Sottsass rated top three-year-old but lack of quality impacts on overall figures

An absence of any outstanding three-year-olds was a key factor in Enable, Crystal Ocean and Waldgeist last year reaching a mark of only 128 according to one of the international handicappers charged with assessing the class of 2019.

Although topping the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings, the three European middle-distance stars found themselves drawing level with Rock Of Gibraltar, who until now had been the sport's lowest-rated world champion since international classifications began in 1977.

However, the Classic crop fared even worse, with Prix du Jockey Club winner Sottsass – third to Waldgeist and Enable in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe – proving best on only 123, making him the worst three-year-old champion ever recorded.

"I think the older horses were unlucky," said Phil Smith, co-chairman of the rankings committee. "It's only when you take on high-rated horses that you get high ratings. Unfortunately, in 2019 the older horse couldn't take on any really good three-year-olds because they weren't there.

"I believe Enable, Crystal Ocean and Waldgeist were all potentially better than they showed in 2019 but they were running against each other and not taking on superstar three-year-olds. As a result, all three got marooned on 128."

Prior to Sottsass, I'll Have Another's 125 in 2012 is the lowest figure recorded for a champion three-year-old, while since 2016 Arrogate, Cracksman and Roaring Lion achieved 134, 130 and 127 respectively.

"Three-year-olds across the world were down on the usual numbers," said Smith. "It wasn't just in one jurisdiction, it was everywhere. The problem we faced with the three-year-olds of 2019 was there was no way of rating them higher.

"As an example, Too Darn Hot was rated 126 as a two-year-old in 2018. In 2019 he won two Group 1 races but was rated only 121. Due to the weight-for-age scale you need to find considerable improvement simply to stand still, so Too Darn Hot did improve, but he made less than normal progress.

"We know it looks really weird, and during our meeting we were asking if we had missed anything, but the truth is it's really difficult to make a strong case for any of the three-year-olds being rated higher.

"This hasn't happened before, so the hope is it was just a one-off, but I've learned never to be certain of anything when you're rating horses."

Smith also admitted that when the sport's top handicappers discussed the year's final figures, one member of the panel had argued Japan's Cox Plate heroine Lys Gracieux should sweep to the top of the table thanks to her stunning success in the Arima Kinen on December 22.

That handicapper – who was not representing Japan – was unsuccessful, with Lys Gracieux ending up bracketed alongside Battaash, Ghaiyyath and Vino Rosso on 126. Just above them on 127 was crack Hong Kong miler Beauty Generation.

Smith added: "When the international handicappers met, a number of people made a case that Enable should be clear at the top. Somebody made a case for Crystal Ocean, somebody made a case for Waldgeist and somebody also made a case for Lys Gracieux. You can make all those cases but I think the committee eventually came to the right decision.

"The Arima Kinen was an incredibly strong race but we couldn't and shouldn't have put Lys Gracieux on 129 purely to have one horse alone at the top.

"With all fillies you also have to dock 3lb due to the fillies' allowance. If you added on the allowance Enable would be world champion, with Lys Gracieux in second. It would be wrong to do that, though."

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