EUROPEAN BRED OR TRAINED EARNINGS RECORD HOLDERS SINCE THE 1860s

Note the information will be updated as information comes to hand.
            
EUROPEAN BRED OR TRAINED EARNINGS RECORD HOLDERS SINCE THE 1860s. 
(Must have had first start in Europe)

The record holders are a work in progress and may be altered at any time. 
I have included separately other horses I have discarded as unlikely to be the leading European earner of their era. 
Sometimes the difference between making the list and being discarded is only a few thousand GBP.
If anyone has evidence of another horse I should consider or if you believe any information is incorrect please let me know.
Both Noor and Amerigo raced in England before being sent to USA to race and it is the relatively high USD prizemoney that propelled then to the top of the list.  Ditto for Viva Pataca who went to Hong Kong after starting in England.
All the leaders foaled after the 1960s race outside Europe. As Frankel (GB) 2008 (who some race as the greatest racehorse ever) did not race far from home he had no chance of being a European earnings leader as prizemoney in England is insufficient to compte with the money on offer in Dubai, Hong Kong, USA, Japan and other countries.   
Some of the earnings figures I have below vary substantially from those on pedigreequery or wikipedia.
British newspapers of the 1950-1960s concentrate on whether the leading earner is trained in the UK and they tend to include Ireland as part of the UK. 
Roger Mortimer writing in the Times in the early sixties noted that France was sending its second eleven to England as prizemoney in France was far better yet the French second eleven was still superior to the English stayers and something ought to be done about it.
One of the horses in the 'discard' list is Bon Mot who only had 3 wins yet there is some suggestion his USD earnings would give him a chance a being the leading earner of his era.  While French prizemoney was possibly better than English prizemoney it seems unlikely the figure I have seen is correct.
I have seen 'Sea Bird II' spelt a number of different ways and have elected to go with the way it is spelt here because I like it!
A separate list of of British and Irish trained leading earners would include some of those in the discard list.
Gladiateur is most likely to have earned far more than any European racehorse before him much as Carbine did in Australiasia and as such is, in my opinion, the undisputed record holder of his time. 
            
