American Pharoah Is World=S Best Cont
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WEDNESDAY, 20 JANUARY 2016 >HAPPY= ON HONG KONG TRAIL AMERICAN PHAROAH IS Triple Group 1 winner Happy Trails (Aus) (Good Journey) could WORLD=S BEST get his first shot at racing overseas at age eight after trainer Paul Beshara told Racing.com Sha Tin=s G1 QEII Cup Apr. 24 is a target. "This year we thought, >he's eight years of age, he's not going to have much longer [racing],=@ Beshara told Racing.com's RSN. AThey really love him in Hong Kong.@ Happy Trails has yet to win at a Sydney autumn carnival, where notorious wet weather can cause track conditions to play against his liking. "We thought we could go to Sydney every year, but we just get flooded out,@ Beshara added. AHe can't run on the wet track, so we're really considering Hong Kong." Happy Trails is set to have a jump-out next Monday and a trial before resuming in the G1 CF Orr S. Feb. 13. He was last seen Team >Pharoah= with Longines= Juan-Carlos Capelli and IFHA=s Louis finishing eighth in the G1 Mackinnon S. on Halloween. Romanet at the Longines World=s Best Racehorse ceremony | IFHA By Emma Berry Following a unanimous vote to be named Eclipse Horse of the Year in his home country, American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) gained worldwide recognition on Tuesday when named Longines World=s Best Racehorse for 2015 at a ceremony in BILL OPPENHEIM: FIRST FOALS 2009-2012 central London. Columnist Bill Oppenheim continues his examination of 2015 As the name suggests, the rankings are a truly global affair and APEX figures. that was reflected by the fact that horses from America, Click or tap here to go straight to TDN America. England, France and Hong Kong filled the top six places on the leader board. With his rating of 134, achieved when signing off his magnificent career with a facile victory in the GI Breeders= Cup Classic, Ahmed Zayat=s homebred Triple Crown winner was ranked just one pound below the mighty Cigar to become the second highest-rated American-based horse of all time. He was the first U.S.-bred to top the world rankings since Curlin (Smart Strike) in 2008. >Team American Pharoah= appeared to be still on cloud nine after the weekend=s Eclipse Awards. Ahmed Zayat, accompanied by his family, the Baffert family and Victor Espinoza, said on accepting the award from Longines Vice President and Head of International Marketing, Juan-Carlos Capelli, ANot only was American Pharoah brilliant on the racetrack, he connected with everyone in America. We waited 37 years for a horse like him; he was the people=s horse. Not only to win the Triple Crown but now to be internationally recognised, this is just unreal. What a privilege. We are truly humbled by this horse.@ cont. p2 CAPE CROSS Gr.1 winner and sire of 102 Stakes Winners Ouija Board SEA THE STARS GOLDEN HORN Champion Racemare; European Champion; Champion 3yo; 7 Group 1 wins 6 Group 1 wins. 4 Group 1 wins, Champion European including 2nd crop sire in 2014. Derby, Eclipse and AUSTRALIA Arc de Triomphe 2016 fee: €125,000 Champion 3yo colt; First Season 2016 Dual Derby winner. Fee: £60,000 First crop foals 2016 2016 fee: €50,000 SEA THE MOON Winner at 2 • Champion 3yo • Horse of the Year • Sensational Derby winner by 11 lengths Supported by Europe’s leading breeders in his first season • FIRST CROP FOALS 2016 2016 fee: £15,000 (1st October SLF) Also standing: ARCHIPENKO • AUSSIE RULES • LEROIDESANIMAUX • SIR PERCY Breeders are welcome to view our stallions during the Tattersalls February Sale on 4th February between 10.30 am and 3.30 pm, and at any other time by appointment. [email protected] • www.lanwades.com • Tel: +44 (0)1638 750222 • Fax: +44 (0)1638 751186 LANWADES The independent option TM TDN EUROPE/INTERNATIONAL $ PAGE 2 of 5 $ THETDN.COM WEDNESDAY, 20 JANUARY 2016 American Pharoah is World=s Best cont. from p1 The top-rated stayer of 2015 was G1 Irish St Leger winner Order Of St George (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) on 124. The BHA=s Head Trainer Bob Baffert, making his first visit to the UK, added, of Handicapping Phil Smith commented, AVery rarely do we get ALast year was a fantastic year for racehorses so to be the best stayers rated above 120 but this year we have two and they are in the world is quite something. There was no >woulda, coulda, both 3-year-olds.@ shoulda= with this horse. He checked every box and got better Order Of St George is the highest-rated stayer ever trained by and better as the year went on. He was so special.