THE LONGINES WORLD’S BEST RACEHORSE RANKINGS

The official listing of the world’s best racehorses

(For 3yos and upwards which raced between 1st January and 8th November 2026)

 

Two Japan-based horses, DANON DECILE (JPN) [124] and T O ELVIS (USA) [124], feature in the ninth edition of the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings for 2026.

 

 

 

LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings

 

Leading Horses

 

click here for complete rankings

 

 

Rank

Horse

Rating

Trained

1

KA YING RISING (NZ)

135

HK

2

OMBUDSMAN (IRE)

131

GB

3

DARYZ (FR)

128

FR

4

BOW ECHO (IRE)

127

GB

5

ITEM (GB)

126

GB

5

ROMANTIC WARRIOR (IRE)

126

HK

 

 

Danon Decile joins this year’s rankings following his dominant victory in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) (G1), which he won by 2 ½ lengths.

 

T O Elvis improved his rating to 124 from 120 when he won the Cygames Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) by 1 ¼ lengths over ENGLISHMAN (USA) [122]. Earlier this year, T O Elvis won the Churchill Downs Stakes Presented by Ford (G1).

 

Others to impress during the Breeders’ Cup World Championships include DETERMINISTIC (USA) [122] and THE PUMA (USA) [122]. Deterministic defeated NOTABLE SPEECH (GB) [125] by three-quarters of a length in the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile Presented by PDJF (G1). His other top-level victories this year include the Fourstardave Stakes (G1) and Resorts World Casino Manhattan Stakes (G1).

 

The Puma is now ranked following his second-place finish to SOVEREIGNTY (USA) [125] in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1). In his previous start, The Puma won the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) over Further Ado (USA), who went on to win the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1).

 

Additionally, TALK OF NEW YORK (GB) [123] joins the rankings after his efforts on British Champions Day. He won the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Sponsored by Qatar Racing) (G1) by 1 ¼ lengths over TEN BOB TONY (IRE) [121]. Talk Of New York came into the race off of a victory in the Betway Joel Stakes (G2).

 

 

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The LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings are compiled by the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings Committee and published by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA).

 

For further details on the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings, please contact:


Greg Carpenter, co-chairman, LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings Committee

Head of Racing Product, The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Telephone +852 2966 5901
Email
greg.carpenter@hkjc.org.hk

 

Dominic Gardiner-Hill, co-chairman, LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings Committee

Head of Handicapping, British Horseracing Authority

E-mail dgardinerhill@britishhorseracing.com

 

 

Tom Robbins, chairman, North American Ratings Committee

Executive Vice President, Racing & Industry Relations, Racing Secretary, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club

Telephone +1 858 792 4230

Email tomr@dmtc.com

 

 

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The full list and further information on the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings are available on the IFHA website http://www.ifhaonline.org.

 

The next edition of the rankings is the year-end 2026 LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings, which will be released in January 2027.

 

 

 

E-Mail: achesser@jockeyclub.com