Black Caviar, Treve, Wise Dan Honored at World’s Best Racehorse Ceremony
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Mr. Louis Romanet, Chairman of the International Federation of Horseracing Authories (left) and Mr. Juan-Carlos Capelli, vice president and head of international marketing of Longines (right), present a trophy and a Longines watch to Mr. Neil Werrett and Miss Lena Attebo representing Black Caviar, and to Mrs. Criquette Head-Maarek (second from right), trainer of Treve, the joint top-ranked racehorses at the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Ceremony.
Black Caviar and Treve were honored as the highest-rated horses in the world during the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Ceremony at the gala dinner of the Longines Hong Kong International Races, held on Dec. 6 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Wise Dan also was honored as the third highest-rated horse in the world.
Both Black Caviar and Treve achieved a rating of 130 for 2013. Wise Dan earned a rating of 129.
The Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings are horse racing’s equivalent to world rankings by other major sporting organizations and are based on the ratings earned by horses running worldwide from North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, South Africa, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.
Racing officials and handicappers representing the five continents compile the ratings under the auspices of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA).
This marked the first year that the three highest-rated horses on the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings and their owners were honored at the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Ceremony.
Representatives of Longines and the IFHA, and the winners, smile for a group photo after the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Prize Presentation Ceremony.
IFHA Chairman Louis Romanet and Juan-Carlos Capelli, vice president and head of international marketing of Longines, presented the awards to the connections of the three horses.
The full list and further information on the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings are available on the IFHA website at ifhaonline.org.
The year-end edition of the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings will be published on 16th January 2014.
The highest-rated sprinter in the world in 2010, 2011 and 2012, Black Caviar returned to the races in 2013 with a victory in the appropriately named Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes in February at Flemington Racecourse. The great mare followed up that success with a 4-length triumph in the Group 1 Hacer Group William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley Racecourse. She capped her incredible career with a win in the Group 1 Darley T. J. Smith Stakes at Randwick Racecourse.
Black Caviar retired undefeated with 25 victories from 25 starts and 15 wins at the Group 1 level. A 7-year-old mare bred in Australia, she was trained Peter Moody and ridden to victory in 2013 by Luke Nolen.
French 3-year-old filly Treve completed an undefeated campaign in 2013, displaying sheer brilliance in each of her four starts. After success in the Prix Perruche Bleu in May at Saint Cloud Racecourse, Treve won her first Group 1 race in the Prix de Diane (French Oaks) at Chantilly by 4 lengths. She returned to the races with a triumph in the Group 1 Qatar Prix Vermeille, defeating a top class field of older fillies and mares at Longchamp Racecourse. A fitting conclusion to Treve’s 2013 was reached with a brilliant 5-length victory in the Group 1 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, also at Longchamp Racecourse. Treve’s scintillating win saw her beat 10 Group 1 winners and confirmed her as the best long-distance racehorse in the world. Treve was bred in France by Haras Du Quesnay and was owned by her breeder in her first two races in 2013. She was subsequently purchased by Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani and carried his silks to wins in the Group 1 Qatar Prix Vermeille and the Group 1 Qatar Prix de l’Arcrc de Triomphe. Treve is trained by Criquette Head-Maarek and was ridden to wins in 2013 by both Thierry Jarnet and Frankie Dettori.
As the reigning United States Horse of the Year, Wise Dan won six races from seven starts, winning all six of his races on turf. He began his season with wins in the Grade 1 Maker’s 46 Mile Stakes, Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic, and the Grade 2 Firecracker Handicap, a race he won in 2011. Wise Dan also repeated his 2012 win in the Grade 2 Fourstardave Handicap and dominated the Grade 1 Ricoh Woodbine Mile Stakes, winning by 3 ½ lengths. He suffered his lone defeat in 2013 when finishing second in the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes, a race run on Keeneland Race Course’s all-weather surface after a torrential rainstorm left the turf course unsuitable for racing. Wise Dan rebounded from that loss to score a repeat win in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, defeating a world-class field. A 6-year-old gelding bred in the United States, Wise Dan is bred and owned by Mr. Morton Fink and trained by Charles LoPresti.