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World’s Best Racehorse Rankings: Sottsass Joins Top 10, Ghaiyyath Still Runaway Leader

Following his victory in the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1), Sottsass (FR) [123] has joined the top 10 in the third edition of the LONGINES World's Best Racehorse Rankings for 2020.

LONGINES World's Best Racehorse Rankings click here for complete rankings
Rank	Horse	Rating	Trained
1	GHAIYYATH (IRE)	130	GB
2	PALACE PIER (GB)	126	GB
3	PERSIAN KING (IRE)	125	FR
3	STRADIVARIUS (IRE)	125	GB
3	TIZ THE LAW (USA)	125	USA
6	ALMOND EYE (JPN)	124	JPN
6	AUTHENTIC (USA)	124	USA
6	ENABLE (GB)	124	GB
6	NATURE STRIP (AUS)	124	AUS

In the Arc, Sottsass defeated In Swoop (IRE) [122] by a neck, and earlier this year, he won the Prix Ganay (G1). Sottsass, who also won the 2019 Qipco Prix du Jockey Club (G1), was retired after the Arc, and he will stand at Coolmore in 2021.

In Swoop won the IDEE 151st Deutsches Derby (G1) in July. He came into the Arc off of a second-place finish in the Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris (G1), which was won by Mogul (GB) [121]. Mogul, who is a full brother to Japan (GB) [121], also won the John Pearce Racing Gordon Stakes (G3) earlier in the year.

Kameko (USA) [122], meanwhile, improved his rating from 120 to 122 with his victory in the Shadwell Joel Stakes (G2). In June, he won the Qipco 2000 Guineas Stakes (G1).

The American filly Swiss Skydiver (USA) [122] finds herself ranked after beating Authentic (USA) [124] by a neck in the Preakness Stakes (G1). The pair finished 10 lengths in front of the next closest competitor, and the final time of 1:53.28 made it the second fastest 1 3/16-mile Preakness in history, behind only Secretariat.

Swiss Skydiver, who is only the sixth filly to win the race, notched her first top level victory of the year in the Alabama Stakes (G1) and came into the Preakness off a second-place effort in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1). Authentic was coming off back-to-back victories in the TVG.com Haskell Stakes (G1) and Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1).

Mo Forza (USA) [120] is also newly ranked following his win in the City of Hope Mile Stakes (G2), which was his first start since taking the Del Mar Mile Handicap (G2) in August.

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Arc Winner Sottsass Retired From Racing, Set To Enter Stud

A day after winning the Group 1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in France, Sottsass was retired from racing, and he will stand for the Coolmore operation in 2021, Racing Post reports.

The 4-year-old Siyouni colt was campaigned in a 50/50 partnership between Peter Brant and Coolmore, the latter of which purchased its stake in January. Monday's announcement removes a key contender from this year's Breeders' Cup Turf, in which Sottsass earned a “Win and You're In” berth by virtue of his Arc score.

Trained by Jean-Claude Rouget, Sottsass has been a high-level runner in France over the past two seasons.

During his 3-year-old campaign last season, the colt won the G1 Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly and the G2 Prix Niel at Longchamp before finishing third to Enable in that year's Arc.

At four, he won the G1 Prix Ganay at Chantilly and he finished second in the G3 Prix Gontaut-Biron Hong Kong Jockey Club at Deauville ahead of his Arc victory.

Bred in France by S.A.S.U. Ecurie Des Moneaux, Sottsass is a half-brother to Sistercharlie, the 2018 Eclipse Award winner for champion turf female, who is also campaigned by Brant. Sistercharlie is a contender for this year's Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf.

Sottsass Gives Brant Prix De L’Arc De Triomphe Victory; Enable Sixth

Peter Brant's return to Thoroughbred racing and breeding in 2016 after a nearly 25-year hiatus hit its pinnacle on Sunday with a victory by Sottsass in the Group 1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France. The 4-year-old colt by the French stallion Siyouni, trained by Jean-Claude Rouget and ridden to victory by Cristian Demuro, had no trouble with the heavy ground at ParisLongchamp, defeating In Swoop and pace-setting Persian King in the 12-furlong European classic for 3-year-olds and up.

