CITY Of Troy (128) has been acknowledged as the best turf horse in the world in 2024, the first time an Irish horse has achieved this accolade since Sea The Stars (136) back in 2009.

In terms of Irish-trained turf world champions in individual distance categories, Kyprios (122) was once again top stayer in the world while younger stablemate Jan Breughel (117) was joint top three-year-old stayer and the three-year-old filly Porta Fortuna (117) was joint top three-year-old female miler.

Seven of the 13 Group 1 races held in Ireland in 2024 were won by domestically-trained horses (trained by five separate trainers) and, of these Group 1 races, four of them merited inclusion in the Longines World Listing of Top 100 Group 1 races in 2024. The Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes came in as the eighth best race in the world. The Comer Group International Irish St Leger was joint 46th, the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby joint 59th, and the Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas joint 89th.

Older horses

The mantle of top older horse in Ireland was shared by three horses - Auguste Rodin, Kyprios and White Birch - all on 122.

White Birch was unbeaten in the early part of 2024. His best performance came at the Curragh when defeating Auguste Rodin in the Tattersalls Gold Cup. Auguste Rodin subsequently won the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot in his joint-best performance of the year alongside when running up to Economics in the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown.

Kyprios managed to emulate his imperious 2022 season in remaining unbeaten and winning no less than four Group 1 staying races once again but his best recorded performance was in the Group 2 British Champions Long Distance Cup at Ascot in October.

The best older mare in Ireland in 2024 was the subsequent Arc winner Bluestocking (117) who defeated Emily Upjohn (116) in the Cairn Community Games Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh.

Three-year-olds

City Of Troy won three Group 1 races in 2024. His best performance was over 10 furlongs in the Juddmonte International at York in August when he defeated Calandagan (125) - this race was officially acknowledged as the best race in the world for 2024.

City Of Troy becomes only the fifth horse this century to achieve champion status in Europe as a juvenile and also as a three-year-old. The other four were George Washington, New Approach, Frankel and St Mark’s Basilica.

Porta Fortuna, a Group 1-winning juvenile in 2023, improved her rating from 110 to 117 in annexing three Group 1 races at three. Her best performance was in winning the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot from Nassau Stakes winner Opera Singer (115). The unbeaten colt Jan Breughel achieved his rating of 117 when defeating stablemate Illinois (116) in the Betfred St Leger at Doncaster.

Two-year-olds

Lake Victoria (119) was the highest-rated juvenile in Ireland in 2024, the first time since 2014 that a filly topped the Irish juvenile listing ahead of a colt.

She showed remarkable versatility in winning Group 1 races at three different distances – her best performance coming over six furlongs in the Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket.

Of the 12 Irish-trained champion juvenile fillies this century she joins Finsceal Beo in rating second only to Minding (120) back in 2015.

The joint champion Irish two-year-old colts were both trained in Ballydoyle - Expanded and The Lion In Winter.

Expanded (118) was defeated by a neck in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes by European champion juvenile colt Shadow Of Light, only a week after breaking his maiden on debut at the Curragh. The Lion In Winter (118) also ran only twice, winning the Tattersalls Acomb Stakes at York after winning on debut.

This level of 118 for champion Irish juvenile colt is the lowest this century apart from Gleneagles (116) in 2014. However, no less than nine Irish-trained juveniles won at Group 1 level in 2024 and a total of 20 Irish-trained juveniles were deemed worthy of inclusion in the European juvenile listing, testifying to a strong strength in depth in this particular Irish crop.