The Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings for 10 May heralds the start of the NH Classic season, and it’s the Gr1 2000 Guineas winner Bow Echo who enters at 126.
Such was his decisive 2¾ length victory that he’s said to be the ‘equal of the 2013 winner Dawn Approach and co-second to the great Frankel as the best Guineas winner of modern times.’
Riding a planned race, jockey Billy Loughnane had Bow Echo racing near the rear from the start, and making ground at the 2f he hit the lead at the 1f to win going away in 1-35.59s on good-firm.
Proving too strong for Aiden O’Brien’s BC Juvenile Turf winner Gstaad, and 8 lengths to Distant Storm, he has won all four starts and was coming off the Royal Lodge Stakes in late September.
Racing in the yellow with black spots silks of his breeder the late Sheikh Mohammed Obaid, he’s the extended family of Dubawi, from the winning Invincible Spirit mare Aristocratic Lady.
Certainly, possessing a stallion’s pedigree he’s by the 2014 2000 Guineas winner Night of Thunder, who also sired the third place Distant Storm, and sired five Group 1 winners last year.
And with George Boughey by-passing the Irish 2000 Guineas, and stay at a mile as his pedigree says, will he be meeting the French 2000 Guineas winner Rayif in the St James’s Palace Stakes.
The Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe hero Daryz was also rated 126 for a first-up 3½ length victory in the Gr1 Prix Ganay, to be the ‘green’s’ fifth race winner and is half-brother to 2016 winner Dariyan.
And with the strength of the Aga Khan Studs dominating, Daryz is the third Ganay winner of their sire Sea The Stars, with the Aka Khan having won five of the last 10 editions of this 2,100m event.
Although this third edition of the Longines Rankin features many changes in the Top 5, its Ka Ying Rising who continues to improve on the rating and continues to be the highest ranking horse.
Adding the Gr2 Sprint Cup and Gr1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize to lift his tally to 20 consecutive wins, he ran 1-01.7s for 1200m to break his own track record again in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize.
Increasing his rating to 130 from 128, he is ahead of three horses in the co-second position, with Romantic Warrior lifting from 124 to 126 for winning the Gr1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup.
In defeating Masquerade Ball 122, the French visitor Sosie 121 and Royal Champion 122, his previous victories this year include the Gr1 Stewards’ Cup and Gr1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup.
As two horses currently share the fifth position it was Opera Bello who improved to 124 from 119 on winning the Gr2 bet365 Mile by three lengths over Iridh 2000 Guineas winner Field of Gold.
In winning the Gr1 Jebel Hatta Presented by Longines, it was BC Classic winner White Abarrio who joins him on a 124 ranking for winning the Gr2 Oaklawn Handicap over Sovereignty, on 122.
Also new to the 2026 rankings is the Gr3 Earl of Seton Stakes winner Damysus, ranked 120, along with Gr1 Gran Premio Latinoamericano winner Teao, while T O Elvis is also 120 for winning the Churchill Downs Stakes.
