Verry Elleegant on top of the world

[Wandering Eyes]

Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed) has been rated the world’s best racemare according to the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings (WBRR) released by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) on Tuesday.

The New Zealand-bred mare was given a rating of 123 for her win in the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington in November, putting her 15^th equal in the WBRR, and the highest-rated female equine athlete in the world.

Trainer Chris Waller was over the moon upon hearing the news.

“Proud is an understatement! To train the world’s highest-rated mare for 2021 Verry Elleegant…is an absolute honour,” Waller tweeted.

Racing Victoria Executive General Manager – Racing, Greg Carpenter, is part of the worldwide panel that assesses the rankings and he said Verry Elleegant’s run in the Melbourne Cup was something special.

“Her performance in winning the Melbourne Cup was no doubt the best winning performance in that race since Makybe Diva won it in 2005,” Carpenter told Racing.com.

“She carried 57kg. She beat Incentivise and Spanish Mission at level weights by a big margin.”

The daughter of Zed has won 10 Group One races and more than A$14 million in prizemoney.

New Zealand-sourced Golden Sixty also featured prominently in the rankings.

He has soared to an international rating of 125 in the year end list and is now the world’s joint highest rated miler.

Through the 2020/21 racing season, Golden Sixty won all seven of his starts as part of his famed 16-race unbeaten streak, including four Group Ones, two Group Twos and one Group Three – ranging from 1400m to 2000m.

Golden Sixty shares equal sixth spot in the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings with Baaeed, Palace Pier and Gr.1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (2400m) champion Torquator Tasso. Golden Sixty was purchased by his trainer Francis Lui out of Riversley Park’s 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale draft for $300,000.

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