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IRISH THOROUGHBRED RANKINGS 2025
OVERVIEW
The three-year-old filly Minnie Hauk (IRE)(123) has been acknowledged as the best female horse in the World in 2025 (on any surface), the first time ever an Irish trained filly/mare has achieved this accolade in any given year. While Minnie Hauk won three Group 1 races confined to fillies in 2025 her best performance was in a narrow defeat to French three-year-old colt Daryz (FR)(127) in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1). Apart from Minnie Hauk topping the 12f three-year-old filly category other Irish trained Turf World champions in individual distance categories included her stablemates, Delacroix (IRE)(125) who was top turf three-year-old colt at 10f in the World, Whirl (IRE)(120) was top three-year-old filly at 10f, Scandinavia (USA)(118) was joint top three-year-old stayer and Lake Victoria(IRE)(115) was joint top three-year-old female miler.
Ten of the 13 Group 1 races held in Ireland in 2025 were won by domestically trained horses and, of these Group 1 races, four of them merited inclusion in the Longines World Listing of Top 100 Group 1 races in 2025; Tattersalls Gold Cup (Joint 10th), The Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes (Joint 16th),Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas (Joint 60th) and the Paddy Power Pretty Polly (Joint 97th) which was also the fourth highest rated G1 race confined to female horses. 2025 also marked the first time since 2009 that Irish bred horses topped the Longines Rankings in both the male and female categories.
In the European Juvenile Classification, stablemates Precise(IRE)(115) and True Love (IRE)(115) shared the accolade of joint Champion two-year-old filly, the seventh consecutive year that Irish trained juvenile fillies have achieved this mantle.
FOUR YEAR OLDS AND UPWARDS
Jan Brueghel (IRE)(125) was the highest rated older horse in Ireland in 2025 and joint top overall with younger stablemate Delacroix(125). One would have to go back to Excelebration(IRE)(130) in 2012 to find a higher rated champion older horse in Ireland. Rated joint champion three-year-old stayer in the World in 2025 (117), Jan Brueghel improved markedly to defeat subsequent World Champion racehorse Calandagan(FR(130) in winning the Betfred Coronation Cup (G1) at Epsom in June.
Al Riffa(FR)(120) emulated his 2024 level of rating in winning the Comer Group International Irish St Leger (G1) at the Curragh in September while Diego Velasquez(IRE)(120) exceeded his 119 rating from 2024 when defeating European Champion Older Miler Notable Speech(GB)(122) in the Aga Khan Studs Prix Jacques le Marois (G1) in Deauville in August.
THREE YEARS OLDS
There were an unprecedented five individual World three-year-old champions in different distance categories on turf trained in Ireland in 2025. Minnie Hauk(123)is the highest Irish trained three-year-old filly since Alpha Centauri(IRE)(124) in 2018 and second only to Found(IRE)(124) in 2016 among females trained at Ballydoyle by Aidan O’Brien. She became the third filly this decade to complete the Betfred Epsom Oaks (G1)/ Juddmonte Irish Oaks (G1) double following in the footsteps of Snowfall(JPN)(120) in 2021and Love(IRE)(122) in 2020 both also trained by O’Brien. She defeated stablemate Whirl (120) at Epsom but the latter won two Group 1 fillies races; the Paddy Power Pretty Polly Stakes (G1) at the Curragh defeating joint Top Older Mare Kalpana(GB)(120) but her best performance was in winning the Qatar Nassau Stakes (G1) at Goodwood in July which made her top filly in the World over 10f and second only to Minnie Hauk overall.
Delacroix(125) was the top Irish three-year-old colt and top World three-year-old turf 10f horse for winning both the Coral Eclipse (G1) at Sandown and the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes (G1) at Leopardstown in September. This double has been achieved seven times this century most recently by St Mark’s Basilica(FR)(127) back in 2021. Scandinavia(118) was joint top World three-year-old stayer and won the Betfred St Leger (G1) at Doncaster but his best performance was in beating his older stablemate Illinois(IRE)(117) in the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup (G1). Champion European two-year-old filly in 2024, Lake Victoria(115) was joint top three-year-old turf filly miler for her performance in winning the Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas(G1) impressively. Lambourn(IRE)(120) became the eighth colt this century to do the Betfred Epsom Derby (G1)/ Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby (G1) double but he would be the lowest rated of those just behind Harzand(121) in 2016.
