The year 2014 will go down in racing history in Japan, with it being the first year that the World Champion Racehorse was trained in Japan courtesy of Just A Way (130).

If that wasn’t good enough, Japan also supplied the second highest-rated horse in the world in the shape of Epiphaneia (129).

Trained by Naosuke Sugai, Just A Way first came to international prominence when impressively beating the top-class Gentildonna (118) in the Tenno Sho at Tokyo in October 2013 and he went on to better that form in 2014.

The pick of his performances and the one that secured his champion status came in the Dubai Duty Free at Meydan in March, as he bolted up by six and a quarter lengths.

Indeed, his rating of 130 is second only to El Condor Pasa (134) in the all-time ranks of Japanese-trained horses. He has been retired to stud.

However, later in the season Just A Way had to play second fiddle to his compatriot, the Katsuhiko Sumii-trained Epiphaneia in the Japan Cup, with the four-year-old winning by an impressive four-length margin to secure his place as the second-best horse in the world. He reportedly returns to training in 2015 and could well have international targets.

While the Japanese horses may take the headlines, the performance of European horses was very notable, with five of the top 10 racehorses in the world being trained in Europe.

It was the three-year-olds that led the way for Europe, with Australia, Kingman and The Grey Gatsby all finishing the year with a rating of 127, while Sea The Moon completed the top 10 with his rating of 125. Their achievements are discussed in more detail in the section dedicated to three-year-olds.

Away from the classic generation, it was the Criquette Head-Maarek-trained Treve (126) that stole the show for Europe.

The daughter of Motivator had tied with Black Caviar for the title of World Champion Racehorse in 2013, but she looked well short of that form for much of 2014, with her being beaten on her first three outings of the season.

Many had lost faith in her by the time she arrived at Longchamp to defend her Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe crown in October, but Head-Maarek had saved her best for last.

Given a confident ride by Thierry Jarnet, she stretched away in the final furlong to beat the best that Europe had to offer by an easy two lengths.

That win made her the first horse since Alleged in 1977/78 to win the great race twice and also was enough to secure her position as the highest-rated filly/mare in the world.

While she was briefly retired in the aftermath of the race, that decision was soon revised and in 2015 she will aim to become the first horse to ever win the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on three occasions.

It was also a notable year for South Africa, as the Mike De Kock-trained Variety Club (127) became the highest-rated South African-trained horse since the inauguration of the World Rankings in 2004. He achieved that rating with his electric four-length defeat of the locally-trained Able Friend (127) in the Champions Mile at Sha Tin in Hong Kong.

The John Moore-trained Able Friend went on to improve significantly following that defeat, with his impressive victory in the Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin in December being enough to secure his joint-third position in the world rankings, making him the third Asian-based horse at the top end of the world rankings. In what was a somewhat disappointing year for North American racing in terms of performances in a worldwide contest, the three-year-old Bayern (125) was the only North American-trained horse to sneak into the top 10 performers in the world.

Of his compatriots, California Chrome (124) was right on his heels, as were a series of older performers such as the Santa Anita Handicap winner Game On Dude (124), the Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Main Sequence (124), the 11-time Grade 1-winner Wise Dan (124) and the Metropolitan Handicap winner Palace Malice (123).

While Australia had become used to being well represented in the world rankings by Black Caviar, with her retired, the best of their performers were Lankan Rupee (123) and Terravista (123).

The Mick Price-trained Lankan Rupee won three Group 1 sprints in 2014, but also had his colours lowered by the Joseph Pride-trained Terravista in the Darley Classic at Flemington.

Back on the European scene, there were plenty of notable performances from those just outside the top 10 performers.

The Aidan O’Brien-trained Magician (123) confirmed his position as a high-class colt when running the John Gosden-trained The Fugue (124) to a length and three-quarters in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot. Both of them have been retired to their respective breeding sheds.

Mention must also be given to the remarkable Corin Barande-Barbe-trained Cirrus Des Aigles (123).

In his eighth year, he once again acquitted himself with great credit, winning three Group 1 races including a victory over Treve in the Prix Ganay as well as a comfortable victory in the Coronation Cup at Epsom.