Breeding & Racing Magazine

Black Caviar Officially World's Best Racehorse

Australia's unbeaten 4YO sprinting mare Black Caviar (Bel Esprit-Helsinge, by Desert Sun) has been officially rated the world's best racehorse in yesterday's 1st release of World Thoroughbred Rankings for 2011 by the International Federation Of Horse Authorities in Paris. Her 3-lengths victory (despite carrying top-weight) in the Gr1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington in Melbourne on March 12 (clocking 1min 7.36sec, the fastest in the 137-year history of the race, despite being eased down over the final 100m) was rated at 130 by the IFHA - the best performance by a thoroughbred anywhere in the world for the 6-month period from 1 October 2010-27 March 2011. Black Caviar is now:

• The highest-rated sprinter since the World Thoroughbred Rankings commenced, eclipsing Oasis Dream (125 in 2003)
• The first sprinter to head the World Thoroughbred Rankings
• The 1st Australian horse to head the World Thoroughbred Rankings
• The highest-rated Australian horse, eclipsing So You Think (126 in 2010)
• The equal-highest-rated mare, joining French champion Goldikova (130 in 2009)