24 January 2024
Photograph scoopdyga.com
In association with Swiss watchmaker Longines, the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) annually publishes an official rankings list of the world’s best racehorses and horse races. The Longines World Racing Awards ceremony was held in London on Tuesday 23rd 2024. Japan topped both rankings, with the World’s Best Horse Race Award going to the Japan Cup (rating 126.75) and the title of World’s Best Racehorse going to Japanese champion Equinox (rating 135), who won the Japan Cup and the Longines Dubai Sheema Classic in 2023.
These eagerly-awaited rankings are drawn up using ratings given by an international committee of around ten handicappers, including one representative from France, who came together at the end of the year in Hong Kong. Specialising in rating racehorses and horse races, they assess the sporting value of the first four horses that finish a race (see boxed text).
The 2024 edition of the Longines World Racing Awards honoured several important French horse races, including the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Qatar Prix du Jockey Club and Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard – Jacques le Marois, as well as French racehorse Ace Impact.
Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (ParisLongchamp): World’s 3rd Best Horse Race
The Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, which is run every October at ParisLongchamp over the classic mile-and-a-half distance, once again finished in the Top 3 of the World’s Best Horse Race rankings (Group 1) with a rating of 124.75. Just after winning the 2023 edition of the Arc, Ace Impact, who is trained at Deauville by Jean-Claude Rouget, was ranked the World’s Best 3-year-old Racehorse and took second place in the world rankings, all categories combined, with a rating of 128.
After his superb win in the Qatar Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe, this champion, who belongs to French owners Gousserie Racing (Chehboub family) and Serge Stempniak, went to stand at stud at the Haras de Beaumont in Normandy, with the hope of siring other remarkable champions.
Qatar Prix du Jockey Club (Chantilly): World’s Best Horse Race for 3-year-olds
This derby, held at Chantilly every June, was ranked the World’s Best Horse Race for 3-year-olds (newcomers) for the second year running, with a rating of 121.50. Year after year, the Qatar Prix du Jockey Club, whose distance was shortened to a mile and 2 ½ furlongs in 2005, ranks as one of the world’s top derbies. In 2023, four winners of Group 1 races took the first four positions in this Chantilly-based race for 3-year-olds.
The 2023 Qatar Prix du Jockey Club was won by the astonishing Ace Impact, the World’s Best 3-year-old, with six wins in six outings. This French champion racehorse also achieved the rare Jockey Club and Arc double.
Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard – Jacques Le Marois (Deauville): World’s 9th Best Horse Race
Every summer, this is one of the most eagerly awaited races at the Barrière Deauville Meeting. It is run as a sprint over a mile distance. The Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard – Jacques Le Marois (Group 1) attracts Europe’s best milers. It once again ranked in the World's Top 10 thanks to its spectacular line-up of winners in 2023, which gave it a rating of 122.75:
1st: INSPIRAL (rating 120), two-time title-holder, three Group 1 wins in 2023 and six Group 1 wins in her career
2nd: BIG ROCK (rating 127), the world’s best miler, after winning the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot last October
3rd: LIGHT INFANTRY (rating 117)
4th: ONESTO (rating 123) went on to come third in the 2023 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe
How are the races and racehorses rated?
At France Galop, a team of handicappers is in charge of rating the horses entered in every race held in France on the basis of their individual performance. The same operation is carried out in every country where horse races are held.
Each country then gives a rating to the races held in that country based on the best rating recorded by the horses that finished from first to fourth position in the race.
A race’s rating can change right up until the end of the year. By this time we know the rating of each horse, which gives us the rating of each race. Handicappers from all over the world come together to discuss their ratings to ensure that the ratings given by each country are comparable in terms of how they are applied.
Follow the news from France Galop’s handicappers on their blog (in French): HERE.