Juddmonte Farms Enable finished sixth in her bid for a record third Arc de Triomphe victory, Jockey Frankie Dettori said of the John Gosden runner: “She hated that ground. I knew my fate at the 400.”

The victory was the first in the Arc de Triomphe for Brant, Demuro and Rouget.

Sottsass was prominent from the outset, saving ground inside of Chachnak as Persian King established the pace. In Swoop raced just behind Sottsass, alongside Enable. There was little change in the running until the field of 11 runners reached the stretch run.

Persian King was well off the rail giving Demuro an option to go inside or outside of the front-runner. He chose to swing Sottsass to the outside for his run while In Swoop and jockey Ronan Thomas took the inside route. Sottsass hit the front with 200 meters to run, but In Swoop was inching forwardly when they reached the winning post.

The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe was one of five Group 1 races that were Breeders' Cup Challenge Series events at ParisLongchamp, giving the winners fees-paid berths to the world championship races to be held this year at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., Nov. 6-7. The connections of the winners also receive $40,000 in travel allowances.

The victory by Sottsass gives him a fees-paid spot in the starting gate for the Turf. Other Group 1 Win and You're In Challenge Series races saw Tiger Tanaka win the Prix Marcel Boussac, giving her a berth in the Juvenile Fillies Turf; Sealiway win the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, giving him a berth in the Juvenile Turf; Wooded win the Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp, giving him a berth in the Turf Sprint; and Tarnawa win the Prix de l'Opera, giving her a berth in the Filly & Mare Turf.

Enable, who won the 2017-'18 renewals of the Arc (and finished second in 2019) became the first horse to win both the Arc de Triomphe and Breeders' Cup Turf in the same year when she accomplished the feat in 2018.

Peter Brant at Belmont Park

Sottsass, who came into this year's Arc off a fourth-place finish behind Magical in the G1 Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown in Ireland on Sept. 12, had finished third behind Waldgeist in the 2019 Arc after earlier in the year winning the G1 French Derby and G2 Prix Niel. The French-bred colt was champion 3-year-old of 2019.

Out of the Galileo mare Starlet's Sister, Sottsass is a half-sister to Brant's American champion Sistercharlie (by Myboycharlie), who gave the owner his first G1 victory after being away from the game for so long when taking the Jenny Wiley at Keeneland in 2018. Brant's horses in the U.S. are trained by Chad Brown.

Brant came back with a splash when he made the decision to return to racing, focusing heavily on broodmares but also buying weanlings and yearlings at both European and American bloodstock auctions. He spent $10 million in 2016 and doubled that investment the following year. Among his yearling purchases in 2017 was Sottass, bred by Ecurie Des Monceaux and purchased for 340,000 euros at the Arqana August Yearling Sale.

In a 2018 interview with the Paulick Report, Brant – who had campaigned such champions as Waya, Just a Game and Gulch in the late 1970s and '80s – spoke about how alliances and partnerships had become an important element in the current iteration of the Thoroughbred industry. As such, earlier this year he sold half-interest in Sottsass to Coolmore, where the Arc winner presumably will stand upon his retirement.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the general public was unable to attend the races at ParisLongchamp. Brant, presumably watched his colt win one of the world's most prestigious races from his home in the U.S.

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Ghaiyyath Heads Field Of Six For Saturday’s Irish Champion Stakes

The mighty Ghaiyyath heads a field of six runners for the Irish Champion Stakes on the opening day of Longines Irish Champions Weekend at Leopardstown on Saturday afternoon.

Godolphin's star 5-year-old became the highest-rated horse in the world when adding the Juddmonte International at York last month to earlier top-level wins in the Coronation Cup at Newmarket and Sandown's Coral-Eclipse.

