Almanzor, Postponed amongst world’s best

10 of the top 18 horses in the world appeared in QIPCO British Champions Series races last year, including Champion Stakes king Almanzor, Juddmonte International victor Postponed and July Cup winner Limato, ratings have today revealed.

With a rating of 129 awarded for his victory on Champions Day, Jean-Claude Rouget’s colt was officially rated as the best horse to have competed in Europe this season and the fourth best in the world. American stars Arrogate and California Chrome filled the first two berths, whilst Australian superstar Winx, who has Royal Ascot her radar this year,  was rated the third-best at the Longines World’s Best Racehorse & Best Horse Race Ceremony held at Claridges in London today.

Postponed was given a rating of 124 for both of his British Champions Series victories – firstly when taking the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Cup at Epsom and latterly when landing the Juddmonte International Stakes.

Limato’s display of blistering pace to land the Darley July Cup saw him awarded a rating of 122 – the same figure awarded to his Prix de la Foret win in France- leaving him joint 18th in the rankings.

Japanese star A Shin Hikari was given the fifth-best ranking (127) for his destruction of the Prix d’Ispahan before finishing sixth of six in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot later in the year.

Champion Stakes runner-up Found was rated as the eighth-best horse in the world with a score of 124 for her second-place finish in the QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes and her Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe win, having finished second in three consecutive Champions Series races earlier in the season.

Stablemate and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Highland Reel was last seen in devastating fashion when taking the Breeders’ Cup Turf – giving him a rating of 123. He just missed out on a top 10 spot, having also third behind Postponed and Found in the Juddmonte International.

Superstar filly Minding was a four-time Champions Series winner last year and her Queen Elizabeth II Stakes win on Champions Day left her with a rating of 122 to leave her joint 18th. Richard Fahey’s Ribchester also scored the same when finishing second by half-a-length in the race and is also joint 18th along with The Gurkha, who is rewarded for his Qatar Sussex Stakes win with a place in the top 20.

Queen Anne scorer Tepin makes up the dectet for her performance in the Coolmore Jenny Wiley Stakes in her native United States.

The QIPCO British Champions Series kicks off again on May 6th at Newmarket with the 2000 Guineas and culminates on October 21st at Ascot for QIPCO British Champions Day.