Cartier Award Nominees Announced

The 25th Cartier Award nominees were announced Friday morning by Cartier Racing Awards and its media partners Channel 4 Racing, The Daily Telegraph and the Racing Post. The Cartier Award winners will be revealed before an invite-only crowd of 300 at the Dorchester Hotel, London, England on the evening of Tuesday, Nov. 10. Nine different awards–eight equine and the Cartier/Daily Telegraph Award of Merit will be presented, the latter going to the person or person who, in the opinion of the 17-strong Cartier Jury has/have done the most for European racing or breeding throughout 2015 or their lifetime.

Headlining the Cartier Awards for Horse of the Year and Cartier 3-Year-Old colt is Anthony Oppenheimer’s Golden Horn (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}), who captured the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and the G1 Investec Derby in addition to two other scores at the highest level. Shadwell’s likely Cartier Champion Sprinter and Cartier Champion 3-Year-Old Colt nominee Muhaarar (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) is also part of the Horse of the Year discussion taking his last four starts, all at Group 1 level. Possible Cartier Champion Older Horse Solow (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}) never tasted defeat in 2015, landing five Group 1’s including the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. sponsored by QIPCO on British Champions Day at Ascot Oct. 17 and cannot be discounted, while Cartier Champion 3-Year-Old Filly nominee Legatissimo (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), a winner of the G1 1000 Guineas at Newmarket in May completes the quartet. Legatissimo, later added the G1 Qatar Nassau S. and G1 Coolmore Fastnet Rock Matron S. to her tally.

Other Cartier Racing Award nominee highlights include dual-Classic hero Gleneagles (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the 3-year-old colt category, Classic winners Covert Love (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}) and Simple Verse (Ire) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}) along with GI Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf heroine Found (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the 3-year-old filly category and dual ‘Arc’ winner Treve (Fr) (Motivator {GB}) in the older horse category. Simple Verse is also nominated in the Cartier Champion Stayer category, while exciting 2-year-old colt Air Force Blue (War Front), a three-time Group 1 winner headlines the juvenile colts. Group 1 winners Minding (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Lumiere (GB) (Shamardal) face off in the Cartier Champion 2-Year-Old Fillies category.

“We have experienced a wonderful season of racing during 2015,” said Harry Herbert, Cartier’s Racing Consultant. “The nominations for this year’s Cartier Racing Awards highlight the incredible talent among Europe’s racehorses. The Cartier Racing Awards’ evening has an amazing atmosphere and I look forward to revealing the winners on the evening of Nov. 10 when we will be celebrating the 25th edition of the annual Cartier Racing Awards. Cartier has been steadfast in its support for European horseracing and to reach this landmark is tremendous.”