I never saw him race (he belonged to a previous generation) but just reading about his exploits makes the hair stand on end. There are holes to pick in his unbeaten track record- particularly the fact that 13 of those races were in his native Italy and with due respect, would have been merely benefit races for him. However, people underestimate just how difficult it is to maintain a 100% record even against weaker opposition- after all, horses are not machines, anything can go wrong and greats such as Sea Bird and Dancing Brave were beaten by inferior rivals due to bad luck. So to complete such a lengthy career unbeaten is a magnificent achievement, whatever the circumstances and locale. However, it is the manner and margin of his 3 overseas victories that highlight his claim to being the greatest horse of the 20th century. In an age when cross-border travel was still a major rigmarole, his runaway victories in the Arc (twice) and King George are the stuff of legend. The Derby is a great race, but the Arc and King George are the true benchmarks of European excellence, given that they involve all age groups at weight-for-age. Moreover, Ribot was able to win from 1000m to 3000m (5f to 1m 7f) and on any going, often from the front. It is impossible to label any single horse as the best ever simply because of the difficulty of comparing across different generations and sometimes, regions. But despite Timeform rating him below Sea Bird and Brigadier Gerard (both true champions) I believe that Ribot's unbeaten record and versatility mark him the best candidate. What would have happened had he met the other greats over the Arc distance? One can only speculate, and he may not have the devastating acceleration of Sea Bird or Dancing Brave, but I believe with his superior stamina, he could have burned them all out. What is not speculation, however, is the merit of his achievements on the track and his subsequent exploits as sire and grandsire. He remains the ultimate dream horse.