Gladiateur (FR) 1862      GBP 30,776   USD 235,822      19 starts, 16 wins, 0 seconds, 1 third.
Donovan (GB) 1886   GBP 55,443   USD 268,595      21 starts: 18 wins, 2 seconds, 1 third - passed Gladiateur
Isinglass (GB) 1890    GBP 57,455   USD 285,814      12 starts: 11 wins, 1 second, 0 thirds - passed Donovan
Noor (IRE) 1945   GBP 134,494   USD 385,211   USD 383,968 pedigreequery and wikipedia   31 starts, 12 wins, 6 seconds, 6 thirds.  Win % 38.7, Place % 77.4 - passed Isinglass
Bald Eagle (USA) 1955      GBP 247,709   USD 694,130      29 starts, 12 wins (5 x G1r), 5 seconds, 4 thirds.  Win % 41.4, Place % 72.4. (6 starts in England before going to USA) - passed Noor
Nijinsky II (CAN) 1967   GBP 255,984   USD 614,358   13 starts: 11 wins, 2 seconds, 0 thirds.- passed Bald Eagle in GBP only
Mill Reef (USA) 1968    GBP 311,156   USD 766,759   FRF 4,170,476   14 starts: 12 wins, 2 seconds, 0 thirds - passed Nijinsky II in GBP and Bald Eagle in USD.
Rheingold (IRE) 1969   GBP 370,892   USD 919,958   FRF 4,041,703   17 starts, 9 wins (4 x G1), 4 seconds, 1 third.  Win % 52.9, Place % 82.4.  - passed Mill Reef in GBP and USD but not in FRF
#Dahlia (USA) 1970   GBP 673,003   USD 1,541,994   FRF 7,131,752   46 starts: 15 wins, 3 seconds, 7 thirds -    passed Rheingold in GBP, USD and FRF on 27 July 1974 - also passed Mill Reef in FRF on 27 July 1974..
#Allez France (USA) 1970   GBP 570,015   USD 1,361,872   FRF 6,232,245   21 starts: 13 wins, 3 seconds, 1 third - passed Rheingold in GBP, USD and FRF on 6 October 1974.
*Exceller (USA) 1973   GBP 887,317   USD 1,640,322   FRF 7,554,756   33 starts: 15 wins, 5 seconds, 3 thirds Passed Allez France / Dahlia
All Along (FR) 1979    GBP 2,043,735  USD 2,959,877  FRF 24,018,020   21 starts: 9 wins, 4 seconds, 2 thirds - passed Exceller.
**Singspiel (IRE) 1992      GBP 3,324,445   USD 6,216,332  FRF 29,046,459   20 starts: 9 wins, 8 seconds, 0 thirds  passed All Along.
## Fantastic Light (USA) 1996     GBP 5,780,883   USD 8,491,379    FRF / EUR (Raced in both eras)   25 starts: 12 wins, 5 seconds, 3 thirds passed Singspiel
### Viva Pataca (GB) 2002 (late Comic Strip)       GBP 5,996,622   USD 10,549,359   HKD 82,054,910   51 starts: 18 wins, 5 seconds, 10 thirds.  Win % 35.3, Place % 64.7. - passed Fantastic Light in GBP on 30 May 2010 and USD on 26 April 2009.
Cirrus des Aigles (FR) 2006   GBP 6,151,639   USD 9,791,604   EUR 7,336,430   67 starts: 22 wins, 20 seconds, 6 thirds - passed Viva Pataca in GBP on 14 Dec 2014 but did not pass Viva Pataca in USD.
Flintshire (GB) 2010   GBP 6,414,248   USD 9,602,227   EUR 8,205,359   24 starts: 8 wins, 12 seconds, 1 third - passed Cirrus des Aigles in GBP but did not pass Viva Pataca in USD.
Highland Reel (IRE) 2012   GBP 7,875,927   USD 10,525,708   EUR 9,395,997   27 starts: 10 wins, 6 seconds, 3 thirds.- passed Flintshire in GBP and Cirrus des Aigles in USD
Enable (GB) 2014   Passed Highland Reel in GBP and USD only   GBP 8,139,550   USD 10,682,238   EUR 9,230,001   11 starts: 10 wins, 0 seconds and 1 third.
# I have included both Allez France and Dahlia as leading earners as I do not have enough information at this stage to split them.  Perhaps they could have both been leading earners at various times during their careers.               
## I emailed equibase.com about the relative difference between 'racingpost' career earnings of GBP 4,207,029 and equibase.com career earnings of USD 8,486,957 which on the prevailing exchange rates suggests a USD 2,000,000 difference.  equibase.com replied that Fantastic Light earned USD 1,000,000 Emirates World Series bonus for winning the 2000 Hong Kong Cup and another USD 1,000,000 Emirates World Series bonus for winning the 2001 Breeder's Cup Turf run at Belmont, New York, USA. This means the racingpost' figure is understated by the GBP equivalent of USD 2,000,000.
### There is some estimation involved in arriving at Viva Pataca's figure especially around his first 4 starts in Hong Kong but I doubt it is too far off the mark.  All his UK starts were covered by the 'racingpost'.
* Exceller won four group 1 races in Europe before racing in North America where he won seven grade 1 races for a total of 11 group/grade 1 races.  Figures are estimates but error is likely to be less than 2 per cent.  Further I suspect most of the difference between my USD figure and that on equibase or wikipedia/pedigreequery may be due to the fact that I have reduced his Canadian dollar earnings by about USD 12,000 to allow for exchange rate differences whereas I suspect the other websites have assumed CAD 1.00 = USD 1.00.  I have CAD 116,100 = USD 103,999.
** Singspiel raced twice at Woodbine in Canada in 1996 winning the Canadian International (CAD 600,000) and a month later running second in the Breeders Cup Turf.  I found the equibase results sheet for the Breeders Cup Turf a little confusing about whether prizemoney is in USD or CAD and these figures assume second prize as being USD 400,000 rather than CAD 400,000. Based on Reserve Bank of Australia exchange rates for the day of the race USD 400,000 equals CAD 472,562.88.  Change to figures above made 20 Feb 2019 and does not alter Singspiel's place on the list.
         

