Air Force Blue confirmed as Europe’s champion two year old

Air Force Blue, the even money favourite for this season’s 2,000 Guineas, has been confirmed Europe’s champion two year old for 2015.

The triple-Group 1 winner is one of three Aidan O’Brien trained horses in the top-ten juvenile rankings with his stable companion Minding rated Europe’s top two year old filly.

Air Force Blue has been given a rating of 124, 3lbs clear of the Middle Park and Prix Morny winner, Shalaa, with Minding rated on 120. O'Brien's Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf winner Hit It A Bomb is rated on 116.

O'Brien's wide-margin Irish St Leger hero, Order Of St George, is the joint top rated Irish performer on 2015 on a mark of 124, 1lb ahead of the Dermot Weld trained pair, Free Eagle and Fascinating Rock.

The Derby and Arc winner Golden Horn is Europe’s top-rated horse of 2015 on 130 but the US Triple Crown hero American Pharoah has been ranked the world’s top thoroughbred of last year by International handicappers in the Longines Best Racehorse Rankings on a mark of 134.

Europe’s Top Juveniles in 2015:

124 C Air Force Blue Aidan O’Brien IRE

121 C Shalaa John Gosden GB

120 F Minding Aidan O’Brien IRE

117 C Buratino Mark Johnston GB

117 C Emotionless Charlie Appleby GB

116 C Hit It A Bomb Aidan O’Brien IRE

116 F Lumiere Mark Johnston GB

116 C Marcel Peter Chapple-Hyam GB

116 C Massaat Barry Hills GB

115 F Acapulco Wesley Ward USA

115 C Donjuan Triumphant Richard Fahey GB

115 C Gutaifan Richard Hannon Jr GB

115 F Illuminate Richard Hannon Jr GB