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Cartier Racing Awards 2009 |
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High Praise for Cartier Awards Hope St Nicholas Abbey
29/10/09
A new hope is rising in the west. The radiant light of the all-conquering Sea The Stars is still very strong but the sport is now heralding the dawning of St Nicholas Abbey, who greatly enhanced his claim to the Cartier Two-Year-Old Colt Award with an exciting victory in the Group One Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster on Saturday, October 24.
Trained in Ireland at the famous Ballydoyle stables, St Nicholas Abbey has been expertly nurtured by Aidan O’Brien to win each of his three career starts and now finds himself in contention for Cartier honours.
The Cartier Racing Awards recognise excellence in horseracing. Now in their 19th year, the awards are the sport’s equivalent of the Oscars and are determined by points earned in Pattern races combined with the opinions of a panel of racing journalists, as well as votes from readers of the Racing Post and The Daily Telegraph.
European horseracing’s most prestigious accolades will be presented during a glittering ceremony before invited guests at Claridge’s Hotel in Mayfair, London, on the evening of Tuesday, November 17, 2009.
Following his Group One triumph, St Nicholas Abbey is joint-top in the Pattern race standings for the Cartier Two-Year-Old Colt Award, alongside stable companion Alfred Nobel, Arcano and Awzaan. Each have 48 points.
The Montjeu colt is now winter favourite for the 2010 Derby. Horseracing fans and pundits alike were left eulogising on Saturday as St Nicholas Abbey swept aside a top-class field of his peers with a decisive burst of speed that took him to success by three and three quarter lengths. He had already won the Group Two Beresford Stakes at the Curragh in September, a race that Sea The Stars also won as a juvenile.
With Sea The Stars retired to a career at stud, all eyes and many hopes will now be pinned to St Nicholas Abbey as racing seeks a new hero.
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Having accrued a Cartier Awards’ record of 272 points, Sea The Stars himself is likely to collect the Cartier Horse of The Year Award and Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt Award after a stellar unbeaten season that yielded Group One successes in the Stan James-sponsored 2,000 Guineas, Investec Derby, Coral-Eclipse Stakes, Juddmonte International Stakes, Tattersalls Million Irish Champion Stakes and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
Ask (48 points) emerged as a late candidate for honours in the Cartier Stayer category after a last-gasp victory over Schiaparelli (54) in the Group One Prix Royal-Oak at Longchamp on Sunday, October 25. Earlier this season, the Sir Michael Stoute-trained six-year-old won the Group One Coronation Cup and Group Two Yorkshire Cup and finished third to stablemate Conduit in the Group One King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes sponsored by Betfair at Ascot.
Alandi heads the Cartier Stayer division with 58 points, two ahead of the great Yeats who landed an historic fourth Ascot Gold Cup in June and has now retired.
The Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita on November 6 and 7 could yet determine some Cartier Awards, with the Older Horse category still very much to be decided. The Breeders’ Cup Mile-bound Goldikova has 104 points but faces a strong challenge from Fleeting Spirit who has 96 points and heads for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
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The three-year-old colts, Rip Van Winkle (92) and Mastercraftsman (136) who are trained by O’Brien, are also destined for Santa Anita with probably the Breeders’ Cup Classic and Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile on each horse’s respective agenda. O’Brien is planning to run some of his leading two-year-olds at the Breeders’ Cup as well.
Harry Herbert, Cartier’s racing consultant, commented today: “Just as we bid farewell to one star, we see the emergence of another potential champion. St Nicholas Abbey has a long way to go to match the achievements of Sea The Stars but the manner of his Racing Post Trophy win means that we can all spend the winter months dreaming and hoping.
“But before we start thinking of next year’s classics, there is the matter of the Breeders’ Cup to attend to. European horses performed exceptionally at Santa Anita last year and it looks as though another very strong challenge will be mounted.
“The meeting could well decide the Cartier Older Horse Award with Goldikova bidding to emulate the great Miesque and win another Breeders’ Cup Mile, and Fleeting Spirit on course to attempt a Breeders’ Cup Sprint victory not achieved by a European horse since Sheikh Albadou in 1991.
“As we draw towards the conclusion of a memorable season, we can reflect on the exceptional performances that have characterised the 2009 campaign and look forward to honouring the heroes of the sport at Claridge’s on November 17.”
THE CARTIER AWARDS 2009
(points earned in Pattern races up to and including October 25, 2009)
CARTIER HORSE OF THE YEAR
SEA THE STARS 272
MASTERCRAFTSMAN 136
GHANAATI 120
FAME AND GLORY 112
SARISKA 109
CARTIER TWO-YEAR-OLD FILLY
SPECIAL DUTY 64
HIBAAYEB 40
MISHEER 40
LILLIE LANGTRY 36
CARTIER TWO-YEAR-OLD COLT
ALFRED NOBEL 48
ARCANO 48
AWZAAN 48
ST NICHOLAS ABBEY 48
CARTIER THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLY
GHANAATI 120
SARISKA 109
STACELITA 96
ELUSIVE WAVE 78
CARTIER THREE-YEAR-OLD COLT
SEA THE STARS 272
MASTERCRAFTSMAN 136
FAME AND GLORY 112
RIP VAN WINKLE 92
CARTIER OLDER HORSE
GOLDIKOVA 104
FLEETING SPIRIT 96
VISION D’ETAT 92
AQLAAM 76
CARTIER STAYER
ALANDI 58
YEATS 56
SCHIAPARELLI 54
ASK 48
CARTIER SPRINTER
FLEETING SPIRIT 96
ART CONNOISSEUR 48
BORDERLESCOTT 43
KINGS APOSTLE 40
TOTAL GALLERY 40