DISCARDS         
Kincsem (HUN) 1874 (mare)   GBP ???   USD ???   55 starts, 54 wins and 1 dead heat (she won the run-off), (3 x G1 retrospective) 0 seconds and 0 thirds.  Win % 100.0, Place % 100.0.
St Simon (GB) 1881   GBP ???   USD ???   9 starts, 9 wins , 0 seconds and 0 thirds.  Win % 100.0, Place % 100.0.
Ormonde (GB) 1883   GBP 28,495   USD 138,447   16 starts, 16 wins (5 x G1 retrospective), 0 seconds and 0 thirds.  Win % 100.0, Place % 100.0.
Ayrshire (GB) 1885   GBP 35,900   USD 174,698   16 starts, 11 wins (3 x G1 retrospective), 1 second and 3 thirds.  Win % 68.8, Place % 93.8.
La Fleche (GB) 1889 (mare)   GBP 34,585   USD ???   24 starts, 16 wins, 3 seconds and 2 thirds.  Win % 66.7, Place % 87.5.
Orme (GB) 1889   GBP 32,528   USD ???   18 starts, 14 wins, 3 seconds and 0 thirds.  Win % 77.8, Place % 94.4
Persimmon (GB) 1893   GBP 34,706   USD ???   9 starts, 7 wins, 1 second, 1 thirds.  Win % 77.8, Place % 100.0.
Flying Fox (GB) 1896   GBP 40,096   USD ???   11 starts, 9 wins (4 x G1 retrospective), 2 seconds and 0 thirds.  Win % 81.8, Place % 100.0.
La Camargo (FR) 1898   GBP ?????   USD 176,768   34 starts, 24 wins (9 x G1 retrospective), 6 seconds, 1 third  (no wikipedia page)
Ksar (FR) 1918   GBP 32,325   USD 118,589   15 starts: 11 wins, 3 seconds, 0 thirds, 1 unplaced.  Win % 73.3, Place % 93.3.
Bahram (IRE) 1932   over GBP 43,000      9 starts, 9 wins, 0 seconds, 0 thirds.  Win % 100.0, Place % 100.0.
Nearco (ITY) 1935   ITL 1,000,500 + FRF ? For 1st Grand Prix de Paris (BEofBFR)      14 starts, 14 wins, 0 seconds, 0 thirds.  Win % 100.0, Place % 100.0.
Tulyar (IRE) 1949   GBP 76,696   USD 214,750   13 starts: 11 wins, 2 seconds, 0 thirds.
*Ribot (GB) 1952   GBP 102,198   USD 286,156   16 starts: 16 wins, 0 second, 0 thirds.
* The French franc was revalued in 1960 so that 100 old francs became 1 'New Franc' This meant that my estimate of Ribot's worldwide earnings of FRF 83,288,656 francs was worth just 832,886 'New Francs' (FRF 832,886) by 1960 (see eg 'https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_franc' for further information)           
Ballymoss (IRE) 1954   GBP 107,165 or GBP 114,150 (both wikipedia)   USD 299,411   13 starts: 11 wins, 2 seconds, 0 thirds.
Amerigo (GB) 1955      GBP 153,098   USD 428,679      46 starts: 14 wins, 12 seconds, 6 thirds.
Exbury (FR) 1959      GBP 156,120   USD 437,138      15 or 16 starts: 8 wins, 3 seconds and 3 thirds.
Ragusa (IRE) 1960   GBP 146,650   USD 421,147   12 starts, 7 wins (4 x G1 (retrospective)), 1 second and 2 thirds.  Win % 58.3, Place % 83.3
Relko (FR) 1960   GBP 149,136      
Baldric II (USA) 1961   GBP 149,302   USD 418,049   12 starts, 5 wins , 3 seconds and 1 thirds.  Win % 41.7, Place % 75.0.
Santa Claus (GB) 1961      USD 387,124   7 starts, 4 wins, 2 seconds and 0 thirds.  Win % 57.1, Place % 85.7.
Sea Bird II (FR) 1962   GBP 229,411   USD 642,356      8 starts: 7 wins, 1 second and 0 thirds.
Bon Mot (FR) 1963   GBP 141,041   USD 393,099   13 starts, 4 wins, 3 seconds and 3 thirds.  Win % 30.8, Place % 76.9.
Charlottown (GB) 1963   GBP 122,100   USD 341,361   11 starts, 7 wins, 3 seconds, 0 thirds.  Win % 63.6, Place % 90.6
Ribocco (USA) 1964   GBP 155,669   USD 401,986   14 starts, 5 wins, 5 seconds and 3 thirds.  Win % 35.7, Place % 92.9.
Royal Palace (GB) 1964   GBP 166,063   USD 307,798   11 starts, 9 wins, 1 second, 1 third.  Win % 81.8, Place % 90.9.
Sir Ivor (USA) 1965      USD 560,760   13 starts, 8 wins, 3 seconds, 1 third.  Win % 61.5, Place % 92.3.
Brigadier Gerard (GB) 1968  GBP 253,090   USD 620,334   FRF 3,223,903   18 starts, 17 wins, 1 second, 0 thirds.  Win % 94.4, Place % 100.0.
Grundy (IRE) 1972           GBP 324,489   USD 716,169   11 starts: 8 wins (5 x G1 (retrospective)), 2 seconds, 1 third.  Win % 72.7, Place % 90.9.
Blushing Groom (FR) 1974      USD 407,153 or USD 372,802   10 starts: 7 wins (5 x G1), 1 second, 2 thirds.  Win % 70.0, Place % 100.0.
Alleged (USA) 1974           GBP 340,598   USD 630,562   10 starts: 9 wins (2 x G1), 1 second, 0 thirds.  Win % 90.0, Place % 100.0.
J O Tobin (USA) 1974   GBP 365,621   USD 659,608   21 starts: 12 wins (2 x G1), 2 seconds, 2 thirds.
The Minstrel (CAN) 1974   GBP 333,197   USD 570,605   9 starts: 7 wins (4 x Group 1), 1 second, 1 third.
Erin's Isle (IRE) 1978   USD 1,233,889 (equibase)    33 starts, 9 wins (5 x G1), 3 seconds and 7 thirds.
^Theatrical (IRE) 1982   GBP 1,832,291   USD 2,942,004   22 starts: 10 wins, 4 seconds, 2 thirds.
^^Miesque (USA) 1984   GBP 1,157,916   USD 1,973,172   16 starts: 12 wins (10 x G1 (7 x FR, 1 x GB, 2 x USA)), 3 seconds, 1 third.
Kotashaan (FR) 1988   GBP 1,774,295   USD 2,664,362   22 starts, 10 wins (5 x G1), 5 seconds, 2 thirds.
Ouija Board (GB) 2001   GBP 3,443,479   USD 6,307,755   22 starts: 10 wins (7 x G1), 3 seconds, 5 thirds.
Goldikova (IRE) 2005   GBP  4,396,692   USD 7,180,391       EUR 5,183,006   27 Starts: 17 wins (14 x G1), 6 seconds, 3 thirds
Zarkava (IRE) 2005           GBP 2,629,768   USD 4,801,038   7 starts: 7 wins (5 x G1), 0 seconds, 0 thirds.
Danedream (GER) 2008   GBP 3,196,441   USD 5,027,014   17 starts: 8 wins (5 x G1), 0 seconds, 4 thirds.
Frankel (GB) 2008           GBP 2,998,302   USD 4,788,386   14 starts: 14 wins (10 x Group 1), 0 second, 0 thirds.
Treve (FR) 2010           GBP 5,930,560   USD 9,516,031   13 starts: 9 wins (6 x Group 1), 1 second, 1 third.
Found (IRE) 2012           GBP 5,525,377   USD 7,647,067   21 starts: 6 wins (3 x Group 1), 11 seconds and 3 thirds.
Cracksman (GB) 2014   GBP 2,799,254   USD 3,681,356   11 starts: 8 wins (4 x Group 1), 2 seconds, 1 third.
Thunder Snow (IRE) 2014 GBP 6,665,592  USD 9,073,534  21 starts: 7 wins (3 x Group 1), 6 seconds, 3 thirds.
         
^ Theatrical's figure relies on an estimate of earnings from one Irish and one German start and some other guesswork as to timing of amounts earned for exchange rate purposes however it is unlikely the figures above are out by more than a few thousand GBP or USD.  The USD figure above splits the equibase and pedigreequery career USD figures but that is probably a fluke on my part.           
^^ Some guesswork re Miesque's two UK starts but error unlikly to be more that GBP 10,000         

International earnings comparisons – some observations

Australia and New Zealand seem to be the only major racing countries that include the value of trophies in their career earnings figures.  Winx has earned AUD 647,150 in trophies to date.  The British do not include bonuses whereas the Americans do.  Winx earned AUD 30,000 in BOBS bonuses as a 2YO which is trivial compared to the several million some horses have earned (eg Fantastic Light (USA) 1996) (equibase.com (USA) included the bonuses whereas racingpost.com (Britain) did not). 

In Australia we now have the ridiculous situation where a horse’s New South Wales earnings are counted after amounts are deducted for jockey and equine welfare whereas in Victoria the gross amount is included in a horse’s earnings before the deduction is made. 

I have updated "EUROPEAN BRED OR TRAINED EARNINGS RECORD HOLDERS SINCE THE 1860s." to include as a subtitle "(Must have had first start in Europe)".  This means Viva Pataca (GB) 2002 (late Comic Strip)  falls between Fantastic Light and Cirrus des Aigles.  This also means Makybe Diva can never be considered a European.