20 Best horses of the last 2 decades.

1999 is 20 years so that’s the starting point


Some food for though, which the article lacks


Australian horse of the year
1999 Might & Power
2009 Typhoon Tracey
2013 Lankan Rupee


Champion Middle Distance Racehorse
2004 Grand Armee

Australian Champion Three Year Old
1999 Fairway
2003 Starcraft


Australian Champion Stayer
1999 Tie the Knot

Longevity is only a negative for a horse if it doesn’t race at open age.

Time and time again we’ve seen 3yos beat up on their own but get beaten once they turn 4

TJMitchell wrote: I don't think longevity should be held against how good a horse is, especially one who wins 5 Gr1's in both hemispheres

Here here

ChrisB wrote: Shrunk in the Wash wrote: Longevity is only a negative for a horse if it doesn’t race at open age. Time and time again we’ve seen 3yos beat up on their own but get beaten once they turn 4 Agree. Which is exactly why The Autumn Sun was retired early. Form around him awful so breeders bail quick.

It's off topic but yes, could have been exposed if he took on older horses. Forget about beating Winx.

Each to their own, but MD, IMHO, is way too high. I don't have her in the top 3 mares in the last 20 years, let alone the top 3.

She only won 7 G1 races, was beaten way more than she won, failed overseas twice. A champion mare, best stayer I have seen (backed her in all 3 cup wins), but to me, the best win more than they lose. I reckon she was on about par with Elvstroem, despite him beating her more times than she beat him.

Not knocking her, she was a beauty and has a Melbourne Cup record unlikely to be beaten,but great WFA horses rank higher to me, than a greqt staying mare who won the majority of her G1 races in 3200m handicap races.

Jamal wrote: From that list: 1. Winx 2. Black Caviar 3. So You Think Again...in MY opinion

As it's the 5th time you've said it we understand thats your opinion.

Great article MelbourneRacing. We all see it differently mate. There is no right and wrong, just opinions. It would be a boring world if we all thought the same all the time.

saintly96 wrote: Great article MelbourneRacing. We all see it differently mate. There is no right and wrong, just opinions. It would be a boring world if we all thought the same all the time.

Agree. Great list and given the debates are only over a few spots would indicate a pretty good job was done.

Tlazolteotl wrote: SYT is better than MD in my opinion. He would beat her in any race from 900m to 2400m, in my humble opinion

NO need to be humble. You’re 100% right. There’s a dozen or more better horses than her in her era

MelbourneRacing wrote: This was my list and thanks to djebel for posting the link. Good to see there's being some sensible debate. Let me give you an insight into how I was thinking when I came up with the list. First I started with a list of about 30 horses that came immediately to mind. Then I did a quick ranking of what was in my memory. I can assure you that I had it completely wrong at times. Nostalgia can be a real bitch when it comes to facts. Then I went through the winners of the biggest races we have in Australia and also the Hall of Fame, to make sure I didn't miss anyone obvious. I also then sent a draft list of 20 to a handful of people I respect. They gave some feedback and threw up some names of horses that I had overlooked. I then did thorough research on all horses and watched replays etc and formed an opinion. Clearly you cannot compare Winx and Black Caviar. Or Black Caviar and Makybe Diva. In a way, the list is pointless other than it lists the 20 or so best horses to have raced in Australia over the past 20 years. FYI I originally had SYT at 3 behind Winx and BC and then moved him to 4 and then 5. My inner point was that I was disrespecting Makybe Diva's legacy of three Melbourne Cup wins. The fact she was able to win a Cox Plate and an Australian Cup shows her class. The more research I did on Sunline the more I remembered why I loved her. In hindsight, she was probably poorly managed. They raced her into the ground at times. But she was brilliant nonetheless. I won't try and stop people arguing about who is better between Sunline, Lonhro and Northerly because that's what makes racing great. It's a sport of opinions. Thus far, the feedback has been largely exceptional, which says to me there's not a long wrong with the list of 20.  To clarify on a couple of comments though, the person who said Karasi has no business being on this list should go back and watch some replays of the old warrior. Also, the era is 2000-2019, which is 20 years. You don't count the number zero, so that's why you're mistaken.  I didn't deem Tie The Knot, Might and Power and some other good horses eligible because of when they did the majority of their racing. I think I've said plenty but there were always going to be horses unlucky to miss out. I think All Too Hard could have been a top 10 horse if he was allowed to race on, but I couldn't form that opinion based on how much racing he actually did. Grand Armee was probably hard done by and Hay List was stiff, but racing is a tough caper. If you're not first, you're last.

Good on you mate for coming here and giving us your thought process.

Shrunk in the Wash wrote: Tlazolteotl wrote: SYT is better than MD in my opinion. He would beat her in any race from 900m to 2400m, in my humble opinion NO need to be humble. You’re 100% right. There’s a dozen or more better horses than her in her era

Agree. Massively overrated is MD.

In her final year (and a bit) MD won a Memsie, a Turnbull, an Australian Cup, a BMW, a Cox Plate and two Melbourne Cups. Like to know the “dozen or so” better.

Won two Melbourne Cups in her final year?

That's quite an achievement considering it is only run once a year

Plus the Cup is much stronger now than then now than then, especially now they know how to get in as light weights.

I'd put MD about 10.

Yes I'm aware "and a bit". How convenient.

Great horse. One or two seasons compared to others with more distinguished records.