Ace Impact will be crowned Cartier Horse of the Year at the 33rd Cartier Racing Awards during a glittering ceremony at the Dorchester Hotel in London this evening.
Trained by Jean-Claude Rouget for Gousserie Racing and Serge Stempniak, the son of the 2017 Cartier Three-Year Old Colt Cracksman becomes the first French-trained winner of the prestigious award since Treve in 2013.
Unbeaten in six career starts, Ace Impact unleashed a scintillating turn of foot to take the Qatar Prix du Jockey Club and again showed exceptional acceleration when beating a stellar field in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
Ace Impact takes the premier equine award ahead of Paddington, a four-time G1 winner in 2023, dual Derby and Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes victor Auguste Rodin and Mostahdaf, who captured the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes and Juddmonte International.
Ace Impact also receives the Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt Award, a category that features Paddington, Auguste Rodin and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Sponsored By QIPCO) winner Big Rock.
Shadwell homebred Mostahdaf, from the stables of John & Thady Gosden, is named Cartier Older Horse following his victories at Royal Ascot and York. He prevails over Hukum and Westover, who produced one of the races of the year in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes, and Inspiral, who narrowly misses out on a third consecutive Cartier Racing Award.
Tahiyra, a fifth generation homebred for the Aga Khan, takes the Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly Award following a superb campaign for Dermot Weld that yielded wins in the Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas, Coronation Stakes and Coolmore America “Justify” Matron Stakes. Classic heroines Mawj and Blue Rose Cen were also nominated for the award alongside Warm Heart, who enjoyed top-level success at York and Longchamp.
Shaquille receives the Cartier Sprinter accolade after breathtaking displays in the Commonwealth Cup and Pertemps Network July Cup. Co-bred by his owner Martin Hughes, the Julie Camacho-trained colt comes out on top from last year’s Cartier Sprinter Highfield Princess, Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes winner Live In The Dream and Art Power, successful in the QIPCO British Champions Sprint.
Having been crowned Cartier Stayer in 2021, Trueshan claims the award for a second time this year. The hugely popular seven-year-old, trained by Alan King for the Singula Partnership, returned to his best with victories in the Betfred Doncaster Cup and Prix du Cadran. Gold Cup hero Courage Mon Ami, Betfred St Leger victor Continuous and Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup winner Quickthorn were also nominated for the award.
City Of Troy, owned by Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, takes the Cartier Two-Year-Old Colt Award following an unbeaten season for Aidan O’Brien that culminated with success in the Native Trail’s Dewhurst Stakes. He prevails over Sumbe Prix Morny and Juddmonte Middle Park winner Vandeek, Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes scorer Henry Longfellow, and Rosallion, who took the Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere.
Aidan O’Brien and a Coolmore partnership are also responsible for Opera Singer, who receives the Cartier Two-Year-Old Filly Award on the back of a progressive campaign that included an emphatic success in the Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac. Owned by Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier and Westerberg, she takes the award from Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes winner Porta Fortuna, Moyglare Stud Stakes scorer Fallen Angel and Ylang Ylang, who was successful in the bet365 Fillies’ Mile.
The recipient of the Cartier/The Daily Telegraph Award of Merit in 2023 is Jeff Smith. One of the most popular owner/breeders in the sport, his famous purple and light blue silks have been worn by some of the great horses of modern times, including Chief Singer, Lochsong and Persian Punch.
Laurent Feniou, Managing Director of Cartier UK, commented: “I am delighted to celebrate another outstanding group of horses at the 33rd Cartier Racing Awards. Ace Impact displayed his brilliance throughout the year, culminating with a magnificent victory in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, and he is a deserving recipient of the Cartier Horse of the Year Award. We are also extremely pleased to present the Cartier/The Daily Telegraph Award of Merit to Jeff Smith, who has enjoyed tremendous success as an owner and breeder over the past six decades. Cartier are honoured to be able to recognise these champions of the sport and I congratulate all of this year’s winners. I would like to extend special thanks to Racing Post, The Daily Telegraph and Sky Sports Racing for their continued support of the Cartier Racing Awards.”
Highlights from the 33rd Cartier Racing Awards will be shown on Sky Sports Racing at 4.30pm on Sunday, November 12.
Cartier Horse of The Year & Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt
ACE IMPACT (IRE)
3 b c Cracksman – Absolutly Me (FR) (Anabaa Blue)
2023 Form: 111111
Owner: Gousserie Racing & Ecuries Serge Stempniak
Trainer: Jean-Claude Rouget FR
Breeder: Mrs Waltraut Spanner
Jockey: Cristian Demuro, Jean-Bernard Eyquem
Ace Impact is crowned Cartier Horse of The Year and Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt after a flawless campaign that culminated with a brilliant performance in Europe’s most coveted all-aged contest, the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
A €75,000 purchase at Arqana as a yearling, the Cracksman colt made a successful debut on the all-weather at Cagnes-sur-Mer in January.
