Three-way tie for world’s best racehorse

Arc winner Waldgeist (l) and Enable (r) are joined by Crystal Ocean in a 3-way tie for world’s best.

In a three-way tie, Enable, Crystal Ocean and Waldgeist have been named as the top-rated horses in the world.

The John Gosden-trained Enable just failed in October to become the first horse to win the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe three times.

The horse who denied her a special place in history three months ago was Waldgeist, who had previously finished behind Enable three times for trainer Andre Fabre.

Crystal Ocean, trained by Sir Michael Stoute, was involved in two races which ranked among the best in the world last year.

He came off second-best to Enable in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes, before his Royal Ascot win in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes.

The three could not be separated in the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings, presented in London on Wednesday (Thursday AEDT) with each awarded a rating of 128.

Now-retired champion Winx is the only Australian horse in the top 10 with a rating of 125 for her Chipping Norton Stakes win in March.

Crystal Ocean earned his rating in the King George, as he was carrying 3lbs (1.5kg) more than Enable; Enable received her rating for her dominant victory in the Yorkshire Oaks and Waldgeist achieved his rating following the Arc.

Hong Kong champion Beauty Generation ended 2019 fourth while Cox Plate winner, Japanese mare Lys Gracieux, was in a group in fifth position.

Gosden said he was pleased Enable would stay in training and he looked forward to another stellar year.

“She was phenomenal throughout the year. She’s been nothing but magnificent and loves racing,” Gosden said.

“We will be looking to start her off in June for something like Royal Ascot.

“She will tell us when she’s ready to go and the decision will be made by the filly herself.”

Fabre said while Waldgeist was not at his best at three, he had come into his own as an older horse.

“He was really at his best when he was four and five, winning Group Ones,” he said

“Winning the Arc with him, beating Enable, was one of the best days. When a horse stays in training like he did you get so attached to them, so it was very emotional.”

The owner and breeder of Crystal Ocean, Sir Evelyn de Rothschild, praised the toughness of his star horse, who was out of the first three only twice in his career.

“It’s a very proud moment among many horses we have bred in this industry, but he is one of the greatest of them all,” he said.

“He was the most consistent, he always tried and always succeeded.”