The World Thoroughbred Rankings, released on 12 January, confirmed Makfi (Dubawi) and Workforce (King's Best, pictured) as the best three-year-olds in the world last year, with them each allotted a rating of 128.
Makfi became the first of Dubawi’s offspring to succeed at the highest level in May when storming to victory in the 2,000 Guineas. He went on to emulate both his sire and grandsire – the great Dubai Millennium – when winning the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois, a race in which he beat none other than Goldikova.
Dubawi is sire of four G1 winners to date, including QEII Stakes winner Poet’s Voice, who is currently preparing for his Dubai Carnival campaign; plus southern hemisphere-bred duo Happy Archer and Secret Admirer.
King’s Best, Europe’s leading sire by worldwide earnings in 2010, was provided with his first Epsom Derby winner in emphatic style courtesy of Workforce, who landed the time-honoured Classic by seven lengths and in record time. Workforce rounded off his season with a scintillating victory in the Arc, becoming just the sixth horse in history to both the Derby and the Arc.
Three other Darley-sired horses feature in the top ten three-year-olds – the aforementioned Poet’s Voice, dual Classic winner Lope de Vega (Shamardal) and Behkabad (Cape Cross).
Champion first-season sire Iffraaj is also represented in the rankings, courtesy of his unbeaten G1 winner Wootton Bassett who is rated joint-third in the juvenile list. He is rated a pound higher than Shamardal’s Racing Post Trophy victor Casamento.