After a turf victory at Bordeaux Le Bouscat in April, Ace Impact followed in the footsteps of other Jean-Claude Rouget-trained luminaries including Sottsass by winning the Listed Prix de Suresnes at Chantilly in early May.
A stern test followed in the Qatar Prix du Jockey Club, but Ace Impact rose to the occasion in the Chantilly Classic with a sensational display on his first Group-race appearance. Having raced in the final pair, Ace Impact stormed past front-running favourite Big Rock to win by three and a half lengths in a record time of 2m 2.63s. It would prove a high-class renewal of the race, as Big Rock, Feed The Flame and Continuous all captured G1 prizes later in the season.
Connections of Ace Impact considered taking on older opposition in the Coral-Eclipse but instead decided to wait for the Prix Guillaume d’Ornano at Deauville in August. Sporting the colours of new co-owners Gousserie Racing, Ace Impact prevailed by three-quarters of a length from the previous year’s Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes victor Al Riffa.
Ace Impact lined up in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe as a strong favourite, although no horse since Suamarez in 1990 had won the race on their first attempt at a mile and a half. Given another patient ride by Cristian Demuro, Ace Impact proved equally effective over the distance as he collared Westover close home before forging clear to prevail by almost two lengths.
Ace Impact becomes the first Arc winner since Rail Link in 2006 to not have raced at two and the second this century to retire unbeaten alongside Zarkava. He will stand at Haras de Beaumont in 2024.
Cartier Older Horse
MOSTAHDAF (IRE)
5 br h Frankel – Handassa (Dubawi (IRE))
2023 Form: 14118
Owner: Shadwell Estate Company Ltd
Trainer: John & Thady Gosden
Breeder: Shadwell Estate Company Ltd
Jockey: Jim Crowley, Frankie Dettori
Mostahdaf takes the Cartier Older Horse award after coming of age as a five-year-old with world-class displays in two of Europe’s premier mile and a quarter contests.
With five Stakes victories on his CV heading into 2023, the Shadwell homebred burst onto the international scene in February with a seven-length victory in Saudi Arabia’s Neom Turf Cup presented by Altanfeethi.
After a fourth behind Japanese sensation Equinox in the Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan in March, Mostahdaf elevated his form to new heights back over his favoured distance of a mile and a quarter.
The Frankel entire caused something of a shock in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot, in which he swept past Tattersalls Gold Cup scorer Luxembourg and last year’s Derby victor Adayar to score unchallenged by four lengths.
A switch to a front-running tactics proved no issue in York’s Juddmonte International as he saw off Nashwa by a length, with odds-on favourite Paddington, previously unbeaten in 2023, a further neck in arrears.
Having sidestepped QIPCO British Champions Day due to testing ground, Mostahdaf appeared not to stay a mile and a half on his final start as he finished eighth in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf. He will stand at Beech House Stud in 2024.
Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly
TAHIYRA (IRE)
3 b f Siyouni (FR) – Tarana (IRE) (Cape Cross (IRE))
2023 Form: 21113
Owner: H H Aga Khan
Trainer: Dermot Weld IRE
Breeder: His Highness The Aga Khan’s Studs S C
Jockey: Chris Hayes
Tahiyra receives the Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly award thanks to three consecutive G1 victories during the summer, including against older opposition.
Expectations were high for the half-sister to multiple G1 winner Tarnawa following an unbeaten juvenile campaign, which ended with a brilliant display in the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh.
She lost little in defeat on her comeback in the QIPCO 1000 Guineas as she went down by a half-length to Mawj, who had race-fitness on her side, with the duo pulling seven and a half lengths clear of the third.
Tahiyra enjoyed Classic glory of her own next time out with a comfortable victory in the Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas and enjoyed further top-level success when coming out on top in a messy renewal of the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Following a mid-summer break, Tahiyra proved herself against seasoned opposition in the Coolmore America “Justify” Matron Stakes at Leopardstown, in which she defeated fellow Royal Ascot winner Rogue Millenium by a length and a quarter.
In what would be her final appearance, Tahiyra ran a gallant race behind Big Rock in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Sponsored By QIPCO), emerging as the chief threat to the tearaway winner before fading to third close home.
Cartier Sprinter
SHAQUILLE
3 b c Charm Spirit (IRE) – Magic (IRE) (Galileo (IRE))
2023 Form: 11110
Owner: Hughes, Rawlings, O’Shaughnessy
Trainer: Julie Camacho
Breeder: Martin Hughes & Michael Kerr-Dineen
Jockey: James Doyle, Oisin Murphy & Rossa Ryan
Shaquille takes the Cartier Sprinter award for Julie Camacho, having been the only horse in Europe to win two G1 sprints this year.
