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French globetrotter Calandagan has been crowned the best racehorse in the world of 2025. The Aga Khan Studs-owned gelding raced in Dubai, France, Britain and Japan, winning four Group 1 prizes. He secured his title by capturing both the Champion Stakes at Ascot and Japan Cup, jointly the two best races by ratings run in the world last year.

In October the Francis-Henri Graffard-trained gelding defeated Ombudsman and Delacroix on British Champions Day at Ascot, then travelled to Japan where he became the first European-trained horse to capture the Japan Cup for 20 years by defeating local favourite Masquerade Ball in a photo-finish decided by a head.

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The Calandagan connections assembled at the Savoy Hotel in London for the official ceremony of the Longines World Racing Awards on Tuesday after the five-year-old winner of £6.2 million received a season-ending rating of 130, putting him 2lb clear of the rest.

Princess Zahra Aga Khan said: "This is the result of amazing training, amazing riding, amazing care of the horse and fantastic work in the stable yard.

"When you get to the racecourse it is over in three minutes, but it takes four or five years of work. In fact longer, from when we're sitting in the office making those decisions.

"It's been an incredible chapter. My father and great-grandfather bought the original mares, they've done very, very well and Calandagan is a great example of the speed and strength of these families - I think a lot of my father."

The Calandagan story is far from over, with the son of Gleneagles being readied for a possible return to Meydan and a tilt at the Dubai Sheema Classic, a race in which he finished second to Japan's Danon Decile last March.

"We haven't discussed an exact plan yet but he is in very good shape, I am delighted with him," Graffard added.

"He is such an intelligent horse with a lot of ability and talent, he loves his job and we are so blessed to have him in the yard.

"I think we will start in Dubai and then we will probably stay in Europe in the summer, then maybe a challenge in the Japan Cup will be on the agenda also."