A trio of European runners headed up the year’s Ranking after competing against each other throughout the year, trading victories as they did so. Crystal Ocean (GB), Enable (GB) and Waldgeist (GB) all shared a Ranking of 128.
Crystal Ocean won the Prince of Wales’s Stakes (G1), while Waldgeist was third; Enable beat Crystal Ocean by a neck in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes (G1) with Waldgeist in third; and Waldgeist turned the tables on Enable when he defeated her in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1).
Fourth position is held by Hong Kong champion Beauty Generation with 127. A powerhouse at the beginning of 2019, he reeled off five consecutive victories at Sha Tin from January to October, including the Celebration Cup (G3). Beauty Generation carried 133lbs in that handicap, spotting his rivals up to 20lbs, to earn his rating.
Japan’s Horse Of The Year Lys Gracieux with 126 shared fifth place with Battaash (IRE), Ghaiyyath (IRE) and Vino Rosso (USA).
Battaash impressed in the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes (G1); Ghaiyyath took the LONGINES Grosser Preis von Baden (G1) by 14 lengths; Lys Gracieux closed out the year in style in the Arima Kinen (G1) as well as winning Australia’s WS Cox Plate (G1); and Vino Rosso was victorious in the LONGINES Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) to sit in the co-fifth position.
The Top 10 for 2019 is rounded out by three horses in co-ninth place after each being rated at 125.
Benbatl (GB) romped in the Shadwell Joel Stakes (G2); Japan’s Glory Vase (JPN) lived up to his name in the LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (G1) at Sha Tin; and the mighty Winx (AUS), the 2018 co-Longines World’s Best Racehorse, earned her highest rating of 2019 in the TAB Chipping Norton Stakes (G1) at Randwick.
Overall, 296 horses, trained in 17 different countries, were rated 115 or higher.
Full list of the 2019 LONGINES World's Best Racehorse rankings
