Best in the world? Calandagan may be a class act but this global superstar should have been top
Paul Curtis gives his verdict on the Longines World Racing Awards

Calandagan's position at the head of the World's Best Racehorse Rankings for 2025 was in the bag ever since his decisive defeat of Ombudsman in the Champion Stakes in October, a performance that took him to the top of the official ratings with an elite mark of 130.
With five horses tied for second spot on an official mark of 128, this latest edition of the world rankings reflects a strong year among the elite performers.
While Calandagan was certainly the best in Europe, whether he really led the world in 2025 is questionable. Not for the first time, Hong Kong sprint form has been undervalued in the rankings, meaning superstar speedster Ka Ying Rising is left with a share of second spot in the official lists on 128.
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Published on inWorld Rankings
Last updated
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