In a ceremony in London on Tuesday 20^th January, Calandagan was officially rated 130, putting him at the top of the table ahead of Forever Young, Ya King Rising, Masquerade Ball, Ombudsman and Sovereignty.

A model of consistency, Calandagan has raced 14 times to date, winning eight races and never finishing out of the first three, with prize money in excess of €7 million. He began 2025 with second place finishes in the Gr.1 Dubai Sheema Classic and Gr.1 Coronation Cup, before his unique four-timer of top-level victories – the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the Champion Stakes and the Japan Cup.

Calandagan was the first horse to compete the King George – Champion Stakes double in the same year since Brigadier Gerard, and the first foreign-trained horse to win the Japan Cup in 20 years, which he did in race record time.

"Calandagan’s international travels this year added greatly to the spirit of sportsmanship,” said International Federation of Horseracing Authorities Chair Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges. “The IFHA and Longines are passionate about honouring the best racing has to offer, and the Longines World Racing Awards are a way to celebrate all of the hard work that goes into delivering high quality racing and champion racehorses.”

Calandagan’s achievements last year also led to him being given the accolades of Cartier Horse of the Year, Cartier Older Horse of the Year, ROA Horse of the Year, ROA Outstanding Middle-Distance Horse, ITBA Older Horse of the Year and Timeform Middle Distance Champion.

He remains in training in 2026 along with Arc winner Daryz, who finishes in co seventh place in the World’s Best Racehorse rankings alongside Romantic Warrior and Sierra Leone. Daryz’s sire Sea The Stars was himself the highest rated horse in the world in 2009.