World Rankings: Teao put South America back on racing’s global map

The Chilean runner received a rating of 120 in the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings following his victory in the Gran Premio Latinoamericano (G1) at Monterrico, becoming the first horse from the region in a long time to break into the international elite

Amid international giants such as Ka Ying Rising (Shamexpress), Romantic Warrior (Acclamation), Daryz (Sea the Stars), and White Abarrio (Race Day), one South American name managed to carve out a place in the new LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings: Teao.

And it was far from a minor appearance. The Chilean runner earned an international rating of 120 following his brilliant victory in the Gran Premio Latinoamericano (G1) recently contested on the turf at Hipódromo de Monterrico in Peru, becoming the first South American representative in a long time to break into the global elite with genuine force.

The news carries enormous significance for the region. At a time when the international landscape is typically dominated by horses from Hong Kong, Japan, Europe, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States, the son of Ya Primo has once again placed South America back into the conversation at racing’s highest level.

Teao’s rating also confirmed something that had already been widely discussed before the race itself: the 2026 edition of the Latinoamericano was one of the strongest and most competitive renewals in recent memory.

The decision to stage the event over the turf course at Monterrico attracted top-class runners from across the continent and ultimately produced a race featuring exceptionally high and tightly grouped pre-race ratings.

In the end, Teao emerged above them all, and now that performance has received international validation through the 120 rating assigned by Longines.

To place that figure into perspective, it puts him alongside major international performers such as Damysus (Frankel), winner of the Earl of Sefton Stakes (G3); T O Elvis (Volatile), hero of the Churchill Downs Stakes (G1); and Gstaad (Starspangledbanner), runner-up in the English 2000 Guineas (G1).

Teao’s emergence represents far more than a statistical milestone. For years, South America has struggled to maintain an international presence against the immense economic and genetic power of the world’s leading racing markets. That is why every time a horse from the region manages to insert himself among the best on the planet, the impact resonates deeply.

The Chilean star did not merely win the Latinoamericano—he helped make the international racing world look toward South America once again with genuine competitive respect.

While Ka Ying Rising dominates the rankings with 130 points and Romantic Warrior continues building his legend in Hong Kong, tied for second with Daryz at 126, Teao achieved something equally valuable for this part of the world: proving that South America can still produce horses capable of belonging in the sport’s biggest global conversation.