The 2004–05 World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings is the 2004–05 edition of the World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings. It is an assessment of racehorses which was issued by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) in August 2005. It includes horses aged three or older which raced or were trained during 2004–05 in countries where the flat racing year runs from August 1 to July 31 (and also South America, where it runs from July 1 to June 30). These countries are generally in the Southern Hemisphere, although some areas covered, such as Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates, are actually north of the equator.
Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic premise – to identify which of two or more horses is the fastest over a set course or distance – has been unchanged since at least classical antiquity.
Flat racing is a form of horse racing which is run on a level racecourse. It is run over a predetermined distance from 2 furlongs (402 m) up to 3 miles (4,828 m) and is either test of speed, stamina, or both, whilst the skills of the jockey is determined by his ability to restrain the horse or impel it. Flat racing does not require horses to jump over any obstacles such as is required for hurdling or steeplechase. It differs from harness racing where horses are pulling a sulky and wear a harness. While in many countries flat racing is the most common form of horse racing, in Great Britain and Ireland it is used to describe the racing season that comes after the jumps racing which is traditionally held over the winter period.
South America is a continent in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It may also be considered a subcontinent of the Americas, which is how it is viewed in the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking regions of the Americas. The reference to South America instead of other regions has increased in the last decades due to changing geopolitical dynamics.
The ratings represent a weight value in pounds, with higher values given to horses which showed greater ability. It is judged that these weights would equalize the abilities of the horses if carried in a theoretical handicap race. The list includes all horses rated 115 or above, and it also shows the surface and the distances at which the rating was achieved.
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement. Various definitions have been used; the most common today is the international avoirdupois pound, which is legally defined as exactly 0.45359237 kilograms, and which is divided into 16 avoirdupois ounces. The international standard symbol for the avoirdupois pound is lb; an alternative symbol is lbm, #, and ℔ or ″̶.
A handicap race in horse racing is a race in which horses carry different weights, allocated by the handicapper. A better horse will carry a heavier weight, to give it a disadvantage when racing against slower horses.
The highest rating in the 2004–05 season was 123, which was given to the performances of both Roses in May in the Dubai World Cup and Silent Witness in the Hong Kong Sprint. In total, 23 horses were included in the list.
The Dubai World Cup is a Thoroughbred horse race held annually since 1996 and contested at the Meydan Racecourse (Arabic:ميدان) which in Arabic suggests a place where people congregate and compete, a sort of meeting point in the Emirate of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The race is operated through the Emirates Racing Authority (ERA) whose Chairman is Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Presidential Affairs of the United Arab Emirates. It offers nine races, consisting of eight Thoroughbred contests and one Purebred Arabian contest.
Silent Witness was an outstanding Thoroughbred racehorse who won his first 17 starts in sprint races in Hong Kong. He was ranked the world's top sprinter for three seasons.
The Hong Kong Sprint is a Group 1 flat horse race in Hong Kong which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 1,200 metres at Sha Tin, and it is scheduled to take place each year in mid December.
A mare is an adult female horse or other equine.
A gelding is a castrated horse or other equine, such as a donkey or a mule. Castration, as well as the elimination of hormonally-driven behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male horse to be calmer and better-behaved, making the animal quieter, gentler and potentially more suitable as an everyday working animal. The gerund and participle "gelding" and the infinitive "to geld" refer to the castration procedure itself.
A colt is a male horse, usually below the age of four years.
A filly is a female horse that is too young to be called a mare. There are two specific definitions in use:
A stallion is a male horse that has not been gelded (castrated). Stallions follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cresty" neck, as well as a somewhat more muscular physique as compared to female horses, known as mares, and castrated males, called geldings.
