Flightline rated Frankel's equal as he is named world's best racehorse

17 January 2023 , 19:12

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Flightline was named world's best racehorse of 2022 (Image: Getty Images)

US champion Flightline was rated the equal of British superstar Frankel after he was crowned the 2022 Longines World’s Best Racehorse in London on Tuesday.

With an official rating of 140, the Breeders’ Cup Classic winner matched Frankel’s benchmark set in 2012. He became the highest rated dirt horse since the introduction of the classifications, beating the rating of 135 given to Cigar in 1996.

Flightline, trained by John Sadler, retired unbeaten in six starts, earning his historic rating in the Pacific Classic at Del Mar in September, which he won by a staggering 19 and a quarter lengths from Dubai World Cup hero Country Grammer.

He also won the Metropolitan Handicap and the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic in 2022, with the latter contest picking up the award for the best race of 2022

Sadler said: “He never hid his talent – he was a star from the day he walked into the barn and that’s the way he walked out.

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“We’re so grateful to have a horse like this in my career. Most horsemen never get one like this, so I feel very blessed.

“We watched Frankel run. Racing gets more international and we follow what’s happening over here so we thought that was kind of a good comparison.

“I think another point that works well is that this horse ran medication free, which I think fits really well into the international community moving forward.”

Flightline won the award ahead of Baaeed whose connections accepted the consolation of him being named best horse in the world on turf for wins in the Lockinge, Queen Anne, Sussex Stakes and Juddmonte International.

Jon Lees