Winx has been rated the equal best horse in the world for her Doncaster Mile victory and her rating of 126 has her in rare air when compared with other great mares since the rankings began in 2008.
Best in the world: Winx winning the Doncaster. Photo: James Brickwood
The Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings confirmed the place of The Championships at Randwick as one of the great meetings in the first part of the year as Chautauqua was rated 121 for his last-to-first TJ Smith effort. Those two high points sit among a group of horses from the Dubai World Cup meeting, with California Chrome, also rated at 126 for his World Cup success on the dirt at Meydan.
English stayer Postponed was rated at 124 for his Sheema Classic victory in Dubai over Japan's Duramante, on 121.
Winx's rise to the top in one season has been incredible after her Cox Plate victory last October was rated at 123. She has gone to a different level this preparation and her storming effort on an unsuitable track in the Doncaster confirmed her champion status.
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The Chris Waller-trained four-year-old sits only below Black Caviar, which peaked at a rating of 132 also as a four-year-old when she won the Newmarket Handicap and consistently sat at 130 during her unbeaten career, in terms of Australian mares.
Other fillies and mares to have rated at 126 or above are Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winners Treve, a career best of 130, and Danedream and Zarkava, which were given 128 for their wins in Paris. Goldikova was rated 130 at her peak, while champion American mare Zenyatta also got to 128 as did US filly Rachel Alexandra in her all-conquering classic year.
Buffering was rated at 118 for his Al Quoz Sprint win and it sets up a mouth-watering clash in the Chairman's Sprint at Sha Tin on May 1, where the five top-rated sprinters in the world are due to meet.
Should Chautauqua win at Sha Tin with some authority, he would jump to a rating somewhere near his career best of 123 from last year's Manikato Stakes.
Winx's dominance was further illustrated by Kermadec being rated at 118 for his second in the George Ryder Stakes, a mark shared by Turn Me Loose from his win in the Futurity and New Zealand three-year-old Xtravagant for his efforts across the Tasman.