Cracksman and Winx named jointly as world's top racehorse

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, Cracksman, ridden by Frankie Dettori, last year won the Prix Ganay and Coronation Cup, as well as a second Champion Stakes
  • Author, Frank Keogh
  • Role, 大象传媒 Sport

British racing star Cracksman and Australia's Winx have jointly been named the world's top racehorse.

The pair were tied on a rating of 130 in the Longines rankings.

Cracksman, ridden by Frankie Dettori for trainer John Gosden, has been retired for a breeding career after bowing out with victory on British Champions Day.

Winx, trained by Chris Waller, is the darling of Australian racing after racking up a record 29 straight wins.

Breeders' Cup Classic winner Accelerate (126) was third.

Last year Dettori also rode Cracksman's stablemate Enable to a second victory in the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, which was named the world's best race for the third time in four years.

Too Darn Hot matches Frankel's juvenile rating.

Gosden and Dettori boast a strong hand going into 2019 and will have high hopes for Too Darn Hot, who was earlier confirmed as champion two-year-old racehorse.

The son of Dubawi earned a rating of 126, the highest for a juvenile since the legendary Frankel and Dream Ahead in 2010.

No horse has achieved a higher rating since Xaar (127) in 1997.

Analysis

大象传媒 horse racing correspondent Cornelius Lysaght

What a pity there's no chance that they will ever meet - Cracksman is retired to stud and Winx is not an international traveller - but these are two fabulous racehorses.

The feeling in the northern hemisphere is that Cracksman beat stronger opponents so is better, while - surprise, surprise - the assessment is turned on its head down under.

What is true is that Winx is simply a phenomenon and to have run up that sequence of wins is extraordinary; Frankel got to 14.

The controversial call here, perhaps, is putting Enable comfortably behind them. A third Arc for her in 2019 might change that.