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Cartier Racing Awards 2010 |
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Workforce & Goldikova Shake Up Cartier Racing Awards Standings 07/10/10
Workforce fulfilled the immense promise of his wide-margin Investec Derby triumph back in June with a thrilling victory in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp on Sunday, October 3, to re-emerge as a strong candidate for 2010 Cartier Racing Awards recognition.
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The strapping King’s Best colt follows last season’s Cartier Horse Of The Year Sea The Stars in completing the illustrious Derby/Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe double in the same season and provided a first win in the Paris Group One race, worth four million euros this year, for both trainer Sir Michael Stoute and jockey Ryan Moore. He is the first horse trained in England to pull off the double since Lammtarra in 1995.
Workforce, having only his fifth career start, had not been seen since finishing a distant fifth behind stable companion Harbinger in the Group One King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes Sponsored by Betfair at Ascot in July but arrived at the Bois de Boulogne in peak condition.
Moore positioned his mount on the inside towards the rear until the turn for home, at which point the rider switched out Workforce and expertly negotiated a clear passage through what was a turbulent race to challenge for the lead two furlongs out.
Japanese raider Nakayama Festa had challenged at a similar time to Workforce and the contest developed into a thrilling head-to-head but the Juddmonte homebred is a powerful athlete blessed with an earth-devouring stride and, with Moore scenting Arc success, the Derby winner went to the front and maintained a head advantage as the pair flashed by the winning post.
Workforce now has 104 points in the quest to clinch the Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt Award and is also a strong candidate for Cartier Horse Of The Year honours.
The Cartier Racing Awards recognise excellence in horseracing and the awards are the sport’s equivalent of the Oscars. Split into eight categories for the year’s top horses, including the particularly coveted Cartier Horse Of The Year, the awards are determined by points earned in Pattern races combined, at the end of the season, 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 for the 20th time on November 16, during a glittering ceremony before an invited audience of over 300 in the ballroom of London’s Dorchester Hotel.
The Cartier Racing Awards were established in 1991 to recognise the achievements of racehorses in Europe. There is also the Cartier/Daily Telegraph Award Of Merit for the person or persons who, in the opinion of the special 18-strong Cartier Jury, has/have done most for European racing and/or breeding either over their lifetime or within the past 12 months.
In pole position at the moment for the Cartier Horse Of The Year Award is the exceptional Goldikova (144 points) who, having long since earned her right to the prefix “great”, set a new European record for the number of Group One wins when clinching an 11th success at the highest level in the seven-furlong Qatar Prix de la Foret at Longchamp on Sunday, October 3.
One of the greatest milers of all time, the five-year-old mare surpassed the previous record held by another legendary female miler, Miesque. Freddie Head’s charge, owned by the sporting Wertheimer brothers, will now head to Churchill Downs in November in a bid to top Miesque’s two Breeders’ Cup Mile triumphs by achieving an unprecedented third successive victory in the TVG-sponsored race on turf.
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Triple Group One-winning miler Canford Cliffs has 140 points in the Cartier Horse Of The Year category, while Irish Derby and Irish Champion Stakes victor Cape Blanco, badly hampered and eased when finishing 13th behind Workforce in Paris, has 136 points and dual Oaks heroine Snow Fairy is on 118.
Canford Cliffs and Cape Blanco are currently the top two on points in the Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt standings, while Dick Turpin has 112 after his third place behind Goldikova in the Qatar Prix de la Foret. Workforce is next in the list with 104.
Goldikova also tops the Cartier Older Horse Award category ahead of Golden Jubilee Stakes and Darley July Cup winner Starspangledbanner (112), this season’s triple Group One winner Midday (104) and Juddmonte International Stakes hero Rip Van Winkle (104).
Harbinger, imperious when storming to an 11-length success in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot, has 80 points and cannot add to that tally having been retired due to injury, but could still come into the reckoning for Cartier Awards glory in the Cartier Older Horse and Cartier Horse Of The Year divisions through the opinions of the panel of racing journalists and votes from readers of the Racing Post and The Daily Telegraph in November.
There was a shake-up to the juvenile standings following events at Longchamp on Sunday, October 3 and Newmarket on Friday, October 1.