Charlie Appleby told godolphin.com: “It was a routine piece of work (on Wednesday) to check his well-being, and he has come through it without a worry.

“It was not strong work, more a breeze, which is normal procedure three days before a race. He's telling us that he's ready now for another big race.

“We are really looking forward to the weekend. He travels to Ireland at the peak of his career, unbeaten in four starts this year, three of them Grade 1s, two of which were officially rated the best performances globally in 2020.”

The Irish Champion Stakes offers a “Win and You're In” berth to the Breeders' Cup Longines Turf in November at Keeneland.

The main opposition to Appleby's charge will come from two Aidan O'Brien-trained runners, Magical, winner of the Irish Champion Stakes last year and the mount of Seamie Heffernan, and the Ryan Moore-ridden Japan. Magical is bidding to become the first horse to win the race twice after the O'Brien-trained Dylan Thomas in 2006 and 2007.

Jean-Claude Rouget is back for further Irish Champion Stakes success. He won with Almanzor in 2016 and runs Sottsass, the mount of Colin Keane, and the field is completed by the Jessica Harrington-trained Leo De Fury and one more from Ballydoyle, Armory.

Classic winners Fancy Blue, trained by Donnacha O'Brien and his father Aidan's Peaceful, lead the way in the Group 1 Coolmore America 'Justify' Matron Stakes. Eleven runners will line up for the first of the weekend's six Group 1 races with Albigna and Valeria Messalina representing Jessica Harrington, Joseph O'Brien's Argentinian-import Wilds Dreams takes her chance while Johnny Murtagh runs both Champers Elysees and Know It All as he searches for a first top-level training success.

Speaking this morning, Donnacha O'Brien, who has his first Longines Irish Champions Weekend runners this weekend, said: “It's a great weekend, the biggest in Irish racing and I'm excited about having horses to run.

“Fancy Blue starts out on her autumn campaign in the Matron Stakes and while the trip might not be ideal, she does have good form over a mile and she ran well in the Irish Guineas over this distance.”

There are ten runners for the Group 2 KMPG Champions Juvenile Stakes with the Harrington-trained Cadillac leading the way along with course and distance winner Fernando Vichi, and Ides Of August, trained by Donnacha O'Brien and Ger Lyons respectively.

Another Group 2 on the stellar card is the Clipper Logistics Boomerang Mile and here ten runners will go to post with British raiders Century Dream, Escobar and Safe Voyage taking on the likes of Royal Dornoch, Lancaster House and Ancient Spirit.

The Group 3 Paddy Power 'Is It 2021 Yet?' Stakes has a field of 13 with Joseph O'Brien's pair Buckhurst and Patrick Sarsfield taking on Irish Derby runner-up Tiger Moth, trained by Aidan O'Brien, Johnny Murtagh's Red Kelly and the Paddy Twomey-trained Bolivar.

Racing begins with the Listed Ballylinch Stud Irish EBF Ingabelle Stakes where 13 runners line out, among them Joseph O'Brien's course and distance winner Earth Strike and the recent Punchestown scorer New Emerald Bay, another for Johnny Murtagh.

A maximum field of 18 runners, including last year's runner-up Buildmeupbuttercup, are set for the Irish Stallion Farms 'Petingo' Handicap while there's also 18 declared for the Irish Stallion Farms EBF 'Sovereign Path' Handicap with Damien English's Geological and Lord Rapscallion for Nikita Kane and Murtagh likely leading contenders.

Tim Husbands, Leopardstown CEO said: “Declarations for Day 1 of Longines Irish Champions Weekend confirm that the quality of runner associated with this prestigious weekend will be of the same exceptional standard as previous years. We are delighted to welcome our International entries but also our native runners where the depth of talent is unrivalled. I would like to express our sincere gratitude to all owners, trainers, jockeys and sponsors for their valued participation and contribution to Longines Irish Champions Weekend.”

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