Melbourne Cup heroine Verry Elleegant and Everest winner Nature Strip have received top accolades in the latest Longines World’s Best Racehorse rankings released overnight on Tuesday.
The pair took honours in their respective categories with Verry Elleegant named the world’s highest-rated mare for 2021 and Nature Strip the top-ranked sprinter on turf.
Both are trained by master horseman Chris Waller, who took to twitter to express his pride in the outstanding duo.
“Proud is an understatement! To train the world’s highest-rated mare for 2021 Verry Elleegant and the world’s highest-rated turf sprinter Nature Strip is an absolute honour,” Waller tweeted.
“Congratulations to both horses, their connections and everyone who has played a role in their journey.”
Nature Strip was given a rating of 124, one point more than Verry Elleegant, with Breeder’s Cup Classic winner Knicks Go ranked the world’s best horse in 2021 with a rating of 129.
The Cox Plate and Sydney’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes tied for honours as Australia’s prestige race, and with The Everest not included in the official list because it doesn’t hold Group 1 status, the T J Smith Stakes was ranked as the country’s best sprint.
Verry Elleegant has finished runner-up to international raider Addeybb in the past two renewals of the Queen Elizabeth and Australian Turf Club general manager of racing and wagering, James Ross, says the middle-distance feature has cemented its status on the world stage.
“The Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes is again Australia’s highest-rated race and marks it as a truly international event in the southern hemisphere autumn,” Ross said.
“This race has become further recognised in recent years through the achievements of the immortal Winx and the world’s highest-rated horse in recent seasons, Addeybb from the UK.
“In the coming weeks and months, we look forward to hosting more world-class racing at the Longines Golden Slipper carnival at Rosehill Gardens and The Star Championships at Royal Randwick.”