Rank | Rating | Horse | Age | Sex | Trained | Surface | Distance (m) |
1 | 123 | Roses in May (USA) | 5 | H | United States | Dirt | 2,000 |
1 | 123 | Silent Witness (AUS) | 5 | G | Hong Kong | Turf | 1,000 |
3 | 120 | Grand Armee (AUS) | 6 | G | Australia | Turf | 2,000 |
4 | 119 | Makybe Diva (GB) | 6 | M | Australia | Turf | 2,400 |
4 | 119 | Vengeance of Rain (NZ) | 4 | G | Hong Kong | Turf | 2,000 |
4 | 119 | Vinnie Roe (IRE) | 7 | G | Ireland | Turf | 3,200 |
7 | 118 | Bullish Luck (USA) | 6 | G | Hong Kong | Turf | 1,600 / 2,000 |
7 | 118 | Elvstroem (AUS) | 4 | C | Australia | Turf | 1,777 / 1,800 / 2,400 |
7 | 118 | Fastnet Rock (AUS) | 3 | C | Australia | Turf | 1,000 |
7 | 118 | Savabeel (AUS) | 3 | C | Australia | Turf | 2,040 |
11 | 117 | Greys Inn (USA) | 4 | C | UAE | Turf | 2,000 / 2,400 |
11 | 117 | Mummify (AUS) | 5 | G | Australia | Turf | 2,000 |
11 | 117 | Starcraft (NZ) | 4 | C | Australia / GB | Turf | 1,600 |
11 | 117 | Touch of Land (FR) | 5 | H | France | Turf | 2,000 |
15 | 116 | Fields of Omagh (AUS) | 7 | G | Australia | Turf | 2,040 |
15 | 116 | Phoenix Reach (IRE) | 5 | H | Great Britain | Turf | 2,400 |
17 | 115 | Alexander Goldrun (IRE) | 4 | F | Ireland | Turf | 2,000 |
17 | 115 | Cape of Good Hope (GB) | 7 | G | Hong Kong | Turf | 1,000 / 1,200 |
17 | 115 | Dynever (USA) | 5 | H | United States | Dirt | 2,000 |
17 | 115 | Firebreak (GB) | 5 | G | UAE | Turf | 1,600 |
17 | 115 | Regal Roller (AUS) | 5 | G | Australia | Turf | 1,400 |
17 | 115 | Tycoon (GB) | 4 | C | UAE | Turf | 2,400 |
17 | 115 | Yard-Arm (SAF) | 5 | G | UAE | Turf | 1,600 |
Certain horses may have also recorded a lesser rating over a distance different from that listed above. The IFHA publishes this information when the lower rating represents the overall top performance in a particular category. There was one such additional rating for this season:
Rating | Horse | Age | Sex | Trained | Surface | Distance (m) | |
+ | 117 | Makybe Diva (GB) | 6 | M | Australia | Turf | 3,200 |
The tables below show the top ranked horses overall, the top fillies and mares, and the top three-year-olds in the 2004–05 Rankings. They also show the top performers in various subdivisions of each group, which are defined by the distances of races, and the surfaces on which they are run. Top ranked horses rated less than 115 are included where known. The IFHA recognizes five distance categories — Sprint, Mile, Intermediate, Long and Extended — identified by the acronym "SMILE". These are framed as follows:
All Horses | |||
All Surfaces | Dirt | Turf | |
All Distances | 123 – Roses in May 123 – Silent Witness | 123 – Roses in May | 123 – Silent Witness |
Sprint | 123 – Silent Witness | not listed | 123 – Silent Witness |
Mile | 118 – Bullish Luck 118 – Elvstroem | not listed | 118 – Bullish Luck 118 – Elvstroem |
Intermediate | 123 – Roses in May | 123 – Roses in May | 120 – Grand Armee |
Long | 119 – Makybe Diva | not listed | 119 – Makybe Diva |
Extended | 119 – Vinnie Roe | not listed | 119 – Vinnie Roe |
Fillies and Mares | |||
All Surfaces | Dirt | Turf | |
All Distances | 119 – Makybe Diva | not listed | 119 – Makybe Diva |
Sprint | 113 – Alinghi | not listed | 113 – Alinghi |
Mile | 110 – Shamekha | not listed | 110 – Shamekha |
Intermediate | 115 – Alexander Goldrun | not listed | 115 – Alexander Goldrun |
Long | 119 – Makybe Diva | not listed | 119 – Makybe Diva |
Extended | 117 – Makybe Diva | not listed | 117 – Makybe Diva |
Three-Year-Olds | |||
All Surfaces | Dirt | Turf | |
All Distances | 118 – Fastnet Rock 118 – Savabeel | not listed | 118 – Fastnet Rock 118 – Savabeel |
Sprint | 118 – Fastnet Rock | not listed | 118 – Fastnet Rock |
Mile | not listed | not listed | not listed |
Intermediate | 118 – Savabeel | not listed | 118 – Savabeel |
Long | not listed | not listed | not listed |
Extended | not listed | not listed | not listed |
Makybe Diva is a British-bred, Australian-trained Thoroughbred racehorse who became the first horse to win the Melbourne Cup on three occasions. In 2005, she also won the Cox Plate. Upon her retirement from racing in November 2005, Makybe Diva was the highest stakes-earner in Australian horse racing history, finishing with winnings of more than A$14 million. She is one of only five horses to have won the Cup more than once, and the only mare among the list of multiple winners. She is also one of only 14 female horses to have won the Cup.
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