Pharoah top of the 2015 pile

American Pharoah's Breeders' Cup Classic victory saw him finish 4lb clear of Golden Horn as the 2015 Longines World's Best Racehorse.

The Triple Crown hero, who lit up American racing last year, signed off from the turf with a six-and-a-half-length victory over Effinex in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita.

The race effectively proved little more than an exhibition for American Pharoah, who only narrowly failed to break the sacred two-minute barrier, and effortlessly overturned form with Keen Ice, the horse who had inflicted upon him the only defeat of his career, in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga. All seven of his opponents in that race had registered a Grade/Group One victory previously in 2015.

American Pharoah is the first US-based horse since Curlin in 2008 to finish as world champion.

American Pharoah has now been retired to stud, but his successful owners were present at the ceremony in London to see him crowned as the world champion, 4lb ahead of worthy runner-up and fellow three-year-old Golden Horn (130), who achieved that mark in both the Investec Derby and Coral-Eclipse.

A rating of 130 mirrors that achieved by the world's best racehorses in both 2013 (Black Caviar and Treve) and 2014 (Just A Way).

However it was the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, another race that fell to Golden Horn, that was named as the World's Best Horse Race.

Jointly next in the list on 126 came American Shared Belief, the winner of the Santa Anita Handicap, and Treve, who blew her rivals away in the Prix Vermeille before coming up short in her bid to win the Arc for a third time.

Ace miler Solow (125), who carried all before him in Europe during the year, earned his rating in the Dubai Duty Free, while also high in the final standings were Irish St Leger winner Order Of St George (124), Fascinating Rock (123), Free Eagle (123), Jack Hobbs (123) and Flintshire (123).

On the other hand, it was a case of what might have been for Gleneagles (122), who never really had the opportunity to try and build upon the rating he earned in winning the QIPCO 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, the ground having gone against him in the second half of the year.

LONGINES World's Best Racehorse Rankings - Leading Horses

Rank

Horse

Rating

Trained

AMERICAN PHAROAH (USA)

USA

GOLDEN HORN (GB)

GB

SHARED BELIEF (USA)

USA

TREVE (FR)

FR

ABLE FRIEND (AUS)

HK

SOLOW (FR)

FR