Older Stayer honours in winning the Lexus Melbourne Cup (G1), defeating his 3-y-o compatriot TIGER MOTH(IRE)(116) at Flemington. 1 THREE YEAR OLDS LOVE (IRE)(122) was Top 3-y-o Turf Filly overall in the World during 2020 and Top 12f Filly when she was unbeaten in three Group 1 races with an average winning margin of over 6 lengths. She emulated both Minding (IRE)(122)(2016) and Kazzia (GER)(119)(2009) this century in completing the Qipco 1000 Guineas(G1)/ Investec Epsom Oaks (G1) double before adding the Darley Yorkshire Oaks (G1) for good measure. ALPINE STAR (IRE(119) was the Top 3-y-o Turf Filly in the World over 8-10f in winning the Coronation Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot and finishing runner up to Top 3-y-o Turf Miler PALACE PIER (GB)(125) in the Prix Jacques le Marois (G1) at Deauville and when runner up to TARNAWA (IRE)(122) in the Prix de l’Opera Longines (G1) at ParisLongchamp. MOGUL (GB)(121) was Top 3-y-o Colt, just head of stablemates SERPENTINE (IRE)(120), ARMORY(IRE)(120) and ORDER OF AUSTRALIA(IRE)(120) but his rating of 121 would be the second lowest this century (just above Treasure Beach (GB)(120)(2011) in the category. He achieved this level by improving markedly in the autumn to win the Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris (G1) and the Longines Hong Kong Vase (G1) at Sha Tin (emulating Highland Reel (IRE)(121) who won the race as a 3-y-o in 2015). SERPENTINE (IRE) and ORDER OF AUSTRALIA (IRE) achieved their ratings by winning the Investec Derby (G1) at Epsom and the Fanduel Breeders Cup Mile (G1) at Keeneland respectively while ARMORY (IRE) was Joint Top 10f 3-y-o Turf Colt in the World for running third in the Irish Champion Stakes (G1) behind MAGICAL (IRE)(122) and GHAIYYATH (IRE)(130). GALILEO CHROME (IRE)(117) and PISTA(USA)(113), both trained by Joseph O’Brien, were Champion European 3-y-o Stayers in the colt and fillies division respectively. GALILEO CHROME (IRE) achieved his rating in winning the Pertemps St Leger (G1) at Doncaster while PISTA(USA) capped her progressive season by running up to WONDERFUL TONIGHT (FR)(117) in the Qatar Prix de Royallieu (G1) at ParisLongchamp. TWO YEAR OLDS The progressive 2-y-o colt ST MARK’S BASILICA (FR) (120) was rated Champion Juvenile in Europe in defeating stablemate WEMBLEY (IRE)(118) and compatriot THUNDER MOON (IRE)(117) in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes (G1) at Newmarket in what was a below average year for juveniles. As European Champion Juvenile Colt, he would rate above only Camelot (GB)(119) and Dabirsim (FR)(119) in 2011 and Belardo (IRE)(119) in 2014 as champion this century. THUNDER MOON(IRE) had earlier won the Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes (G1) at the Curragh defeating an unlucky LUCKY VEGA (IRE)(116), who had earlier won the other domestic Group 1 for 2-y-o colts – the Keeneland Phoenix Stakes (G1), also at the Curragh. MAC SWINEY (IRE) (116) and VAN GOGH(USA)(114) were the only other Irish-trained Group 1 winning juvenile colts during 2020 with the former winning the Vertem Futurity (G1) at Doncaster and the latter improving markedly to win the Criterium International (G1) at Saint Cloud. There was a great rivalry between 2-y-o fillies PRETTY GORGEOUS (FR)(113) and SHALE (IRE)(113), trained by Joseph O Brien and his brother Donnacha respectively, throughout 2020 with a 2-2 score between them in the four races they each raced in. Coincidentally or otherwise, PRETTY GORGEOUS (FR) prevailed on both occasions when the ground rode soft with her best performance in winning the Bet 365 Fillies Mile (G1) at Newmarket while SHALE (IRE) came out on top on better ground with her peak performance coming in the Moyglare Stud Stakes (G1) at the Curragh. Both fillies shared the mantle of Champion European Juvenile Filly along with the American-trained CAMPANELLE (IRE)(113) but this would be the lowest level achieved by a Champion Juvenile Filly in Europe since 1999 when the accolade was also shared by three fillies – Preseli (IRE)(113), Goldamix(IRE)(113) and Lady Of Chad (IRE)(113).