Europe's handicappers are dreaming of a mouth-watering clash between Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe hero Hurricane Run and Japanese Triple Crown winner Deep Impact in the Longchamp showpiece in October.
Hurricane Run was rated the world's best racehorse of 2005 having been accorded a mark of 130 in the World Thoroughbred Rankings revealed yesterday, mainly through his stunning victory against older horses in Paris.
Bought by Coolmore and Michael Tabor shortly before winning the Irish Derby, the Andre Fabre-trained colt was beaten only once, when failing by a neck to catch Shamardal in the French Derby over a mile and a quarter, the first time the Classic had been run over a shorter trip. He stays in training and is the horse that racing's officials are eagerly awaiting to see in action again.
"He achieved his rating with a two-length victory in the Arc de Triomphe. He emulated the top-rated horse of 2004 in Ghostzapper, who was put on 128 (in 2005) following an injury-interrupted campaign," said BHB senior handicapper Nigel Gray.
"Hurricane Run was only beaten once, by Shamardal in the Prix du Jockey Club and picked up two Group Ones and Group Twos throughout the year."
Garry O'Gorman, the Irish Turf Club's senior handicapper, cannot wait for Hurricane Run and Deep Impact to take each other on. He said: "Deep Impact and Hurricane Run meeting in the Arc would be a race to savour."
His French counterpart, Gerald Sauque, picked out Hurricane Run as the horse he could not wait to see again next season. "He was the best horse last year and I believe he will be the best horse again in 2006," he said.
As Hurricane Run did not achieve his best rating on a British track, he failed to qualify for the British Horseracing Board 2005 Flat Racing Awards.
As a result the honour of being Horse Of The Year, as well as leading three-year-old colt, went to Motivator, who received a rating of 125 thanks to his runaway success in the Vodafone Derby. He never scaled those heights again and was fifth to Hurricane Run in the Arc on his final start before being retired to stud.
Twelve months ago, Motivator was signalled out by the handicappers as a possible star three-year-old. But the 2005 juvenile crop face a "tough act to follow" according to the experts.
George Washington was the highest-rated two-year-old on 124 due to Group One victories in the Phoenix and National Stakes but, like Hurricane Run, did not figure among the BHB award winners.
That distinction went to the unbeaten Dewhurst Stakes scorer Sir Percy (121) trained by Marcus Tregoning.
"There is a possibility George Washington is exactly what his trainer Aidan O'Brien says he is," said the BHB's two-year-old handicapper Matthew Tester. "Garry (O'Gorman) told us he was the best two-year-old he had ever seen when he won the Phoenix Stakes. I would have loved him to have put his reputation on the line in the Dewhurst."
O'Gorman added: "He pulverised the opposition in the Phoenix Stakes when he had a rail to run against.
"He did not live up to that in the National Stakes but he had to race in the centre of the course and run around a bit which could account for him not being as impressive."
Motivator was not the only horse to pick up two BHB awards as that distinction also went to Azamour.
The John Oxx-trained four-year-old was named champion older male horse and top middle-distance performer with a mark of 126.
On receiving the prizes, George Rimault, French stud manager to owner the Aga Khan, said: "The original plan was not to keep him in training but this award justifies the decision."
