Ghaiyyath the greatest as Godolphin star is named best in the world for 2020

Ghaiyyath has been named the world's best racehorse at the Longines World Racing Awards after a stellar 2020 campaign which saw him win three Group 1s and achieve an official rating of 130.

Owned by Godolphin, the son of Dubawi was a dominant winner of the Coronation Cup in June before getting the better of Enable in a pulsating clash in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown.

On his next start, Ghaiyyath defeated star mare Magical, Prince of Wales's Stakes winner Lord North and 2,000 Guineas hero Kameko in the Juddmonte International at York.

That three-length success was rated the finest of Ghaiyyath's career, with the race itself named the highest-rated contest of 2020 by Longines.

Watch: Ghaiyyath's success in the Juddmonte International was the best race of 2020 according to world rankings

Trained by Charlie Appleby, Ghaiyyath tasted his only defeat of the year when Magical reversed York placings in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown the following month.

Appleby said: "It's a great privilege to be involved with a horse like Ghaiyyath. Right from the start he's been one of the horses we've been most fond of and to train a horse like this for His Highness Sheikh Mohammed is an honour.

"The 2020 season was a year in which we felt as if he was the finished article. He started with a devastating performance in the Dubai Millennium at Meydan and then came into the European season both mentally and physically ready to go to war.

"His victory in the Juddmonte was the most pleasing for me. I felt that it confirmed what we'd seen in the Eclipse when he beat Enable. Some may have thought it was the luck of the run at Sandown, but he went and confirmed it all at York."

William Buick partnered Ghaiyyath on 11 of his 13 career starts, including all four in 2020. "I don't think much phased him last year, he was the complete package," Buick said.

"We could have thrown anything at him, as a world champion you have to have everything and he ticked every box. On pure ability and flair, he's the best middle-distance horse I have ever ridden. On his day I don't think there's a horse who could have beaten him, his amazing performances spoke for themselves."

The six-year-old was retired following the conclusion of Britain's turf season and has now joined his father Dubawi among the ranks of Godolphin's sires.

Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic winner Authentic was named the second-highest rated horse of the year with a mark of 126.

The remaining eight names in the top ten were all given ratings of 125 and include European star milers Palace Pier and Persian King, Champion Stakes winner Addeybb as well as Stradivarius.

Tiz The Law, who won three Grade 1s in 2020, including the Belmont Stakes and the Travers Stakes, rounded out the top ten along with eastern sprinters Bivouac and Classique Legend.

With a mark of 125, Stradivarius becomes the highest-rated stayer since Minster Son in 1988, thanks in large part to his devastating ten-length victory in the Ascot Gold Cup, a race he has now won three times.

Stradivarius's jockey Frankie Dettori picked up a third successive Longines jockey of the year award after another superb season in which he rode nine Group 1 winners.

Dettori, who is currently in Dubai taking part in the winter carnival, said: "This is a great honour for me to win the award for the third year in a row.

"Who would have thought that at my age I could still do it? It's great that through these awards jockeys can get recognised around the world.

"Stradivarius has been a household favourite around the word for some time now and Palace Pier is a wonderful miler, but it goes without saying that Enable is the horse I loved most in my life.

"She's captured people's imaginations around the world and despite not being able to win three Arcs she managed to win the King George three times. Now she's retired to the breeding sheds I do miss her a lot, but I think she gave racing and the public so much joy."

The International Stakes became the first British race to be named the top Group 1 of the year by Longines since the award was inaugurated in 2015.

'It was a thrill to witness'

Chief executive of York racecourse William Derby said: "This is just a huge honour and thrill. We are always trying to attract the best horses and jockeys to race on the Knavesmire and we're so appreciative to be named number one against all the wonderful races around the world.

"To have those Group 1 horses turn up for our flagship race was just fantastic. To then see the race unfold with all the stories and subplots within it was a thrill to witness.

"We're so grateful to Longines and the IFHA for compiling these ratings, ranking all the Group 1s from around the world based on the first four horses home.

"To come top is fabulous for us here at York and we're so thankful to all of the connections of those horses in the race and to Juddmonte, without whom we wouldn't be able to stage such a magnificent contest."

The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe collected the prize in 2015 and three ensuing years (2017, 2018, 2019), while the Breeders' Cup Classic claimed the spoils in 2016.

The Irish Champion Stakes came in second in the rankings, with the Coral-Eclipse, Prix Jacques le Marois and Ascot's Champion Stakes also featuring among the top ten.

Longines World's Best Racehorse rankings

1. Ghaiyyath130
2. Authentic126
3. Addeybb 125
3. Stradivarius125
3. Bivouac125
3. Classique Legend125
3. Palace Pier125
3. Persian King125
3. Tiz The Law125

Longines top ten Group 1s of 2020

1. Juddmonte InternationalYork
2. Irish Champion StakesLeopardstown
3. Tokyo
4. Breeders' Cup TurfKeeneland
5. Tenno Sho (Autumn)Kyoto
6.Coral-EclipseSandown
7. Yasuda KinenTokyo
8. Prix Jacques le MaroisDeauville
9. Champion StakesAscot
10. Arima KinenNakayama

Read more on this subject . . .

Godolphin firing on all cylinders and ready to build on Ghaiyyath's success (Members' Club)

A moderate year – but worthy champion Ghaiyyath is head and shoulders clear (Members' Club)

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