The 2020 European Flat racing season may have got off to a delayed start, but there has been much to be excited by in May and June, with the early season Classics and Royal Ascot having gone ahead.
The 30th annual Cartier Racing Awards will be awarded in November.
Sadly, the Covid-19 epidemic means that the traditional awards ceremony at The Dorchester in London has been cancelled this year.
Cartier has generously agreed to continue its support with the presentation of Cartier Racing Awards in 2020, with a view to the awards ceremony returning in 2021.
Harry Herbert, Cartier’s Racing Consultant, commented: “While it is obviously disappointing that the Cartier Racing Awards ceremony will not be able to go ahead in its usual format this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it is fantastic news that the prestigious accolades will still be awarded in 2020.
Currently leading the way in the race to be Cartier Horse of the Year and Cartier Older horse is Addeybb (64), trained by William Haggas for owner Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum.
The six-year-old bagged a pair of G1 contests in Australia in the spring and ran a good race at Royal Ascot on June 17 when runner-up to the impressive Lord North (40) in the G1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes.
Lord North, trained by John Gosden, has made great strides in 2020, having ended 2019 with victories in Newmarket’s Cambridgeshire Heritage Handicap and the Listed James Seymour Stakes.
Also prominent in the standings for both Cartier Horse of the Year and Cartier Older Horse is Godolphin’s Barney Roy (44), successful in the G1 Jebel Hatta sponsored by Emirates Airline at Meydan, UAE, in March and third behind Addeybb and Lord North at Royal Ascot.
Godolphin is also responsible for the leader in the Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt division courtesy of Victor Ludorum (34), who landed the G1 The Emirates Poule d’Essai des Poulains (French 2,000 Guineas) at Deauville on June 1.
He is closely followed in the points by four fellow G1 scorers who are all currently on 32 points – Golden Horde (successful in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot), Kameko (winner of the G1 QIPCO 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket),
Palace Pier (victorious in Royal Ascot’s G1 St James’s Palace Stakes) and Siskin (winner of the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas).
It is a very similar picture in the Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly Division, where the standings are headed by Dream And Do (36), who took the G1 The Emirates Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (French 1,000 Guineas) at Deauville on June 1.
She holds a narrow advantage over four G1 winners who are all on 32 points – Alpine Star (Coronation Stakes), Love (QIPCO 1,000 Guineas), Peaceful (Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas) and Tawkeel (Saxon Warrior Coolmore Prix Saint Alary).
Royal Ascot plays host to three G1 sprints over its five days and the winners of this trio top the standings on 32 points in the race to be crowned Cartier Sprinter.
Battaash (32) made it third time lucky in the King’s Stand Stakes over five furlongs on June 16 while Golden Horde (32) put up an exciting performance to take the G1 Commonwealth Cup on June 19. A thrilling renewal of the G1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes on June 20 saw Hello Youmzain (32) come out on top to gain the second G1 win of his career.
Stradivarius (32) landed his sixth G1 when taking the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot for the third year in succession on June 18.
Crowned Cartier Stayer in 2018 and 2019, the remarkable six-year-old took Royal Ascot’s staying showpiece by 10 lengths from Nayef Road (24) this year, equalling three consecutive Gold Cup wins achieved by Sagaro (1975, 1976 & 1977) and just one behind the contest’s most successful performer Yeats (victorious in 2006, 2007, 2008 & 2009).
European horseracing’s top awards are arrived at through three established strands. Points are earned by horses in Pattern races (30% of the total) and these are combined at the end of season with the opinions of a panel of racing journalists/handicappers (35%) and votes from readers of Racing Post and The Daily Telegraph (35%).
Cartier Racing Awards – points earned in Pattern races up to and including Sunday, June 21, 2020
- Cartier Horse Of The Year
Addeybb 64
Barney Roy 44
Lord North 40
Magic Lily 40
Way To Paris 40
Ghaiyyath 38
Dream And Do 36
Victor Ludorum 34
- Cartier Older Horse
Addeybb 64
Barney Roy 44
Lord North 40
Magic Lily 40
Way To Paris 40
- Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt
Victor Ludorum 34
Golden Horde 32
Kameko 32
Palace Pier 32
Siskin 32
- Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly
Dream And Do 36
Alpine Star 32
Love 32
Peaceful 32
Tawkeel 32
- Cartier Sprinter
Battaash 32
Golden Horde 32
Hello Youmzain 32
Equilateral 22
Dream Of Dreams 16
Kimari 16
Tour To Paris 16
- Cartier Stayer
Stradivarius 32
Nayef Road 24
Call The Wind 16
San Huberto 16
Santiago 16