Dream Ahead trounced his opponents when winning the Group One Shadwell Middle Park Stakes by nine lengths at Newmarket. The unbeaten David Simcock-trained colt had already captured the Group One Darley Prix Morny and tops the Cartier Two-Year-Old Colt category with 64 points.
Dual Group Two winner Approve has 54 points, while unbeaten Group One Vincent O’Brien National Stakes winner Pathfork (48) and Group One Keeneland Phoenix Stakes hero Zoffany (48) are also among those currently in contention.
Hooray (60) was an impressive winner of the Group One Adnams Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket on Friday but the Sir Mark Prescott-trained filly’s time at the head of the Cartier Two-Year-Old Filly division was short as the Aidan O’Brien-trained Misty For Me (72) landed her second top-flight victory in the Group One Total Prix Marcel Boussac at Longchamp two days later.
Group One Meon Valley Stud Fillies’ Mile heroine White Moonstone has 56 points, while Laughing Lashes, runner-up to Misty For Me in the Group One Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh in August, has 36 points.
Gentoo’s (40) victory in the Group One Qatar Prix du Cadran at Longchamp on Sunday sees the six-year-old gelding close on long-time Cartier Stayer division leader Rite of Passage (48), winner of the Group One Gold Cup at Royal Ascot. Group One The Irish Field St Leger victor Sans Frontieres has 32 points.
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Lady Of The Desert (48) took second place in the Group One Qatar Prix de l’Abbaye at Longchamp behind Gilt Edge Girl, meaning that she is fourth in the Cartier Sprinter Award standings behind Starspangledbanner (112), Group One King’s Stand Stakes hero Equiano (72) and Group One Betfred Sprint Cup winner Markab (52).
Snow Fairy (118) remains top of the Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly category after Special Duty (98) was unable to add to her tally in the Group One Qatar Prix de la Foret. Music Show (84) was only fourth behind the fantastic five-year-old Sahpresa in the Group One Kingdom Of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday, while Group One Prix de Diane heroine Sarafina (84) was a fine third in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe after being badly hampered as the field turned for home.
Harry Herbert, Cartier’s racing consultant, commented today: “What a weekend of outstanding racing! Longchamp dished up a treat with Workforce emerging from his Ascot disappointment to prove that he is a colt of exceptional ability with that thrilling Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe success. Sir Michael Stoute and his team deserve all the plaudits they are receiving for getting the horse to Paris at the top of his form.
“Goldikova showed yet again why she is one of the greatest mares of all time with that record-breaking display in the Qatar Prix de la Foret. She is an exquisite athlete and I’m sure everyone is now buzzing in anticipation ahead of her attempt to clinch a record third TVG Breeders’ Cup Mile in November.
“The performances of the leading two-year-olds in recent weeks bode well for next season. Dream Ahead, Wootton Bassett, Hooray and Misty For Me all posted impressive Group One wins last weekend to intensify competition for the Cartier two-year-old awards.
“Everything is all shaping nicely for a thrilling climax to the season.”
CARTIER AWARDS 2010 LATEST POINTS STANDINGS
(points up to and including October 3, 2010)
Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt
CANFORD CLIFFS - 140
CAPE BLANCO - 136
DICK TURPIN - 112
WORKFORCE - 104
Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly
SNOW FAIRY - 118
SPECIAL DUTY - 98
MUSIC SHOW - 84
SARAFINA - 84
Cartier Older Horse
GOLDIKOVA - 144
STARSPANGLEDBANNER - 112
MIDDAY - 104
RIP VAN WINKLE - 104
Cartier Sprinter
STARSPANGLEDBANNER - 112
EQUIANO - 72
MARKAB - 52
LADY OF THE DESERT - 48
Cartier Stayer
RITE OF PASSAGE - 48
GENTOO - 40
SANS FRONTIERES - 32
AGE OF AQUARIUS - 28
Cartier Two-Year-Old Colt
DREAM AHEAD - 64
APPROVE - 54
PATHFORK - 48
ZOFFANY - 48
Cartier Two-Year-Old Filly
MISTY FOR ME - 72
HOORAY - 60
WHITE MOONSTONE - 56
LAUGHING LASHES - 36
Cartier Horse Of The Year
GOLDIKOVA - 144
CANFORD CLIFFS - 140
CAPE BLANCO - 136
SNOW FAIRY - 118