@ Aidan O=Brien--ranked above even the multiple Ascot Gold Cup In a glorious year for the Classic generation and also for winner Yeats who peaked at 122--while the Alain de Royer owner-breeders, Anthony Oppenheimer=s Golden Horn (GB) Dupre-trained Vazirabad (Fr) (Manduro {Ger}) was rated 120. (Cape Cross {Ire}) was rated second-best on 130--a mark A rating of 123 for Sheikh Hamdan=s champion sprinter achieved in both the G1 Investec Derby and G1 Coral-Eclipse S.-- Muhaarar (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) was Aa glowing vindication making the John for the creation of the Coronation Cup,@ according to Gosden-trained colt handicapper Dominic Gardiner-Hill. He added, AHe was one of the top of all the highlights of the season. To have a 3-year-old sprinter of European gallopers that quality was great to see. He carried all before him and is the in 2015. highest rated 3-year-old sprinter since his sire Oasis Dream in Oppenheimer said, 2003.@ AThese awards are Nigel Gray, Head of Handicapping and Race Planning for the fantastic and really Hong Kong Jockey Club, singled out a horse who was ranked appreciated by all in joint-27th in the the horse world. To world in 2015 but Anthony Oppenheimer congratulates Golden Horn and all has become a Ahmed Zayat | Emma Berry the people who household name for looked after him I say a big thank you. He=s now settling into his most racing fans--the new home at Darley and he=s in an even bigger box than veteran Cirrus Des Dubawi, who is earning a bit more than him at the moment.@ Aigles (Fr) (Even Top Sharing third place in the rankings on 126 was France=s darling, {Ire}). He said, the dual G1 Prix de l=Arc de Triomphe winner Treve (Fr) ACirrus--and I=m sure (Motivator {GB}), and the late Shared Belief (Candy Ride {Arg}), he wouldn=t mind me the five-time Grade I winner who succumbed to colic in calling him by his first Cirrus des Aigles has been in the rankings for December. name--has been seven years | Racing Post An emotional Janet Rome traveled to London on behalf of her involved in these husband Jim to accept Shared Belief=s award, and said, AThank rankings for 3-year-olds and up for the last seven years and he is you for honouring and celebrating the life of Shared Belief, the a tremendous credit to his connections.@ little gelding who made us all think that anything was possible. Cirrus Des Aigles gained a mark of 121 for his victory in the We=re all heartbroken to have lost this amazing warrior. We=ll G1 Prix Ganay, equal to such as that posted by Al Kazeem (GB) never get over it but in time we will get beyond it.@ (Dubawi {Ire}) when winning the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup and The globe-trotting older horses Able Friend (Aus) (Shamardal) California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit) when second to Shared Belief and Solow (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}) were ranked in equal fifth place, in the San Antonio Invitational. with the Hong Kong star Able Friend gaining a mark of 125 in Decided upon by a team of international handicappers, the both the G1 Queen=s Silver Jubilee Cup and the Premier Bowl H., Longines World=s Best Racehorse Rankings are complied from while Solow=s high mark was posted in the G1 Dubai Turf at individual performances by horses in Group/Grade 1 races Meydan. around the world. Cont. p3 TDN EUROPE/INTERNATIONAL $ PAGE 3 of 5 $ THETDN.COM WEDNESDAY, 20 JANUARY 2016 Longines World=s Best Racehorse cont. AI=ve never been to London, and when we got here I was so As well as equine awards, the Longines ceremony included an impressed with the city. Jill, Bode and I were so excited. We=ve accolade for the world=s best horse race, which is judged from only seen a little bit of the city and we=re not going to be here the average handicap ratings in each race over the last three for long but it=s almost like being in Disney World. You have all years. The 2015 award went the way of Longchamp=s Qatar Prix these beautiful castles-- I=ve only really seen them on the show de l=Arc de Triomphe, with the last three fields having achieved The Tudors!@ an average mark of 125.75, just ahead of the Breeders= Cup Despite the showering of awards this week, Baffert confessed Classic on 124.33. to a little sadness at the culmination of the racing career of the The European Two-Year-Old Classifications were also revealed horse who ended America=s long wait for a Triple Crown Winner. on Tuesday, with the Aidan O=Brien-trained three-time Group 1 He reflected, AThere was a little bit of down time [after the winner Air Force Blue (War Front) named as the champion Breeders= Cup].