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A plethora of top-class racing at Ascot and Glorious Goodwood last week has ensured a major shake-up in the standings for the 24th Cartier Racing Awards.
The Cartier Racing Awards honour the champions of European horseracing and will be announced before an invited audience of 300 on the evening of Tuesday, November 11, 2014.
European horseracing's equivalent of the Oscars are delivered through a tried and tested combination of points earned by horses in Pattern races throughout 2014 (40%), combined at the end of season with the opinions of a panel of racing journalists (30%) and votes from readers of Racing Post and The Daily Telegraph plus Channel 4 Racing viewers (30%).
Channel 4 Racing joined The Daily Telegraph and Racing Post as media partners of the Cartier Racing Awards towards the end of the last year.
The Cartier 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.
Kingman (160 points) captured his third Group One of the season when sprinting past Toronado (72) in the QIPCO Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood on July 30 in the latest 'Duel on the Downs'. He has overtaken Cirrus Des Aigles (124) in the race for Cartier Horse Of The Year in which he now holds a clear lead and consolidated his position at the head of the Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt category.
The John Gosden-trained three-year-old, owned by Khalid Abdullah, has also taken the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Irish 2,000 Guineas in impressive style this year.
Cirrus Des Aigles, trained by Corine Barande-Barbe, recorded a hat-trick of Group One victories earlier in the season, but is currently sidelined while recovering from injury. He has a sizeable lead over the third and fourth, Mukhadram (84) and Noble Mission (74), in the Cartier Older Horse standings.
Investec Derby hero Australia (92) heads the chasing pack for the Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt Award. Aidan O'Brien's stable star is expected to line up in the Juddmonte International at York later this month following his effortless victory in the Irish Derby on June 28. QIPCO 2,000 Guineas hero Night Of Thunder and Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) winner The Grey Gatsby are next best on 76 and 52 points respectively.
Taghrooda (94), also trained by Gosden, extended her unbeaten record to four with a brilliant performance in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot on July 26, beating Telescope by three lengths. The daughter of Sea The Stars, owned by Hamdan Al Maktoum, has taken over from dual French Classic heroine Avenir Certain (64) and QIPCO 1,000 Guineas winner Miss France (64) in the race for the Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly Award.
Slade Power (72), trained in Ireland by Edward Lynam, remains clear in the Cartier Sprint category. The four-year-old took the Group One Darley July Cup at Newmarket on July 12, having landed the Diamond Jubilee Stakes, also over six furlongs, at Royal Ascot in June. His closest pursuer is stable companion Sole Power (40), who triumphed in the five-furlong Group One King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot. Sole Power is likely to be seen in the Group One Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes at York later this month when he will clash with last week's Group Two Betfred King George Stakes victor Take Cover (16).
Cavalryman (26) has moved into contention for the Cartier Stayers Award following his neck victory over stable companion Ahzeemah in the Group Two Artemis Goodwood Cup on July 31. He still has ground to make up on Gold Cup hero Leading Light (56 points) and Brown Panther (28), who has annexed two Group Twos this season but could only finish third at Goodwood.
Harry Herbert, Cartier's Racing Consultant, commented: "Kingman and Taghrooda produced brilliant performances against older opposition and it will be fascinating to see where they run next.
"They both have all the qualities to be Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt and Cartier Three-Year-Old filly respectively, and possible Cartier Horse Of The Year too.
"There is plenty of top-class action to look forward to in August, with Deauville racing through the month and the four-day Ebor Festival at York among the highlights."
