The Irish Derby Festival, staged at the Curragh over last weekend has prompted changes in the standings for the 2016 Cartier Racing Awards.
The 26th 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 8, 2016.
The Cartier Racing Awards were established in 1991 to reward excellence in horseracing.
There are eight equine awards, ranging from the Cartier Horse Of The Year to the Cartier Two-Year-Old Colt and Cartier Two-Year-Old Filly.
In addition, the Cartier/Daily Telegraph Award of Merit goes to the person or persons who, in the opinion of the special 16-strong Cartier Jury, has/have done the most for European racing and/or breeding either over their lifetime or within the past 12 months.
Investec Oaks winner, Minding
European horseracing’s top awards are delivered through a tried and tested combination of points earned by horses in Pattern races (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%).
Ace filly Minding (144) annexed her third Group One contest this year with an easy success against her elders in the 10-furlong Sea The Stars Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh on June 26. She gained Classic victories in the QIPCO 1000 Guineas and the Investec Oaks previously and was an unlucky loser in the Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained filly, owned by a Coolmore partnership, now has a clear lead in the Cartier Horse Of The Year category as well at the Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly division.
Galileo Gold
Dual Group One scorer Galileo Gold (112), winner of the battle of the Guineas’ winners when taking the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, still holds the advantage in the Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt division, although he faces a strong challenge from Harzand (88).
Harzand, owned by the Aga Khan and trained in Ireland by Dermot Weld, became the first dual Derby winner since Camelot in 2012 when following up his success in the Investec-sponsored Classic at Epsom Downs with victory in the Dubai Duty Free-sponsored version at the Curragh on June 25. He has the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe as his long-term objective.
Harzand
There are no substantial changes in any of the other Cartier Racing Awards’ categories, with Dariyan (70) and Postponed (68) heading the Cartier Older Horse division and Royal Ascot Group One winners, Profitable (56) and Quiet Reflection (56), sharing the lead in the race to be Cartier Sprinter.
Aidan O’Brien
Gold Cup winner Order Of St George (48), trained by Aidan O’Brien, has a definite advantage in the Cartier Stayer division.
His stablemate Sword Fighter (16), winner of the Listed Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot, laid down an early marker for Britain’s final Classic, the Ladbrokes St Leger, when stepping up in class to land the Group Two Curragh Cup on June 26.
Harry Herbert, Cartier’s Racing Consultant, commented: “Minding is very talented, with a commendable constitution, and deservedly leads the way in the 2016 Cartier Racing Awards.
“Harzand became the latest horse to complete the English-Irish Derby double and now we await the time when he takes on older rivals.
“We witness the first major clash of the generations at Sandown Park this weekend with the Coral Eclipse, while the season continues next week with Newmarket’s three-day Moët & Chandon July Festival.”
Cartier Racing Awards – points in Pattern races up to and including Sunday, June 26, 2016
Cartier Horse Of The Year
Minding 144
Galileo Gold 112
Harzand 88
Dariyan 70
Postponed 68
Cartier Older Horse
Dariyan 70
Postponed 68
Found 64
Belardo 56
My Dream Boat 56
Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt
Galileo Gold 112
Harzand 88
The Gurkha 56
Awtaad 44
Almanzor 42
Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly
Minding 144
La Cressonniere 64
Quiet Reflection 56
Qemah 48
Jet Setting 40
Cartier Sprinter
Profitable 56
Quiet Reflection 56
Twilight Son 32
Magical Memory 24
Son Cesio 20
Cartier Stayer
Order Of St George 48
Mizzou 32
Vazirabad 28
Clever Cookie 20
Dartmouth 16
Fly With Me 16
Sheikhzayedroad 16
Sword Fighter 16
