FRANKEL SPARKLES AT CARTIER RACING AWARDS

Frankel - Cartier Horse Of The Year
(Image : Sky Sports/Cartier)

CARTIER RACING AWARDS
15 November 2011

Juddmonte’s Frankel (GB) (Galileo) continued to see off all challengers when the unbeaten colt took home Horse Of The Year honors at the Cartier Racing Awards at London’s Dorchester Hotel Tuesday night. His competition in that category were Cirrus des Aigles (Fr) (Even Top), Danedream (Ger) (Lomitas), Goldikova (Ire) (Anabaa) and So You Think (NZ) (High Chaparral).

Cirrus des Aigles and Danedream were named Champion Older Horse and Champion 3-Year-Old Filly respectively. Frankel was also honored as Champion 3-Year-Old Colt after a season that saw him collect the G1 2000 Guineas, G1 St. James’s Palace Stakes, G1 Sussex Stakes and G1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.

Frankel is slated to stay in training next year. “Frankel has had a great year and is hugely exciting,” trainer Sir Henry Cecil said on his website Monday. “He really has caught the public eye, and it was great that he has given an interest to so many people. Hopefully, he will go on and I hope, by the time of the Eclipse Stakes, he will be ready to tackle a mile and a quarter. Personally, I think it is a distance he will get well now that he has learnt to settle better, and he could be an even better horse at that trip. Let’s hope he winters well and remains sound. Racing needs champions, and let us pray that he can continue where he left off.”

Trainer Barry Hills, who recently handed over his license to his son Charles, was voted this year’s Cartier / Daily Telegraph Award Of Merit winner. The award is for the person or persons who, in the opinion of the special 17-strong Cartier Jury, has / have done the most for European racing and / or breeding either over their lifetime or within the past 12 months. The list of past winners of the Cartier / Daily Telegraph Award of Merit includes Richard Hannon, John Oxx, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Niarchos Family, Peter Willett, Henry Cecil, David and Patricia Thompson, Lord Oaksey, Prince Khalid Abdulla, John Magnier, His Highness the Aga Khan, Peter Walwyn, the Head Family, Sir Peter O’Sullevan, Frankie Dettori, John Dunlop, the Marquess of Hartington, Francois Boutin, Lester Piggott and Henri Chalhoub.

The prestigious awards, which were established in 1991, were determined by points earned in pattern races during 2010, combined with the opinions of a panel of racing journalists and votes from readers of Racing Post and Daily Telegraph.

Cartier Racing Awards 2011

Horse of the Year
Frankel (GB) (Galileo)
Champion 3-Year-Old Colt
Frankel (GB) (Galileo)
Champion 3-Year-Old Filly
Danedream (GER) (Lomitas)
Champion 2-Year-Old Colt
Dabirsim (FR) (Hat Trick)
Champion 2-Year-Old Filly
Maybe (IRE) (Galileo)
Champion Older Horse
Cirrus des Aigles (FR) (Even Top)
Champion Sprinter
Dream Ahead (USA) (Diktat)
Champion Stayer
Fame And Glory (GB) (Montjeu)
Cartier / Daily Telegraph Award of Merit
Barry Hills

Extract from Thoroughbred Daily News