Invasor tops world rankings

Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum's INVASOR (Arg) (Candy Stripes) was named

the top-rated horse in the 2006 World Thoroughbred Rankings unveiled in London

on Tuesday.

Topping the overall ratings and middle-distance division at 129 pounds,

the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) hero led a clean sweep for Maktoum-owned horses, positioned one pound in front

of Darley Stable's classic-winning BERNARDINI (A.P. Indy) and Godolphin's

DISCREET CAT (Forestry), the

joint top-rated sophomores.

Discreet Cat was judged best at a mile by virtue of his latest success in the

Cigar Mile (G1), while the sprinter category was shared between King's Bishop (G1) and Vosburgh S. (G1) winner HENNY

HUGHES (Hennessy), Lightning S. (Aus-G1), Newmarket H. (Aus-G1) and

Sprinters S. (Jpn-G1) winner TAKEOVER TARGET (Celtic Swing) and the Breeders'

Cup Sprint (G1) hero THOR'S ECHO (Swiss Yodeler).

Of the European-based runners, Two Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1) and Queen Elizabeth II S. (Eng-G1) winner

GEORGE WASHINGTON (Ire) (Danehill) and Prix de l'Arc de

Triomphe (Fr-G1) victor RAIL LINK (Dansili [GB]) were handed a rating of 127

pounds, alongside DEEP IMPACT (Sunday Silence), who heads the stayers' rankings. Also at 127 is LAVA MAN

(Slew City Slew), who became the first horse to win the

Santa Anita H. (G1), Hollywood Gold Cup (G1) and Pacific Classic (G1) in the

same season.

"There was no magic 130 horse this year, but there are 12 rated over 125 this

year compared to eight in 2005 and six in 2004, which is an encouraging trend,

and several are still unknown quantities," said Nigel Gray, the British

Horseracing Board's chief handicapper.

Topping the European two-year-old rankings is unbeaten Dewhurst

S. (Ire-G1) and National S. (Ire-G1) hero TEOFILO (Galileo [Ire]), whose 123

rating eclipsed his archrival, HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR (Danehill), by

one pound.

"He always struck me as an embryo three-year-old type, and I think the horse

will be a monster," Irish senior flat handicapper Garry O'Gorman said. "Teofilo

may have more in the tank -- he has such scope and when I think of horses that

have excited me as much, I would have to look back as far as (2002 English

highweighted three-year-old) Hawk Wing. The sky

is the limit."

Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (Fr-G1), Champion S. (Eng-G1)

and Hong Kong Cup (HK-G1) heroine PRIDE (Peintre Celebre) topped the world's

distaff category with a rating of 123, one pound ahead of Lord Derby's Prince of

Wales's S. (Eng-G1), Nassau S. (Eng-G1) and Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf

(G1) victress OUIJA BOARD (GB) (Cape Cross [Ire]).

The two major categories are listed below:

FOUR-YEARS-OLDS AND UP

THREE-YEAR-OLDS