Press
release
Winx and Cracksman named
the 2018 Longines World’s Best Racehorses, Qatar Prix de l’Arc
de Triomphe crowned Longines World’s Best Horse Race for the third time
London (GB) /
Saint-Imier (Switzerland), January 23, 2019 – Swiss
watchmaking brand Longines and the International Federation of Horseracing
Authorities (IFHA) were proud to honour the 2018 top Thoroughbred racehorses
and horse race during a ceremony at the iconic Landmark hotel in London. The Australian
mare Winx and the British horse Cracksman were both crowned
the 2018 Longines World’s Best Racehorses. Accelerate, from America, was ranked
third. On this occasion, the 2018 Longines World’s Best Horse Race award was
given to the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe for the
third time.
On
Wednesday January 23, Longines and its long-time partner the International
Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), were delighted to host the 2018 Longines
World’s Best Racehorse and Longines World’s Best Horse Race ceremony in London.
With an equal rating of 130, Winx and Cracksman were
together declared the 2018 Longines World’s Best Racehorses.
Winx
has been in the Top 10 of the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings since
2015 and has been the highest rated filly/mare in the world since 2016. In
2018, she claimed overall top honours during a season that culminated in her
becoming the only horse in history to win the Ladbrokes Cox Plate four times.
As
co-winner, Cracksman impressed as well, with his trademark victory coming in
the QIPCO Champion Stakes on British Champions Day at Ascot, where Longines is
a Main Partner and the Official Timekeeper. The British runner was campaigned
by the same connections as Golden Horn, the 2015 highest rated turf horse in
the world. Cracksman’s jockey in 2018 was Frankie Dettori,
who was named Longines World’s Best Jockey in 2018 as well as in 2015.
Accelerate,
with a rating of 128, was honoured as the third-highest rated horse in the
world during the ceremony, which for the first time was held at the iconic Landmark
hotel in London. Accelerate was the dominant older horse in America in 2018,
and Longines was proud to time his great victory in the Breeder’s Cup Classic at
Churchill Downs.
This classification is established by international handicappers
according to the performance of the horses
in top international races. Last year, Arrogate from the United States was named the 2017 Longines
World’s Best Racehorse following his epic victories in the Pegasus World Cup in
Florida and the Dubai World Cup.
The representatives of the three winning horses were presented with elegant
Longines watches. The connections of Winx and
Cracksman also received a replica of the Longines World’s Best Racehorse vase from
IFHA representatives.
One ceremony, two awards
On
this occasion, Longines and the IFHA were also proud to award the Qatar Prix de
l’Arc de Triomphe as the 2018 Longines World’s Best
Horse Race. Longines is proud to be the Official Partner and Official
Timekeeper of this mythic race that takes in Paris, and attracts the best
horses, breeders, trainers and owners from all over the world.
France Galop President Edouard de Rothschild was in London this Wednesday
to accept the award. He was presented with an elegant Longines timepiece, a
commemorative plate and a replica trophy representing a proud horse head. The
first four finishers of the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de
Triomphe in 2018 were Enable, Sea Of Class, Cloth Of
Stars, and Waldgeist. The Arc also won the award in
2017 and was the inaugural winner of the Longines World’s Best Horse Race Award
in 2015.
The Longines World’s Best Horse Race award recognizes the best-rated
race of the highest-rated Group 1 international races as established by a panel
of international handicappers. The ratings of the top four finishers in each
race serve as basis for the assessment.
Longines and the IFHA: a
long-term partnership and common values
Passionate about horse racing since more than a century, Longines is
proud to be the Official Partner and Official Watch of IFHA, and to lend its
name to the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings. The long-term partnership
between Longines and the IFHA has seen the establishment of a prestigious set
of awards aimed to honour the excellence of
horseracing. The Longines World’s Best Racehorse and Horse Race Award, the
Longines and IFHA International Award of Merit, and the Longines World’s Best
Jockey Award respectively pay tribute to the racehorses, horse races,
personalities, and jockeys who excel at the highest level of the sport.
About
Longines
Longines has been based
in Saint-Imier in Switzerland since 1832. Its
watchmaking expertise reflects a strong devotion to tradition, elegance and
performance. Longines has generations of experience as official timekeeper of
world championships and as partner of international sports federation.
For
further information please contact:
Longines International
Public Relations
2610 Saint-Imier, Switzerland
About the International
Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA):
The
International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) is the world peak
body for the international sport of Thoroughbred racing. Its 60 members are the
national racing authorities across the globe which stage Thoroughbred races.
Major areas of the
IFHA’s activities include:
·
Making
and amending the International Agreement on Breeding, Racing and Wagering (the
IABRW)
·
Policy
development relating to welfare and safety of horses and riders
·
International
Race Planning and Grading (“black type”)
·
World
Rankings
·
The
fight against Equine Prohibited Substances and Practices
·
Harmonization
of Race Day Rules
·
Certification
of IFHA Reference Labs
·
Fostering
commercial development of the racing industry globally
The IFHA is a
foundation member with Fédération Equestre
Internationale (FEI) of the International Horse Sports Confederation and is
affiliated to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).
E-Mail : achesser@jockeyclub.com