Winx after winning last year's Cox Plate (Image: Racing Photos)
It is a record few thought could be challenged so quickly, but wonder horse Winx might yet receive the ultimate gong for an Australian horse in London on Tuesday night when she is expected to test Black Caviar's highest-ever international ranking.
Racing Victoria's Executive General Manager of Racing, Greg Carpenter, who sits on the international ratings panel that will publish 2016's final ratings, said on Monday that Winx's current rating of 130 is certain to increase and will provide a real comparison with the unbeaten superstar Black Caviar.
"Going into the final conference in Hong Kong in December she was rated 130 but there's going to be some good news around Winx," Carpenter said.
"She's going to be higher than 130 and then that will make it interesting putting her in context with Black Caviar's best performances of all time which was the 2011 Newmarket Handicap where she posted a rating of 132."
The latest international ratings released in November last year had Arrogate on 134, marginally in front of California Chrome on 133, with Winx on 130. Those two American horses will clash in Florida on Saturday in the inaugural $12 million Pegasus World Cup.
WATCH: Winx's Cox Plate win
Other elite Australian horses such as Hartnell, Chautauqua and Flying Artie are also expected to be included among the top horses in the world in what Carpenter predicts will be a great result for Australian racing.
"Those Longines listings publish the 300-odd horses around the world that have put in genuine Group 1 performances during the calendar year of 115 or higher," he said.
"I think this year there is around 318 horses in that list of the world's best racehorse rankings and over the past two years Australia has had 40 in 2014 and 40 in 2015 and I think you'll see a significantly higher number this year.
"There will be awards made to the three highest horses in those listings for 2016 and the there will also be an announcement of the top 100 Group 1 races in the world for the calendar year and I think it is going to be a really good story for Australian racing," Carpenter said.
"I'm really positive we'll have a big number of those races from Australia," he said.
"In previous years, we've had about 20 of the top 100 best Group 1 world races and I think again you'll see the Cox Plate right up near the top as one of the best races in the world."