Successful in three of his four starts as a juvenile, Shaquille missed his intended reappearance in Good Friday’s talkSPORT All-Weather 3 Year Old Championships after refusing to enter the stalls.
The Charm Spirit colt resumed his progress with two victories the following month, including a two-length success in the Listed BetVictor Carnarvon Stakes at Newbury.
Pitched into G1 company for the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, Shaquille produced one of the performances of the meeting. Having lost several lengths at the start, he picked his way through the field to launch a sustained challenge entering the final furlong, ultimately seeing off Little Big Bear by a length and a quarter.
It was a similar story against all-aged opposition in the Pertemps Network July Cup at Newmarket. Following another slow start, Shaquille made rapid headway to lead at halfway and kept responding to score by a length and a half.
Shaquille’s six-race winning streak came to an end in the Betfair Sprint Cup in September, in which he raced prominently before weakening out of contention to finish last of the 16 runners.
He will stand at Newmarket’s Dullingham Park Stud in 2024.
Cartier Stayer
TRUESHAN (FR)
7 b g Planteur (IRE) – Shao Line (FR) (General Holme (USA))
2023 Form: 24114
Owner: Singula Partnership
Trainer: Alan King
Breeder: Didier Blot
Jockey: Hollie Doyle
Trueshan becomes the first horse since Persian Punch to regain the Cartier Stayer title, having previously won the award in 2021.
However, the seven-year-old made an inauspicious start to the campaign – he was turned over at odds-on in a Listed race at Nottingham and could only finish fourth behind Coltrane in the Longines Sagaro Stakes at Ascot.
Following a wind operation, Trueshan produced a remarkable performance in the Doncaster Cup. Having raced freely, he was allowed to stride on five furlongs from home and had enough in reserve to see off Ebor runner-up Sweet William by just over a length.
Hollie Doyle’s switch to front-running proved ideal on Trueshan’s next start in the Qatar Prix du Cadran as he gradually pulled clear in the straight to score by four lengths. In following up his 2021 victory in the Longchamp highlight, he becomes the first dual winner since Westerner in 2004.
Trueshan failed to give his true running when bidding for a fourth consecutive QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup triumph, finishing fourth behind Trawlerman having reverted to hold-up tactics.
He is set to stay in training next year.
Cartier Two-Year-Old Colt
CITY OF TROY (USA)
2 b c Justify (USA) – Together Forever (IRE) (Galileo (IRE))
2023 Form: 111
Owner: Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith
Trainer: Aidan O’Brien IRE
Breeder: Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt
Jockey: Ryan Moore
Cartier Two-Year-Old Colt honours go to City Of Troy after the Justify colt won all three of his starts, including the Native Trail’s Dewhurst Stakes, by an aggregate of 12 and a half lengths.
Having missed his intended debut in May due to an allergy, City Of Troy looked a juvenile of considerable potential in taking a seven-furlong Curragh maiden by two and a half lengths in early July.
Two weeks later, he delivered a supreme performance in the bet365 Superlative Stakes at Newmarket’s July Festival, in which he trounced subsequent Vintage Stakes victor Haatem by six and a half lengths.
After bypassing the Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes due to unsuitable ground, City Of Troy rounded off his season in Europe’s premier two-year-old contest, the Native Trail’s Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket. Once again, he demonstrated his superiority as he powered powering away from his rivals coming out of the dip to beat Alyanaabi by three and a half lengths.
The manner of the performance led part-owner Michael Tabor to describe City Of Troy as ‘our Frankel’ – and he looks a formidable candidate for the Classics next year.
Cartier Two-Year-Old Filly
OPERA SINGER (USA)
2 b f Justify (USA) – Liscanna (IRE) (Sadler’s Wells (USA))
2023 Form: 81211
Owner: Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier & Westerberg
Trainer: Aidan O’Brien IRE
Breeder: Evie Stockwell
Jockey: Ryan Moore, Seamie Heffernan
Opera Singer secures the Cartier Two-Year-Old Filly award after making sustained progress in the second half of the season, culminating with G1 glory in France.
Following a low-key debut in late June, Opera Singer stepped forward to take a mile maiden at Leopardstown before being touched off in a seven-furlong Curragh conditions race.
Moving back up to a mile proved the key to the daughter of Justify as she defeated stable-mate Brilliant by six and a half lengths in the Newtownanner Stud Irish EBF Stakes at the Curragh in September.
Opera Singer stepped forward again in the Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac on Arc Weekend. Under a positive ride from Ryan Moore, she skipped clear in the Longchamp straight to beat Rose Bloom by five lengths.
Connections have indicated that she is likely to start off over a mile next year before stepping up to middle distances.
