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The year 2020 was one for the history books and not just because of the races that ran and the horses that won them. It was a pandemic year, and as we get ready for the 2021 season it is still not known if or when any sense of the old normality will return.The usual running order required some rejigging but by the end of the year, after an almost complete pattern-race schedule, 174 horses had won a Group 2 or Group 3 race in Great Britain and/or Ireland and/or been a British- or Irish-trained winner of such a race in another country, accumulating a total haul of 193 races at those levels. Of those, 26 also won at least once at the highest level, and while that group are reviewed individually in Volume 1: European Group 1 Winners, all of the others are examined here.These prestigious races were as competitive as always and the winners included former Group 1 stars Anthony Van Dyck, Aspetar, Benbatl, Limato, Magic Wand and Romanised, plus standout fillies such as Enbihaar and Fanny Logan, one now retired, the other still in training, whereas the two-year-olds featured several potential Group 1 stars of 2021 including the colt whom many see as the likely Derby hero.Some of the year's brightest stars have now moved on to new careers at stud, a few have gone into alternative retirement or will be continuing their careers in other parts of the world, but most of them will be back in action in 2021 for what promises to be another exciting season.Produced by a racing and pedigrees writer with over 30 years' experience, the author of European Group 1 Winners of 2019, European Group 1 Winners of 2018 and other titles.

The year 2020 was one for the history books and not just because of the races that ran and the horses that won them. It was a pandemic year, and as we get ready for the 2021 season it is still not known if or when any sense of the old normality will return.The usual running order required some rejigging but by the end of the year, after an almost complete pattern-race schedule, 69 horses had won a Group 1 race in Europe and/or been a British- or Irish-trained winner of such a race in another continent, accumulating a combined haul of 92 top-level contests.Ghaiyyath was crowned Horse of the Year after a 130-rated season in which he won three times at the highest level. Magical also won three, her planned retirement to stud postponed by a year. Love lit up the classic scene with wide-margin wins in the 1000 Guineas and Oaks, whereas the year-older Tarnawa gave the great Irish trainer Dermot Weld an overdue Breeders' Cup victory. Battaash headed the sprinters' division again, Stradivarius' performance in the Gold Cup gave the brilliant stayer a new career-high rating, Palace Pier headed the milers, Sottsass rounded off his career with an Arc triumph, while St Mark's Basilica led the way in a muddled two-year-old division.Some of the year's brightest stars have now moved on to new careers at stud, but many of them will be back in action in 2021 for what promises to be another exciting season.Produced by a racing and pedigrees writer with over 30 years' experience, the author of European Group 1 Winners of 2019, European Group 1 Winners of 2018 and other titles.