Magical’s battling victory in the Gr1 QIPCO Champion Stakes has seen the supremely consistent four-year-old increase her points advantage in the both the Cartier Horse Of The Year and Cartier Older Horse categories for this year’s Cartier Racing Awards.
The top-class Magical – another big year
The daughter of Galileo became only the sixth horse to annex both the Irish and British Champion Stakes in the same season when gamely beating Addeybb by three-quarters of a length in the highlight of QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot on Saturday, October 19.
All three horses to have completed the Champion Stakes double since the Cartier Racing Awards were established in 1991 have received accolades at the glittering ceremony, although remarkably none were crowned Cartier Horse Of The Year. Almanzor (2016) and New Approach (2008) both received the Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt accolades, while Pilsudski was crowned Cartier Older Horse in 1997.
Magical also captured the Gr1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh, Ireland, in May and has posted tremendous efforts in defeat behind two other leading Cartier Horse Of The Year contenders this year.
The Coolmore-owned filly was runner-up to Crystal Ocean (112) in the G1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot and filled the same position when chasing home outstanding mare Enable (152) in both the Gr1 Coral-Eclipse and Gr1 Darley Yorkshire Oaks.
Enable also had Magical behind her as the duo finished second and fifth respectively behind Waldgeist (120) in the Gr1 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp, France, in October.
Elsewhere on QIPCO British Champions Day, King Of Change (72) entered calculations for Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt with a decisive win in the Gr1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Sponsored By QIPCO).
The Richard Hannon-trained colt, who races in the colours of Ali Abdulla Saeed, was making his fourth start of 2019, having won twice at a lower level and finished second in the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas at Newmarket in May.
Star Catcher (112) recorded a third consecutive victory at G1 level when narrowly edging out Delphinia in the QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares. Anthony Oppenheimer’s homebred, who is trained by John Gosden, is now joint-top of the Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly standings alongside dual Classic heroine Hermosa (112).
Stradivarius (136) increased his commanding lead in the Cartier Stayer points although Bjorn Nielsen’s star suffered a shock defeat when going down by a nose to Kew Gardens (36) in the Gr2 QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup.
Heavy ground at Ascot brought out the best in Cartier Sprinter aspirant Donjuan Triumphant (36), who claimed a first Gr1 success on his final racecourse appearance for King Power Racing and trainer Andrew Balding in the QIPCO British Champions Sprint.
Godolphin continues to dominate the Cartier Two-Year-Old category with Pinatubo (80) and Earthlight (72), who have both won twice at Gr1 level during unbeaten campaigns, while Raffle Prize (64) heads the Cartier Two-Year-Old Filly points.
While the European season has started to wind down, there is still plenty of upcoming international action, headed by the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita, USA, on Friday, November 1 and Saturday, November 2.
Cartier Racing Awards – points earned in Pattern races up to and including Sunday, October 20, 2019
Cartier Horse Of The Year
Magical 216
Enable 152
Stradivarius 136
Waldgeist 120
Crystal Ocean 112
Hermosa 112
Star Catcher 112
Too Darn Hot 112
Japan 108
Blue Point 106
Cartier Older Horse
Magical 216
Enable 152
Stradivarius 136
Waldgeist 120
Crystal Ocean 112
Blue Point 106
Battaash 80
Romanised 80
Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt
Too Darn Hot 112
Japan 108
Circus Maximus 88
Advertise 80
Anthony Van Dyck 76
King Of Change 72
Logician 64
Sottsass 60
Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly
Hermosa 112
Star Catcher 112
Anapurna 80
Iridessa 74
Castle Lady 52
Fleeting 52
So Perfect 50
Watch Me 48
Cartier Sprinter
Blue Point 106
Advertise 80
Battaash 80
Hello Youmzain 56
So Perfect 48
Fairyland 40
Glass Slippers 40
Donjuan Triumphant 36
Cartier Stayer
Stradivarius 136
Dee Ex Bee 72
Logician 48
Enbihaar 44
Holdthasigreen 40
Kew Gardens 36
Anapurna 32
Search For A Song 32
Sir Ron Preistley 32
Cartier Two-Year-Old Colt
Pinatubo 80
Earthlight 72
A’Ali 48
Armory 48
Siskin 48
Threat 48
Arizona 40
Golden Horde 40
Cartier Two-Year-Old Filly
Raffle Prize 64
Albigna 48
Daahyeh 48
Love 48
Millisle 36
Powerful Breeze 32
Quadrilateral 32
Tropbeau 32
