Calandagan Named Longines World's Best Racehorse 2025 After Stellar Campaign

Calandagan, the Aga Khan Studs homebred by Gleneagles, was crowned the Longines World's Best Racehorse for 2025 with a rating of 130 after a campaign that produced four top-level wins. The award singled out Calandagan's performance in the G1 Champion Stakes at Ascot and acknowledged victories in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, and the Japan Cup.

The pedigree and program behind Calandagan matter as much as the results. Aga Khan Studs bred Calandagan and has seen the colt translate bloodlines into global success, reinforcing the commercial value of Gleneagles progeny and raising expectations for future stud demand. As the first French-trained winner of the World's Best Racehorse title since Waldgeist in 2019, Calandagan also restores attention to French training yards and their ability to compete on an international stage.

Racing authorities and fans will point to the Champion Stakes as the defining moment of the season. That Ascot performance was singled out by the Longines panel when determining the rating of 130, a numerical affirmation of peak performance among older horses worldwide. Calandagan's sweep of the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes demonstrated dominance over European middle-distance routes, while the Japan Cup win highlighted the colt's adaptability to travel and different racing environments.

The Longines global ratings list for 2025 further emphasized the international nature of elite flat racing. Top races across Europe and Asia formed the backbone of the rankings, with Calandagan emerging as the highest-rated horse. Jockey James McDonald reclaimed the Longines World's Best Jockey title, underscoring the continuing influence of a relatively small group of elite riders on marquee races and international campaigns.

Beyond trophies and ratings, Calandagan's rise has business and cultural implications. Bloodstock markets will monitor yearling and breeding sales for relatives of Gleneagles, and owners contemplating international campaigns may be encouraged by the payoff from cross-border targeting. France's role in the global pattern books will gain renewed respect, and the Aga Khan organisation's breeding program will attract fresh scrutiny and investment.

For racing fans, Calandagan's achievement is both spectacle and signal: a reminder that elite middle-distance racing remains global and that a single horse can reshape market and sporting narratives. The immediate question now centers on the colt's next season and eventual stud placement; for owners, breeders, and punters, Calandagan's 2025 campaign provides benchmarks for performance, value, and the continuing globalization of the sport.