Cartier/The Daily Telegraph Award Of Merit Winner 2023
JEFF SMITH
The Cartier/The Daily Telegraph Award of Merit for 2023 goes to Jeff Smith, a true gentleman of the sport, renowned for his loyalty, humility and generosity. A supporter of racing as an owner and breeder for nearly 50 years, his famous purple and light blue silks have been worn by some of the great horses of modern times, including Chief Singer, Lochsong and Persian Punch.
Born on Christmas Eve in 1945, Jeff Smith grew up in North London with no family background in racing. His introduction to the sport of kings came through reading newspapers and watching the BBC on a black and white television as a child, while his first interaction with a racehorse came after he snuck through the railings at the now defunct Alexandra Park racecourse.
Having started out in mergers and acquisitions, Smith went on to enjoy significant success in his working life with the Southampton-based aircraft interior manufacturer AIM, where he was chief executive and later chairman, as well as through property company Proudreed.
His first foray into ownership came in 1976 with Rush Bond, who captured a two-year-old maiden for Barry Hills at Warwick on April 20 of the same year. A first significant success came in the 1981 Lincoln Handicap with Saher, who won on his first start for Smith having been purchased from Prince Bandar Fahad Saad and would go on to capture that season’s G3 Diomed Stakes.
Ron Sheather trained Saher and the former jockey struck up a tremendous partnership with Smith, who bought Park Lodge Stables from Richard Galpin in 1981 so that Sheather could continue training from the Newmarket yard. The owner’s generosity went even further years later as he offered Sheather the yard as a gift or the equivalent in money when Chief Singer was syndicated as a stallion.
Chief Singer would define Sheather’s training career and propel Smith’s purple and light blue silks firmly into the public consciousness. Purchased for 10,000 gns as a yearling at Tattersalls in 1982, the Bold Lad colt became the first horse in 27 years to win the Coventry Stakes on debut as he flew through the field to score by four lengths in the Royal Ascot highlight for juveniles.
Runner-up to El Gran Senor in a blockbuster renewal of the 2,000 Guineas in the spring of 1984, Chief Singer returned to Royal Ascot to spreadeagle his rivals in the St James’s Palace Stakes before readily accounting for a deep field of sprinters in the July Cup. His performance on the July Course saw him crowned Timeform Champion Sprinter, despite it being the only occasion he ran in a sprint all season.
Chief Singer would complete a remarkable treble in the space of 43 days with victory in a dramatic running of the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood, when he overcame a barging match with the subsequently disqualified Rousillon. Such was Chief Singer’s talent that connections considered two contrasting options at York’s Ebor meeting, eventually deciding to run him over an extended 10 furlongs in the Benson & Hedges Gold Cup (in which he finished third) rather than dropping him to less than half the distance for the Nunthorpe Stakes.
In addition to his Champion Sprinter accolade, Chief Singer ended 1984 as the highest-rated three-year-old in Britain and fourth in the European ratings behind El Gran Senor, Teenoso and Sagace.
Smith deepened his breeding involvement with the purchase of Littleton Stud in Hampshire in the early 1980s, an operation that has since grown to 190 acres and a nucleus of 30 mares. Dashing Blade would prove an early banner horse for the operation, becoming Smith’s first G1 winner as a breeder with success in the National Stakes and Dewhurst Stakes in 1989.
Peckitts Well was another hugely influential early resident of the stud, with the daughter of Lochnager producing Lochsong and Lochangel, who would remarkably both go on to win the Nunthorpe Stakes.
Lochsong, six years older than her half-sibling, was considered virtually untrainable early in her career, with her trainer Ian Balding hoping to see the back of the filly after winning an apprentice race at Newbury as a three-year-old. Sheather, having taken up the role of Smith’s racing manager following his retirement from training, reported after her Newbury success: “She’s had her problems, she isn’t really much good. In fact, she’s probably run her last race.”
Sent back to Kingsclere at four, Lochsong developed into a superb sprinter, picking up the Stewards’ Cup, Portland Handicap and Ayr Gold Cup.
She scaled greater heights as a five-year-old with scintillating wins in the Nunthorpe Stakes and Prix de l’Abbaye, taking the latter by six lengths, in a campaign that saw her crowned Cartier Horse of the Year and Cartier Sprinter for 1993. At six, she would repeat her Prix de l’Abbaye success to rapturous applause, a performance that helped her take the Cartier Sprinter title for a second time.
Lochangel initially gained greater fame as part of Frankie Dettori’s magnificent seven at Ascot in 1996 but, like her half-sister, she matured into a top-class sprinter for Balding, with her finest hour coming in the 1998 Nunthorpe Stakes.
Both Lochsong and Lochangel would become important foundation mares for Littleton Stud, with Lochangel’s grand-daughter Dancing Star becoming the first filly since Lochsong to take the Stewards’ Cup in 2016.