Horses love to run, that much is clear. There are many different breeds of horse and some of them have the bloodlines to travel at high speed, while some are bred for other things in the sport and as recreational animals.
We’re taking a look at some of the fastest horses in the world right now as well as a dive into which breeds of horse are made for speed.
Fastest Horses in the World This Year
5. Private Eye
Private Eye is an Australian-based sprinter trained by Joe Pride. He has won close to $12m in prize money with 12 major wins and is being primed for the Eva Air Kingsford Smith Cup at Eagle Farm on his comeback.
4. Giga Kick
The Australian-based Giga Kick is trained by Clayton Douglas and has won major sprint contests in his career including The Everest in 2022 and 2023 All Ages Stakes and Doomben 10,000 – victories that earned him the title of Australian Champion Sprinter.
3. Ka Ying Rising
Bred in New Zealand, Ka Ying Rising is now trained in Hong Kong by David Hayes, where he has won the Hong Kong Sprint in 2024 and the Centenary Sprint Cup and Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup. He was rated tied-24th in the 2024 World’s Best Racehorse Rankings by Longines.
2. I Wish I Win
A multiple Group 1 winner, I Wish I Win won two Group 1s and a staggering $12.8m in prize money in his 25 career starts. The Peter Moody-trained galloper’s final run was an eye-catching third in the Group 1 Futurity Stakes at Caulfield behind Mr Brightside and Tom Kitten. He was retired in the spring of 2025.
1. Cogburn
Cogburn was bred in Kentucky by Bellary Bloodstock and trained by Steve Asmussen. He was the highest-rated overall sprinter on the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings with a 120 rating in 2024 and he set a North American record in the Jaipur Stakes at Saratoga, covering 5½-furlongs in 59.80, helping him end the calendar year as the world’s fastest horse.
Fastest Horse Breed
10. The Morgan dates back to the 10th century in the USA and is a big muscular horse with a max speed of around 20mph. They were once noted for harness racing but are now typically bred for cross-country riding or show jumping.
9. Originating in the Netherlands, the Friesian is a big horse bred as a working animal but they can reach speeds as high as 30mph. Dressage, pleasure driving, fox hunting, and show jumping are some of the disciplines they excel in.
8. The Akhal-Teke originated in the Central Asian country of Turkmenistan and is dubbed the ‘golden horse’ owing to its distinctive coat. They are pure-bred for stamina and excel in show jumping and endurance riding.
7. A Spanish purebred, the Andalusian can be traced back to prehistoric times and are noted for a long neck, flowing mane and deep chest. Show jumping and dressage are ideal for these burly horses.
6. The Standardbred typically reach around 30mph and they are commonly used in harness racing. They are bred from thoroughbreds and the lineage goes back to the 1840s in the United States.
5. Arabians originate from the Middle East and Egypt and can muster speeds of up to 40mph. They are light and agile and one of the oldest breeds in the world.
4. The Mustang is a free-roaming breed typically found in the western United States of America. They descended from Spanish breeds brought to the Americas and are often used for trail riding, dressage, and ranch work.
3. Idaho, in the US, has an official state horse named the Appaloosa. They were originally bred by the Nez Perce tribe of the Pacific Northwest and are known for their striking spotted pattern. They almost went extinct in the mid-1900s but were saved and today they are crossbred with Quarter horses and thoroughbreds.
2. The Thoroughbred is the most distinguished breed and the one used for horse racing around the world, with a lineage that can be traced back centuries. They are a slim and athletic build, often precious in nature. Based on their bloodlines, they are born to excel at racing distances from 5f to more than two miles and the fastest of them can travel at speeds close to 50mph.
1. The American Quarter horse is the fastest breed over a short distance, clocking speeds up to 55mph at a quarter of a mile, from where their name derives. The breed originated in the 1600s and there are over 6 million registered in the US today. They are calm and friendly in demeanour and can sprint quicker than any horse over a short distance.