Ombudsman’s brilliant victory in the Qatar Racing Champion Stakes at Ascot on Saturday has resulted in the Godolphin five-year-old entering the reckoning for the Cartier Horse of the Year, the premier equine accolade of the Cartier Racing Awards.
Established in 1991 to reward excellence in horseracing, the 36th Cartier Racing Awards will be presented at the Dorchester Hotel in London on the evening of Wednesday, November 18.
Ombudsman had chased home Calandagan in the feature contest of Qatar Racing British Champions Day 12 months ago but reversed the form in stunning fashion as he defeated the 2025 Cartier Horse of the Year by nearly four lengths.
Victorious in the Dubai Turf and Prince Of Wales’s Stakes earlier in the season, Ombudsman has amassed 128 points in Pattern races this season, moving the John & Thady Gosden-trained runner into contention for both the Cartier Horse of the Year and Cartier Older Horse awards.
Calandagan (104) and Bay City Roller (100) both emerged with credit as they filled the places behind Ombudsman at Ascot, and the duo continue to hold claims in the Cartier Older Horse division behind category leaders Blue Bolt (144) and Daryz (140).
An excellent Qatar Racing British Champions Day for Godolphin also saw its homebred three-year-old Talk Of New York (76) continue his impressive autumn with victory in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Sponsored By Qatar Racing).
The Charlie Appleby-trained colt was third behind Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt leader Bow Echo (128) in the St James’s Palace Stakes but has now beaten older horses on his last two starts, including taking the Joel Stakes at Newmarket’s Cambridgeshire meeting in dominant fashion.
Almeraq (96) has emerged as the leading contender for Cartier Sprinter honours following his swooping victory over Paborus (40) and Division (42) in the Qatar Racing British Champions Sprint.
Trained by William Haggas, the Shadwell colt was posting his third top-level success of 2026, following wins in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes and Betfair Sprint Cup, and has leapfrogged Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai July Cup Stakes victor Comanche Brave (83) at the head of the division.
Caballo de Mar (90) remains second in the Cartier Stayer category, although the Qatar Prix du Cadran victor was unable to take advantage of Scandinavia’s (136) absence at Ascot as he could only finish eighth behind surprise winner Mount Atlas (48) in the Qatar Racing British Champions Long Distance Cup.
Two standout performances at Newmarket’s Dubai Future Champions Festival earlier in the month have impacted both juvenile divisions, with Darkness Falls (64) now second in the Cartier Two-Year-Old Colt category following his thrilling win in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes.
Musical Times (48) is a significant mover in the Cartier Two-Year-Old Filly standings after taking the bet365 Fillies’ Mile at the same meeting, a performance that has moved the unbeaten Godolphin filly into a share of fourth behind divisional leader Sun Goddess (116).
Coolmore-owned contenders continue to dominate the Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly category, with True Love (128) narrowly in front of fellow Classic winners Diamond Necklace (124) and Precise (124).
Performances by European horses up to and including Tuesday, November 3, are taken into consideration for the Cartier Racing Awards, meaning that the Breeders’ Cup represents the last major meeting for horses to press their claims.
Members of the public play an integral role in deciding the winners for each of the eight equine categories, with their votes making up 35% of the final totals. Voting will open at noon on Wednesday, November 4 and close at noon on Tuesday, November 10.