Fairer method of ranking would have seen Enable crowned champion

Sam Walker reflects on a system that ignores consistency and versatility

Enable and Crystal Ocean head to head in the King GeorgeCredit: Edward Whitaker

The World's Best Racehorse Rankings method is unique in sport. Its flaw is that hanging everything on a single run fundamentally ignores consistency and versatility, while propping up one-race wonders and forgiving horses who lose more than they win.

Rankings methods in other sports use performance ratings but they often take in a range of results and give weight to recent or more important events.

The World Ranking is an important measure that tells us how good a horse was on its best day but it doesn't encapsulate a whole career and it's sometimes misleading to crown the highest-rated horse the world champion.

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Published on 22 January 2020inIn Focus

Last updated 18:59, 22 January 2020

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