Golden Sixty and Lucky Sweynesse have made the top 10 in the 2023 Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings, but Hong Kong’s overall representation has fallen to levels not seen in 15 years.

While Romantic Warrior and California Spangle join Golden Sixty and the world’s highest-rated sprinter, Lucky Sweynesse, in the top 20, only 14 Hong Kong horses achieved the rating of 115 or higher required to make the list, which was released by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities on Tuesday.

Not since 2008, when only 13 Hong Kong gallopers made the grade, has the city fared so poorly overall, with the number dropping from 15 last year and continuing a general downward trend since 26 local horses featured in 2016.

Jockey Club chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges was quick to focus on the positives, however, pointing especially to the equal-sixth ranking achieved by Golden Sixty thanks to the 126 rating handed to him for his superb Hong Kong Mile victory last month.

“Hong Kong has achieved yet another outstanding result in terms of elite horse performance, particularly when you consider that there are about only 1,200 horses currently in training,” he said.

“Golden Sixty is Hong Kong’s idol and his performance in the Hong Kong Mile remains one of the most remarkable displays I have seen from any horse, let alone an eight-year-old. He is a credit to his trainer Francis Lui [Kin-wai] and jockey Vincent Ho [Chak-yiu].”

Hong Kong’s Group One races fared better than ever before, with all 12 featuring in the year’s top 100 elite-level contests for the first time.

Four Sha Tin Group Ones made the top 20, with the Stewards’ Cup battle between Golden Sixty, Romantic Warrior and California Spangle the city’s best race and equal 11th overall with a rating of 121.75.

“With all 12 of our Group One races in the World’s Top 100 Group One Races, Hong Kong has again shown that it maintains a strong position as a world leader in the sport of horse racing,” Engelbrecht-Bresges said.

“The 2023 Stewards’ Cup was a remarkable contest with six individual Group One winners in the field. It is fitting that Hong Kong’s great champion Golden Sixty would win an unforgettable race, defeating another wonderful competitor in Romantic Warrior, [as well as] California Spangle and Waikuku.

“As a club, we place great emphasis on the importance of international competition and, coupled with our world-class domestic racing, we are proud of what Hong Kong horse racing continues to achieve on the global stage.”

Races in HK, Dubai and Japan can all be part of a big five months for Bubble

The Champions Mile, Hong Kong Cup and Hong Kong Mile also ranked inside the top 20 races, while Voyage Bubble, Straight Arron, Russian Emperor, Wellington, Beauty Eternal, Beauty Joy, Senor Toba, Sight Success, Waikuku and Sword Point featured among the world’s best gallopers.

Equinox topped the racehorse rankings with the extraordinary 135 rating he earned for winning the Japan Cup, with that race topping the Group One list on a mark of 126.75.

Each accredited Group One is ranked based on the average rating of the first four finishers from that year’s race.