LONGINES WORLD’S BEST RACEHORSE RANKINGS 2025
OVERVIEW
The French trained four-year-old gelding Calandagan (IRE)(130) has earned the accolade of Longines World’s Best Racehorse in 2025. While he was the only horse to breach the 130 barrier, it should be noted that there was no less than nine horses rated at 127 or higher in 2025, the first time this many have rated so highly since the inaugural World Rankings Classification back in 2004 testifying to a strong overall racing year. The top female racehorse in 2025 was Irish three-year-old filly Minnie Hauk(IRE)(123), the first time an Irish trained filly/mare has topped the World Rankings in any given year.
Calandagan is the first French trained older horse to top the Longines Rankings outright since Manduro(GER)(131) back in 2007. Rated 125 in 2024, Calandagan improved from mid-summer onwards winning four consecutive Group 1 races. His best performance was over 10f in the Qipco Champion Stakes (G1) at Ascot in October where he defeated two high class dual Group 1 winners in 2025; the British trained four-year-old Ombudsman(IRE)(128) and the Irish trained three-year-old Delacroix(IRE)(125). He then became the first European horse to win the Japan Cup (G1, 12F) in 20 years defeating the locally trained three-year-old Masquerade Ball (JPN)(128) and Dubai Sheema Classic (G1) winner Danon Decile(JPN)(125).
Masquerade Ball(JPN)(128) is the highest ever Japanese trained three-year-old (exceeding the 126 figure given to Equinox(JPN) in 2022 in 2022) and, among three-year-olds historically, his rating would be second only to Cracksman(GB)(130) in 2017 since Frankel(GB)(136) back in 2011.
The other Turf horse rated joint second in the World in 2025 on 128 was the Hong Kong trained sprinter Ka Ying Rising(NZ)(128). Rated 121 in 2024, he was unbeaten in 2025 annexing five Group 1 races including the Tab Everest (G1) in Sydney in October and he is now the highest rated Hong Kong trained racehorse ever, just ahead of the 127-rated Able Friend(AUS) in 2014, Beauty Generation(AUS) in 2018 and 2019 and Romantic Warrior(IRE) in 2025. His level of 128 is the same as Japanese sprinter Lord Kanaloa(JPN) in 2013 and they are second only to Australian mare Black Caviar(132) among sprinters this century.
Two dirt horses also rate joint second in the 2025 rankings on 128. Japanese trained four-year-old colt Forever Young(JPN)(128) put up two outstanding performances in 2025, firstly, in outduelling Hong Kong trained Romantic Warrior(IRE)(127) in the Saudi Cup (G1) in February before winning the Longines Breeders Cup Classic (G1) at Del Mar in October. Rated 121 in 2024, he improved in 2025 to defeat the two USA trained horses who had defeated him in the same race the previous year namely Sierra Leone(USA)(127) and Fierceness(USA)(125). In the process he became the first Japanese horse to top the World Dirt Rankings and the highest Japanese trained dirt horse this century (ahead of Kurofune(USA)(125) in 2001).
Sovereignty(USA)(128) joint top with Forver Young on dirt, was the outstanding USA trained three-year-old colt in 2025. Winning the two legs of the Triple Crown that he contested where he defeated Journalism(USA)(122) before winning the Draftking Travers Stakes (G1) by a wide margin in Saratoga in August. Illness prevented him from taking on the older horses in the Breeders’ Cup Classic but he is the highest rated three-year-old on dirt since American Pharoah(USA) in 2015 and Arrogate(USA)(134) in 2016.
Irish trained three-year-old filly Minnie Hauk(IRE)(123) was the highest rated filly /mare in the World in 2025, three pounds clear of Australian trained mare Via Sistina(IRE)(120) (7lbs below her 2024 level but still joint top rated Australian trained horse in 2025), stablemate Whirl(IRE)(120) and British-trained Kalpana(GB)(120)who ran second to Calandagan(IRE)(130) in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1) at Ascot in July. Minnie Hauk won three Group 1’s against her own sex but her best performance was in defeat to top European three-year-old colt Daryz(FR)(127) in the Qatar Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe (G1) in Paris in October. The top-rated female on dirt was the USA trained Thorpedo Anna(USA) on 119, 1lb lower than in 2024.