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Cartier Racing Awards 2011 |
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racing news /
Major Victories Shake Up Cartier Racing Awards Standings
25/08/11
Events this month at premier Group One venues such as the Curragh, York, Deauville and Arlington Park, USA, not only thrilled and delighted horseracing fans, they also gave the latest Cartier Racing Awards’ standings a bit of a shake-up.
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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 18-strong Cartier Jury, has/have done the most for European racing and/or breeding either over their lifetime or within the past 12 months.
European horseracing’s equivalent of the Oscars will be presented on the evening of Tuesday, November 15, during a glittering ceremony before an invited audience at London’s Dorchester Hotel.
Deauville’s August meeting and York’s Ebor Festival last week saw outstanding wins for Immortal Verse and Blue Bunting, both leading contenders for the Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly Award.
Competition for that coveted prize is particularly intense this year but Blue Bunting, already a dual Classic heroine thanks to wins in the QIPCO 1,000 Guineas and Darley Irish Oaks, maintained her position at the head of the division with a determined victory against older fillies and mares in the Group One Darley Yorkshire Oaks at York on August 18.
Blue Bunting has 110 points, 14 more than the Robert Collet-trained Immortal Verse (96), who built upon her success in the Group One Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot with a stunning triumph against all-comers in the Group One Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques Le Marois over a mile at Deauville on August 15.
Immortal Verse swept through from the rear in the prestigious mile contest to win by a length from the great mare Goldikova, the 2010 Cartier Horse Of The Year.
Golden Lilac, winner of the two French fillies’ Classics, the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches and the Prix de Diane - Longines, added to her points haul when third to Goldikova’s half-sister, Galikova, in the Group Two Prix Guillaume D’Ornano at Deauville on August 15. She is third in the category with 76 points, just ahead of Misty For Me (72).
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Midday had appeared the likely winner when she hit the front within the final quarter-mile but the Oasis Dream mare wandered around as Twice Over ran straight and true to register the fourth Group One win of his career by three quarters of a length. Midday now tops the Cartier Older Horse standings with 100 points.
With the 2011 season moving towards its final third, the Cartier Two-Year-Old divisions are beginning to heat up and the hottest of the bunch right now appears to be Dabirsim who stormed to an impressive three-length victory in the Group One Darley Prix Morny at Deauville on August 21.
Trained by Christophe Ferland, the Hat Trick colt retained his unbeaten status as he triumphed impressively from Group Two Prix Robert Papin winner Family One, whom he joins at the head of the Cartier Two-Year-Old Colt category with 40 points.
Power, second in the Group One Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh on August 7, has 32 points, followed by Group Two Railway Stakes victor Lilbourne Lad (28), runner-up to Caspar Netscher in the Group Two Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Gimcrack Stakes at York on August 19.
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In what is a vintage season, the mighty Frankel still tops the Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt division with 136 points, Sir Henry Cecil’s unbeaten charge has captured the QIPCO 2,000 Guineas, the St James’s Palace Stakes and the QIPCO Sussex Stakes this year.
Frankel sees his lead cut, however, thanks to the battling victory of Irish Derby hero Treasure Beach at Arlington Park, Chicago on August 13. The Aidan O’Brien-trained colt held Ziyarid to land the Grade One Secretariat Stakes by a neck and now has 108 points. Group One King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes Sponsored by Betfair hero Nathaniel (68) and Investec Derby winner Pour Moi (66) are next.
Opinion Poll was a late-closing runner-up to Fame And Glory in the Group One Gold Cup at Royal Ascot in June and now heads that rival in the Cartier Stayer standings. The Mahmood Al Zarooni-trained five-year-old has 61 points, after adding the Group Two Weatherbys Insurance Lonsdale Cup at York on August 20 to his earlier success in the Group Two Artemis Goodwood Cup.
Fame And Glory (48) was the neck runner-up to Fictional Account in the Listed Irish Field St Leger Trial at the Curragh on the same day, while Brigantin (33) came third to Jukebox Jury in the Group Two Darley Prix Kergorlay at Deauville on August 21.
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Frankel (136) leads the way in the race to be crowned Cartier Horse of The Year, ahead of his closest pursuers, Blue Bunting (110), Treasure Beach (108) and Midday (100).
Harry Herbert, Cartier’s racing consultant, commented today: “We have witnessed a host of exceptional performances already this season and that continued at York, Deauville and the Curragh last week.
“There are so many highlights worthy of mention but Blue Bunting’s victory in the Darley Yorkshire Oaks was a particular thrill, as was Prince Khalid Abdulla enjoying a one-two on the Knavesmire in the race he sponsors, the Juddmonte International Stakes, thanks to the popular pair of Twice Over and Midday.
“At Deauville, Immortal Verse was stunning in her defeat of Goldikova, while a potential superstar emerged on Sunday in the form of the impressive Dabirsim.
“There is so much still to come and, with the major autumn targets looming large on the horizon, we look forward to plenty more sensational contests before the Cartier Racing Awards are determined.
“With so many championship-calibre horses around, it seems guaranteed that the competition for Cartier Awards recognition is going to be particularly fierce this year.”
