IT’S OFFICIAL!

Australia’s unbeaten 4YO sprinting mare Black Caviar (Bel Esprit) 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 Group One 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)

ANZ Classifications Committee chairman (& Australia’s representative on the World Thoroughbred Rankings Committee) Greg Carpenter said the IFHA announcement was “monumental” and declared: “This is a landmark day for Australian racing with Black Caviar heading the list of the Top 50 active thoroughbred racehorses in the world. Winners at the Dubai World Cup meeting, US Breeders Cup meeting, Hong Kong International meeting and French Arc De Triomphe have all been rated inferior to Black Caviar.
“That helps put into context the enormity of her achievement in winning the Group One Newmarket Handicap and indeed her amazing sprinting performances over the past six months. It is particularly pleasing that she has broken ground for sprinters in the World Thoroughbred Rankings and showcased the growing strength of Australian racing on the world stage.”