Metropolis of Troy, Laurel River Share 2024 Longines World’s Finest Racehorse Award

Members of the racing trade from all over the world gathered on the historic Savoy Lodge in central London Jan. 21 to honor equine excellence from the 2024 racing season through the Longines World Racing Awards.

For simply the fifth time within the award’s 22-year historical past, and first since 2019, there was a tie for the title of Longines World’s Finest Racehorse, with Metropolis of Troy and Laurel River every awarded the best ranking of 128.

Metropolis of Troy, a 3-year-old son of Triple Crown winner Justify, was bred in Kentucky by Coolmore and raced in Europe beneath the attention of Aidan O’Brien. The highest-rated turf horse on the Longines leaderboard, he acquired his 128 ranking with a sensational front-running rating within the Aug. 21 Juddmonte Worldwide Stakes at York Racecourse, defeating Royal Ascot winner Calandagan by one size whereas breaking the two,050-meter (about 1 1/4-mile) course document. Farther again within the discipline had been Bluestocking, eventual winner of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, ending fourth; and Japanese St. Leger winner Durezza in fifth.

O’Brien, together with jockey Ryan Moore and Coolmore representatives Christy Grassick and Sam Pearson, had been readily available to just accept the trophy and Longines timepieces.

“It’s all a part of a crew effort,” Grassick stated. “This horse from day one has performed every little thing excellent.”

Metropolis of Troy grew to become the primary Irish-trained horse to win the award since Sea The Stars was honored in 2009.

Juddmonte’s Laurel River can be a Kentucky-bred, giving American-bred horses three of the final 4 Longines World’s Finest Racehorse Awards.

His 128 ranking and designation because the top-rated filth horse on this planet stemmed from his March 30 domination within the Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline at Meydan. Opening an insurmountable lead turning for residence, Laurel River cruised to an 8 1/2-length win over 2023 Dubai World Cup winner Ushba Tesoro and Saudi Cup victor Senor Buscador. The sector additionally included Grade/Group 1 winners Dura Erede, Defunded, Kabirkhan, and Newgate.

Educated by Bhupat Seemar, Laurel River grew to become the primary United Arab Emirates-trained horse to be rated as the highest racehorse on this planet and the third to obtain the distinction for his efficiency within the World Cup. Moreover, he etched his identify onto a powerful record of Juddmonte homebreds to obtain the award, becoming a member of Frankel (2011-’12), Arrogate (2016-’17), and Allow (2019).

“If you’re on this sport and are nominated to be the co-highest rated horses on this planet — it doesn’t occur typically,” stated Seemar, who accepted the award alongside Juddmonte CEO Douglas Erskine Crum. “Laurel River has simply been an absolute sensation ever since he got here to the stables.”

Ladbrokes W. S. Cox Plate winner By way of Sistina completed the season ranked third, whereas King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Goliath was fourth.

The very best American-trained runners had been 3-year-old colts Fierceness and Sierra Leone. Each tied for fifth place with a 125 ranking off their victories within the DraftKings Travers Stakes and Longines Breeders’ Cup Basic, respectively.

Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Insurgent’s Romance completed in a tie for eleventh, and Grade 1 winners Cogburn, Dornoch, and Nationwide Treasure had been tied amongst a bigger group at twenty fourth. 5-time Grade 1 winner Thorpedo Anna, the main contender to win Horse of the Yr in the USA, was a part of a 19-horse tie for thirty fifth that included Kentucky Derby Introduced by Woodford Reserve winner Mystik Dan and Senor Buscador.

Metropolis of Troy’s Juddmonte Worldwide additionally acquired honors because the Longines World’s Finest Horse Race with a ranking of 124.25. The ranking is set based mostly off the Longines scores of the highest 4 finishers. The Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course completed because the runner-up with a ranking of 123.75 because of Fierceness (125), Thorpedo Anna (120), Sierra Leone (125), and Dornoch (124) all ending within the prime 50-rated horses on this planet.