A YEAR that yielded a number of outstanding performers in North America is also reflected in the older horse standings with California Chrome holding sway at 133.

The former Kentucky Derby winner was restricted to just two outings in 2015 but bounced back from that truncated campaign to embark on a Grade 1-winning spree which began in the Dubai World Cup in March.

There followed further top-level victories in the Pacific Classic and the Awesome Again Stakes before California Chrome lost out to Arrogate in a tremendous duel for November’s Breeders’ Cup Classic.

California Chrome’s exploits throughout 2016 mean that has bettered his two previous World Thoroughbred Rankings positions by some distance.

As a stellar three-year-old he achieved a rating of 124 and that dropped 3lb during his two race season in 2015.

However, the latest edition of these classifications marks him out as one of the very finest North American champions of recent times.

Despite its position so early in the year, California Chrome’s rematch with Arrogate in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational in Florida this weekend has the potential to be one of the races of 2017.

In all it was a superb year for the older generation who largely dominate the top tier of the 2016 rankings, and just a pound behind California Chrome is Australian mare Winx.

Her 132 equals that achieved by the great Australian sprinter Black Caviar and underlines Winx’s position as a true great of the southern hemisphere scene.

The world’s highest rated turf horse and the best filly or mare seen in action over the last 12 months, Winx achieved her rating in landing a second Cox Plate in October.

She has now amassed a 13 race unbeaten run which stretches back to April 2015 and she could again carry all before her in the coming months. The only disappointment is that we are most unlikely to see this amazing talent venture to Europe at any stage.

The strength of the Japanese horses was again evident in this year’s rankings and that jurisdiction supplied two standout older horses in the 127-rated duo of A Shin Hikari and Maurice.

A Shin Hikari ended 2015 with a victory in the Hong Kong Cup and he once again proved his mettle against quality international opposition when journeying to France in May for the Prix d’Ispahan. Against a field that contained seven either previous or subsequent Group 1 winners, A Shin Hikari produced a wondrous display to win by 10 lengths.

That performance meant that he bettered his 2015 rating by 4lb but sadly it looked to leave its mark as he only beat a handful of rivals home in three subsequent starts.

The recently retired Maurice never ran in Europe but his efforts in the far east bear the closest inspection. A multiple Group 1 winner, he claimed the 2015 edition of the Hong Kong Mile and he returned to Sha Tin last month to claim the Hong Kong Cup.

In terms of Europe the top-rated older horses are Found and Postponed who both come in at 124. The latter bested Found in the Coronation Cup and then beat her stablemate Highland Reel (123) in the Juddmonte International before ending his season with a fifth to Found in the Arc.

Given the amazing season that Aidan O’Brien enjoyed with his fillies, it is appropriate that his top-rated runner in 2016 should be a filly and that accolade falls to the teak-tough Found.

Throughout her career this daughter of Galileo competed with distinction at the top level and she etched her name into racing folklore when leading home her trainer’s unprecedented one-two-three in the Arc in October. Furthermore, Found has the unique distinction of being a European champion at two, three and four.

She finishes the year just ahead of her admirable globretrotting stablemate Highland Reel (123), who became the first horse since Daylami in 1999 to win the King George and the Breeders’ Cup Turf in the same season. This remarkable and teak-tough five-year-old will again be in action throughout 2017.

Dermot Weld’s Fascinating Rock retires with a rating of 123, which is the same rating that he achieved in 2015, and the highlight of his season was a dominant victory over Found in the Tattersalls Gold Cup.

The July Cup and Prix de la Foret victor Limato (122) just edges out the dual Nunthorpe Stakes heroine Meccas Angel (121) for the accolade of Europe’s champion sprinter.

Meanwhile, Order Of St George, who was the top-rated Irish flat horse of 2015, heads the older stayer rankings on 120 following a season in which he claimed the Gold Cup at Ascot and ran third in the Arc.