Surely Thursday will be the day?
The day that the world’s best racehorse, Ka Ying Rising, is finally rated just that when the latest Longines World’s Best Racehorse rankings are released.
With 13 consecutive wins next to his name after Sunday’s first-up romp in the Chief Executive’s Cup at Sha Tin, there is little doubt in the minds of most racing fans, at least in this part of the world, that David Hayes’ sprinter is the best thoroughbred in training.
Even jockey Zac Purton declared the win, which came under 61kg in near-track-record time, the equal best of the champion’s career.
Not since Black Caviar have we seen such dominance and such arrogance in the sprinting ranks.
But Ka Ying Rising’s rating of 126, as prescribed by the International Federation of Horse Racing Authorities (IFHA), currently has him behind the likes of Royal Ascot winner Field of Gold, Japanese dirt monster Forever Young and Ombudsman, who won the G1 Juddmonte International at York last month.
Check out the latest Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings:
The latest edition of the 2025 Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings can be found here: https://t.co/Us08X6j73n pic.twitter.com/mX7etk9ENh
— IFHA’s Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings (@worldsbesthorse) August 14, 2025
How?
The IFHA ratings serve to give racing an internationally-recognised ranking system, just like tennis’ ATP rankings, the FIFA world rankings for soccer and the IRB rugby world rankings.
At her peak, Black Caviar was ranked the world’s best racehorse with a rating of 130. Via Sistina received a 127 rating in 2024 thanks to her Cox Plate trouncing of Prognosis.
The ratings are based on individual performances and don’t factor in a horse’s entire body of work, which seems to disadvantage a horse like Ka Ying Rising, whose sustained brilliance isn’t built into his ranking.
The rankings are nice in theory but flawed in practice.
The reality is that it’s unlikely the group of international handicappers will assess Sunday’s performance as any better than the gelding’s win in the G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize earlier this year, which gave him the 126 rating.
We will likely have to wait until Ka Ying Rising’s first international foray in next month’s Everest in Sydney to potentially see his rating climb. Even then, none of the Australian sprinters he’s likely to face can boast a rating close to his so there are no guarantees he will better his current mark unless he smashes the clock and his rivals.
KA YING RISING is BACK! 🤩
The world’s highest-rated sprinter dazzles on his return for @zpurton and David Hayes at Sha Tin… 🇭🇰#HKRacing | @HKJC_Racing pic.twitter.com/9ucBJYueB0
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) September 7, 2025
