World’s best horses lit up the Series once again in 2012

Excelebration, the world’s second best miler after Frankel, was one of the stars of the 2012 QIPCO British Champions Series which featured the highest class racing in the world. Image courtesy of racingfotos.com.

Britain’s top Flat races once again featured more of the world’s best horses than any other country with the four highest rated in today’s World Thoroughbred Rankings – Frankel (140), Cirrus des Aigles (131), Black Caviar (130) and Excelebration (130) – all contesting QIPCO British Champions Series races during the course of 2012.

Three of them – Frankel, Cirrus des Aigles and Excelebration – ran at the Series finale, QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot in October, providing another great endorsement for the fledgling day which was only introduced in 2011.

In all, seven of the world’s top nine horses contested Series races, bringing in Nathaniel (126), who also ran on QIPCO British Champions Day, So You Think (126) and Monterosso (126). Only America’s champion miler, Wise Dan (129), and Japanese star, Orfevre (127), did not run in the UK last year.

That is exactly the same as 2011 when Frankel (136), Cirrus des Aigles (128), Canford Cliffs (127), Rewilding (127), Dream Ahead (126), So You Think (126) and Excelebration (126) were seven of the top nine. Just Black Caviar (132) and Danedream (128) were missing then, but both came to the UK last year and won Series races.

“Britain is unquestionably the place to see the best Flat racing in the world and the QIPCO British Champions Series flags up to the wider public the races that really matter,” said British Champions Series Chief Executive, Rod Street.

“Frankel may have retired, hopefully to breed new champions of the future, but one can be sure that there will be plenty of outstanding races to savour and many fascinating stories that will emerge during the coming season.”