racing_news/

World Thoroughbred Rankings 2011
11/01/12

Frankel
Racehorse Photos

FRANKEL (GB) [136] was the t champion European juvenile colt in 2010 and remained undefeated during 2011 winning 5 races, 4 of which were Group 1 races with his best rating of 136 being achieved when he defeated champion older miler CANFORD CLIFFS (IRE) [127] by no less than 5 lengths in the Dubai World Cup winner VICTOIRE PISA (JPN) [122]. ORFEVRE’s performance in winning the Kikuka Sho (G1) (Japanese St Leger) with a rating of 122 in the staying category makes him t top 3yo stayer along with the British trained CONDUIT (IRE) [122] (2008) since the WTR began in 2004.

Cirrus Des Aigles
Racehorse Photos

Turning to the older horses in Europe, the champion older horse over 10-12 furlongs (2000m / 2400m) was the French trained gelding CIRRUS DES AIGLES (FR) [128] who, having been rated 117 in 2009 and 118 in 2010, improved consistently throughout a typically busy campaign, and achieved his best performance at the inaugural British Champions Day when winning the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1) at Longchamp which followed on from her earlier Group 1 successes in the Rhineland Preis and the Longines Grosser Preis von Baden in . Her rating of 128 ensures her top billing among the classic generation of fillies (along with the great French filly ZARKAVA (IRE) [128], who also won the ‘Arc’) since the commencement of the WTR. Other notable European trained fillies/mares from 2011 include the brilliant but now retired French mare GOLDIKOVA (IRE) [124] who won a further two Group 1 races before finishing second to top 3yo filly miler in Europe, IMMORTAL VERSE (IRE) [121], in the Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois (G1) at Deauville. IMMORTAL VERSE (IRE) [121] shares the mantle of top 3yo filly miler in the world with the impressive Australian filly ATLANTIC JEWEL (AUS) [121], who won the Schweppes Guineas (G1) at Caulfield, but whose stunning performance over 10f (2000m) in the Wakeful Stakes (G2) at Flemington also makes her the top 3yo filly in the world over that distance, and marks the first time an Australian filly from the classic generation has achieved this WTR accolade.

It was a relatively undistinguished year for North American racing in 2011, with the top older performance being put up by the four year old colt DROSSELMEYER (USA) [124] in winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Churchill Downs where among the vanquished was 3 time Group 1 winning and top older dirt mare HAVRE DE GRACE (USA) [120]. CALEB’S POSSE (USA) [122] proved the most progressive of the classic generation with his Breeders Cup Dirt Mile (G1) being rated the top dirt performance of 2011 by a 3yo, just ahead of the first two winners of the Triple Crown races, namely ANIMAL KINGDOM (USA) [121] and SHACKLEFORD (USA) [121]. The best performance by a three year old filly on dirt was undoubtedly that of ROYAL DELTA (USA) [119] in winning the Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic (G1).