World's Best Racehorse Rankings

The Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings (LWBRR), known as World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings (WTRR) before 2012, are horseracing's equivalent to World Rankings by other major sporting organizations such as ATP Tennis Rankings, World Golf Rankings, FIFA World Rankings for soccer and IRB Rugby World Rankings. The Longines Rankings are based on the rating earned by horses running worldwide from North and South America, Europe, Middle East, South Africa, Asia through to Australia and New Zealand.

The ratings are compiled under the auspices of The International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) by racing officials & handicappers representing the five continents who compile the ranking order by agreeing on the rating for each horse. The ratings are based on the performance of horses in elite races held during the designated period which takes in account the quality of opposition and achievements of each horse. The annual rankings denote the champions in the various distance categories for example sprint or mile, surface either turf or dirt/artificial and also the fillies & mares category.

According to the IFHA website, "The IFHA World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings are the official assessment of the top performers." In 1977, France, Great Britain and Ireland published the first internationally agreed assessment of racing merit on behalf of the European Pattern Committee under the banner of the International Classifications. In 1985, Germany and Italy joined the system, to be followed by North America (both Canada and the United States) and Japan in the mid 1990s.

The Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings measure a given horse's peak performance during the year. Throughout the year the Longines Rankings are published at regular intervals and the final annual rankings are released in January. The three highest-rated horses are honored during the Longines World's Best Racehorse and Longines World's Best Horse Race Ceremony.{{Cite web|url=https://ifhaonline.org/Default.asp?section=Resources&area=0&story=1029|title = International Federation of Horseracing Authorities}}

Related Awards

The ratings for the horses also help establish two other awards: the aforementioned Longines World's Best Horse Race and the Longines World's Best Jockey. The Longines World's Best Horse Race award recognizes the best-rated race of the highest-rated Group 1 international races as established by a panel of international handicappers. The ratings of the top four finishers in each race serve as basis for the assessment. Introduced in 2015, the award was won by the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021. The Breeders' Cup Classic won in 2016 and 2022, while the Juddmonte International won the title in 2020 and 2024. In 2023, the Japan Cup in association with Longines was named the World's Best Horse Race. Additionally, the IFHA releases the top 100 Group/Grade 1 races each year.{{cite web|url=https://www.ifhaonline.org/resources/WTGradedRanking/LWGRank.asp?batch=2 |title=The LONGINES World's Top 100 Group/Grade 1 Races for 3yos and upwards - 2018 | access-date=2023-09-23}}

The Longines World's Best Jockey{{Cite web|url=https://ifhaonline.org/Default.asp?section=Racing&area=3|title = International Federation of Horseracing Authorities}} is named each December. The top 100 Group 1 and Grade 1 races serve as the base of this annual competition to recognize top jockeys throughout the world. Frankie Dettori has won the award four times, as he was named the Longines World's Best Jockey in 2015, 2018, 2019, and 2020. Ryan Moore has also won it four times, as he took the inaugural contest in 2014 as well as the 2016, 2021, and 2023 editions. James McDonald won the title in 2022 and 2024, while Hugh Bowman won the title in 2017.

World Championship

International Federation of Horseracing Authorities was founded in 1961 and 1983 but now (2024) have not an official World Horse Racing Championship.{{Cite web |title=International Federation of Horseracing Authorities |url=https://www.ifhaonline.org/Default.asp?section=About%20IFHA&area=4 |access-date=2024-03-12 |website=www.ifhaonline.org}}{{Cite web |title=International Federation of Horseracing Authorities |url=https://www.ifhaonline.org/Default.asp?section=About%20IFHA&area=5 |access-date=2024-05-10 |website=www.ifhaonline.org}}{{Cite web |title=How a horse racing Olympics could work to make the sport better |url=https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/2129796/hey-why-doesnt-horse-racing-have-its-own-olympics-heres-how-it-would |access-date=2024-05-10 |website=South China Morning Post}}{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2018-02-07 |title=Saudi Arabia To Launch Horse Racing Championship To Rival Breeders' Cup, Dubai World Cup |url=https://paulickreport.com/nl-list/saudi-arabia-launch-horse-racing-championship-rival-breeders-cup-dubai-world-cup |access-date=2024-05-10 |website=Paulick Report {{!}} Shining Light on the Horse Industry |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=When the Breeders’ Cup isn’t the be-all and end-all of championship racing {{!}} Topics: Washington DC International, Xtra Heat, Breeders' Cup, Let's Elope |url=https://www.thoroughbredracing.com/articles/5241/when-breeders-cup-isnt-be-all-and-end-all-championship-racing/ |access-date=2024-05-10 |website=Thoroughbred Racing Commentary}}{{Cite news |last=Finnegan |first=William |date=2021-05-15 |title=Can Horse Racing Survive? |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/05/24/can-horse-racing-survive |access-date=2024-05-10 |work=The New Yorker |language=en-US |issn=0028-792X}}

Top ranked horses

Horse names are followed by a suffix indicating the country where foaled.

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| width="45px" | Year

| width="50px" | Rating

| width="180px" | Horse

| width="120px" | Trained

| width="340px" | Race

2003

| 134

| Hawk Wing (USA)

| Ireland

| Lockinge Stakes

2004

| 130

| Ghostzapper (USA)

| United States

| Breeders' Cup Classic

2005

| 130

| Hurricane Run (IRE)

| France

| Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe

2006

| 129

| Invasor (ARG)

| United States

| Breeders' Cup Classic

2007

| 131

| Manduro (GER)

| France

| Prince of Wales's Stakes

rowspan="2" | 2008

| 130

| Curlin (USA)

| United States

| Dubai World Cup / Stephen Foster Handicap

130

| New Approach (IRE)

| Ireland

| Champion Stakes

2009

| 136

| Sea The Stars (IRE)

| Ireland

| Irish Champion Stakes

2010

| 135

| Harbinger (GB)

| Great Britain

| King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes

2011

| 136

| Frankel (GB)[http://www.horseracingintfed.com/resources/2011Rankings/2011_0804_WTR.asp The World Thoroughbred Rankings - 1st February 2011 to 31st July 2011] Retrieved 12 Aug 2011

| Great Britain

| Sussex Stakes

2012

| 140

| Frankel (GB)[http://www.horseracingintfed.com/resources/2012Rankings/2012_WorldRankings.asp 2012 WORLD THOROUGHBRED RANKINGS]

| Great Britain

| Queen Anne Stakes / Juddmonte International Stakes

rowspan="2" | 2013

| 130

| Treve (FR)

| France

| Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe