Gleneagles – Horse Of The Year?
The Cartier Racing Awards have reached a landmark 25th year and, with some outstanding performances already seen on the track, 2015 looks set to be a vintage season.
The 25th annual Cartier Racing Awards will be presented at a glittering ceremony before an invited audience of 300 at the Dorchester Hotel, London, England, on the evening of Tuesday, November 10.
The Cartier Racing Awards were established in 1991 to reward excellence in horseracing. In addition to the eight equine awards, the Cartier/Daily Telegraph Award of Merit goes to the person or persons who, in the opinion of the special 17-strong Cartier Jury, has/have done the most for European racing and/or breeding either over their lifetime or within the past 12 months.
European horseracing’s top awards are delivered through a tried and tested combination of points earned by horses in Pattern races throughout 2015 (30%), combined at the end of season with the opinions of a panel of racing journalists (35%) and votes from readers of Racing Post and The Daily Telegraph plus Channel 4 Racing viewers (35%).
Early contenders for Cartier Horse Of The Year include Gleneagles (80). The Aidan O’Brien-trained colt, who also leads the Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt category, has already scooped two Classic wins in 2015, winning the QIPCO 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh. Gleneagles gained the Cartier Two-Year-Old Colt Award in 2014.
The unbeaten Golden Horn
Golden Horn (64), owned by Anthony Oppenheimer and trained by John Gosden, is now unbeaten in four races after his emphatic victory under Frankie Dettori from stable companion Jack Hobbs (32) in Britain’s premier Classic, the Investec Derby, at Epsom Downs on June 6.
Legatissimo (72) landed the first fillies’ Classic of the season, the QIPCO 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, and went close to adding a second when the short-head runner-up to Qualify(48) in the Investec Oaks at Epsom Downs on June 5. Trained in Ireland by David Wachman, Legatissimo has a clear lead in the Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly category.
Al Kazeem (72) returned to training after an unsuccessful period at stud and the now seven-year-old appears as good as ever this year with his second in the Group One Prix Ganay behind Cirrus Des Aigles (48) followed by success in the Group One Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh, a race he also won in 2013. He currently leads the Cartier Older Horse category.
Freddy Head has been superb in his handling of older horses in recent seasons, such as Goldikova and Marchand D’Or, and the French trainer has another exciting contender to go to war with this season, the five-year-old gelding Solow (56), who has taken Group One prizes in Dubai and France so far and is set to head to Royal Ascot next week.
Sole Power – leads the speed stakes
Sole Power (24) was victorious in the Cartier Sprinter category in 2014 and leads the way once again this year, having taken the Group One Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan in March. At Royal Ascot next week, the Eddie Lynam-trained gelding is set to try and attempt an unprecedented third consecutive success in the Group One King’s Stand Stakes over five furlongs on the opening day, Tuesday, June 16.
Brown Panther (20), part-owned by former England international footballer Michael Owen, was also on the scoreboard at Meydan, taking the Group Two Gold Cup. He has taken an early lead in the Cartier Stayer category, having also finished second to Snow Sky (16) in the Group Two Betway Yorkshire Cup last month.
Harry Herbert, Cartier’s racing consultant, commented: “The Cartier Racing Awards notch up a quarter century in 2015 and it is a great testament to everyone involved that they remain the ultimate accolade in European horseracing.
“The early part of the 2015 season has witnessed some outstanding performances, with Gleneagles taking two Classics and Golden Horn looking an outstanding performer when maintaining his unbeaten record in stunning style in the Investec Derby.
“The racing world’s attention now turns to five outstanding days at Royal Ascot, which frequently has a major impact on the Cartier Racing Awards.”
Cartier Racing Awards – points in Pattern races up to and including Sunday, June 7, 2015
Cartier Horse Of The Year
Gleneagles 80
Al Kazeem 72
Legatissimo 72
Golden Horn 64
Solow 56
Cirrus Des Aigles 48
New Bay 48
Qualify 48
Cartier Older Horse
Al Kazeem 72
Solow 56
Cirrus Des Aigles 48
Prince Bishop 42
Dolniya 40
Pether’s Moon 40
Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt
Gleneagles 80
Golden Horn 64
New Bay 48
Make Believe 36
Territories 32
Jack Hobbs 32
Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly
Legatissimo 72
Qualify 48
Ervedya 40
Queen’s Jewel 40
Pleascach 40
Cartier Sprinter
Sole Power 24
Adaay 18
Limato 16
Glass Office 16
Mustajeeb 16
Pearl Secret 16
Muthmir 16
Cartier Stayer
Brown Panther 20
Snow Sky 16
Bathyrhon 16
Vent De Force 12
Mizzou 8
Alex My Boy 8
Clever Cookie 8
Forgotten Rules 8
