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Cartier Racing Awards 2018 |
| Tuesday 13th November | |
Roaring Lion is the 2018 Cartier Horse Of The Year at the 28th annual Cartier Racing Awards, European horseracing's equivalent of the Oscars.
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Owned by Qatar Racing Limited, the outstandingly talented and consistent three-year-old colt becomes the fourth Cartier Horse Of The Year in the last five years to be trained by John Gosden at Newmarket, following on from Kingman (2014), Golden Horn (2015) and Enable (2017).
Purchased as a yearling by Qatar Racing's racing manager David Redvers at the 2016 Keeneland September sale for US$160,000, the son of Kitten's Joy enjoyed an outstanding year with victories in three G1 contests over 10 furlongs in the space of just over two months from July to September - the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown Park, the Juddmonte International at York and the QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown.
Roaring Lion followed up on those superb wins with a fourth straight G1 success when dropped down in distance to a mile for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Sponsored by QIPCO) at Ascot on QIPCO British Champions Day on October 20. If that were not enough, Roaring Lion also ran a great race on his only attempt at 12 furlongs when a close third behind Masar in Britain's premier Classic, the Investec Derby at Epsom Downs in June.
Three of the other four nominations for Cartier Horse of the Year, Enable, Stradivarius and Cracksman - the 2017 Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt - are also trained by Gosden. The final nomination for Cartier Horse Of The Year honours was Alpha Centauri.
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But the brilliant filly takes the award for Cartier Older Horse in 2018. The Khalid Abdullah-owned and bred four-year-old was on the sidelines for much of the year, but she made a stunning winning reappearance in the G3 188Bet September Stakes on the All-Weather track at Kempton Park.
A month later, the daughter of Nathaniel became the eighth horse to win Europe's premier all-aged middle-distance contest, the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, twice. She created more history as the first horse ever to follow up success in the Longchamp feature with victory in the G1 Longines Breeders' Cup Turf at Churchill Downs, USA.
The other Cartier Older Horse nominees were Cracksman, Poet's Word and Lightning Spear.
Roaring Lion also gained the Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt Award, seeing off Saxon Warrior, Masar and Sands Of Mali.
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A record-equalling fifth equine win on the night for Gosden comes courtesy of Too Darn Hot, who bags the Cartier Two-Year-Old Colt Award. Lord Lloyd-Webber's homebred son of Dubawi is unbeaten in four outings, ending the campaign with a decisive success in Britain's premier juvenile contest, the G1 Darley Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket in October.
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The only other trainer to achieve five equine Cartier Racing Awards in a year has been Aidan O'Brien, who had Cartier Two-Year-Old Colt: Churchill, Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly: Minding, Cartier Stayer: Order Of St George, Cartier Older Horse: Found and Cartier Horse of the Year: Minding in 2016.
If one horse lit up the summer of 2018, it was Alpha Centauri who has won the Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly Award. Trained by Jessica Harrington in Ireland for the Niarchos Family, the daughter of Mastercraftsman won a total of four G1 races in 2018, beginning with the mile Classic, the Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas in May. She was absolutely outstanding at Royal Ascot, taking the Coronation Stakes by six lengths in course-record time. Another easy success followed when she landed Newmarket's Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes by four and a half lengths.
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It was a close battle in the Cartier Sprinter division, with the honours going to Mabs Cross. Trained by Michael Dods for owner-breeders David and Emma Armstrong, the four-year-old Dutch Art filly was a model of consistency throughout the year and capped her campaign with a tremendous performance to land the strongest sprint run in 2018, the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp Longines, at Longchamp in October.
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The Cartier/The Daily Telegraph Award of Merit goes to David Oldrey. One of the greatest talents to have worked in the administration of British horseracing, Oldrey's impressive CV involved The Jockey Club and the British Horseracing Board as well as numerous other bodies in the racing industry. A successful owner-breeder and racing historian, he is a true polymath.
Harry Herbert, Cartier's Racing consultant commented: "What another outstanding year it has been for European horseracing.
"Congratulations to John Gosden and his team for securing a joint-record five equine Cartier Racing Awards at the 28th annual Cartier Racing Awards. Roaring Lion truly lived up to his name, with four courageous G1 successes over the course of the season.
"Enable more than made up for missing the summer with her second Arc success followed by the Breeders' Cup Turf. What an outstanding filly she is. There was nothing to touch Stradivarius in the stayers' division, while Too Darn Hot looks hugely exciting for the 2019 campaign.
"Alpha Centauri towered over her rivals with several scintillating displays and congratulations to her owner-breeder the Niarchos Family and trainer Jessica Harrington, who has proved herself to be the outstanding dual-purpose handler of our age.
"Mabs Cross was superbly campaigned and earned her just reward at Longchamp. while Anthony and Sonia Rogers, such tremendous owner-breeders, have an outstanding filly in Skitter Scatter.
"Of course, horseracing does not function without great people behind the scenes. David Oldrey, who has dedicated himself to the administration of our great sport, is one such person. He is the deserved winner of the Cartier/The Daily Telegraph Award of Merit.
"Congratulations to all our winners this year and thanks go to Cartier UK, headed by Laurent Feniou, for supporting the Cartier Racing Awards for the 28th consecutive year."
2018 - CARTIER RACING AWARDS
Cartier Two-Year-Old Colt: Too Darn Hot
Cartier Two-Year-Old Filly: Skitter Scatter
Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt: Roaring Lion
Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly: Alpha Centauri
Cartier Sprinter: Mabs Cross
Cartier Stayer: Stradivarius
Cartier Older Horse: Enable
Cartier Horse of the Year: Roaring Lion owned by Qatar Racing Limited
Cartier/Daily Telegraph Award of Merit: David Oldrey
Past winners at the Cartier Racing Awards
