Royal Ascot performances help shape current Cartier
standings
Many commentators said they had witnessed the best-ever renewal of Royal
Ascot when the five-day spectacular ended on June 23. With plenty of outstanding
performances on the track, it is all change in the latest standings for the 2012
Cartier Racing Awards.
The Cartier Awards are now in their 22nd year, having been established in
1991 to reward excellence in European horseracing. They are determined by points
earned by horses in Pattern races throughout 2012, combined at the end of season
with the opinions of a panel of racing journalists and votes from readers of the
Racing Post and The Daily Telegraph.
In addition to eight equine awards, the Cartier/Daily Telegraph Award
of Merit goes to the person or persons who, in the opinion of the special
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 during a
ceremony before an invited audience at London’s Dorchester Hotel on November 13.
Royal Ascot opened with a devastating display from the outstanding Frankel
(64 points), who chalked up win number 11 as he powered away to a brilliant
11-length victory in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes over the straight mile. It
was his most dazzling performance and Khalid Abdulla’s colt, who is trained by
Sir Henry Cecil and ridden by Tom Queally, remains unbeaten.
The sense of expectation when Frankel next steps out on a racecourse will be
even greater. He is likely to go for the Group 1 Sussex Stakes at Glorious
Goodwood on August 1 and then is set to step up to 10 furlongs in the Group2
Juddmonte International at York three weeks later.
The Cartier Awards have recognized Frankel’s greatness from the very
beginning as he was named Cartier two-year-old colt in 2010. Last year, the
four-year-old son of Galileo scooped the Cartier Horse of the Year and Cartier
three-year-old colt awards.
Leading the race for Cartier Horse of the Year honor at the moment is another
unbeaten colt, Camelot (96), who could line up in Saturday’s Group 1 Irish Derby
at the Curragh following victories in two other classics, the Group 1 Two
Thousand Guineas and Group 1 Derby.
So You Think (78), who like Camelot is trained Aidan O’Brien in Ireland,
moves up to second-place in the 2012 Cartier Horse of the Year standings
following his comfortable victory in the Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes over
10 furlongs on the Wednesday of Royal Ascot. He also tops the current table for
the Cartier older horse award, ahead of Cirrus des Aigles (72), who missed Royal
Ascot because of a slight injury.
The two Group 1 sprints at Royal Ascot, part of the Global Sprint Challenge
and the British Champions Series, were both landed by international raiders,
with Black Caviar (48) — the “Wonder From Down Under” — jumping to the head of
the standing for the Cartier sprinter award following her victory in last
Saturday’s Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes over six furlongs. The amazing mare,
now unbeaten in 22 starts, was all out to hold off the late challenge of
Moonlight Cloud by a head after her jockey Luke Nolen eased down prematurely.
Black Caviar now heads back to Australia.
Hong Kong-trained Little Bridge (32) got the better of Bated Breath (32) in
the five-furlong Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes on the opening day, with the
consistent Sole Power (28) in third. Little Bridge also returns home after Royal
Ascot.
Godolphin enjoyed a thrilling 1-2 in the Group 1 Gold Cup on the Thursday of
Royal Ascot, with Colour Vision (56) benefiting from a superb Frankie Dettori
ride to get the better of Opinion Poll (36) by a half-length. The Godolphin duo
lead the way in the race for the Cartier stayer award, followed by Usuello (24)
and Red Cadeaux (20), who won the Group 2 Yorkshire Cup in May prior to
excellent second places in the Group 1 Coronation Cup at Epsom Downs and the
Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Camelot tops the standings for the Cartier three-year-old colt award,
followed by Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club hero Saonois (58). Most Improved (48)
moves up into third-place following his gutsy victory in the Group 1 St James’s
Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, where he saw off French raider Hermival (38) by
three-quarters of a length.
The standings for Cartier three-year-old filly award show little difference
between the first and the fourth, with Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches
heroine and Group 1 Prix de Diane runner-up Beauty Parlour (56) leading the way
from Group 1 One Thousand Guineas scorer Homecoming Queen (51), Group 1
Coronation Stakes second Starscope (49) and Group 1 Oaks winner Was (49).
“Royal Ascot was as good as any I can remember and it was marvelous to see
the world’s two best horses, Frankel and Black Caviar, both succeed,” said Harry
Herbert, Cartier’s racing consultant. “Frankel’s stunning performance is sure to
be an important factor as he bids to land his second Cartier Horse of the Year
award.
“The focus of the European racing moves to the Curragh on Saturday, when
Camelot puts his unbeaten record on the line in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby,
while the (Group 1) Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown and Newmarket’s Piper-Heidsieck
July Festival are also on the horizon.”
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