Bow Echo’s sensational victory in the Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes has resulted in the unbeaten colt storming to the head of the points 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.
Bow Echo unleashed a scintillating turn of foot to reel in his great rival Gstaad close home in a thrilling finish to the feature race of the Qatar Goodwood Festival presented by Visit Qatar, adding to his wins in the Betfred 2000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes.
The Night Of Thunder colt, who is undefeated in six career appearances for George Boughey, becomes the first horse since Frankel to complete a sweep of the Newmarket, Royal Ascot and Goodwood races in the same season.
Homebred by the late Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum, Bow Echo has amassed 128 points in Pattern races this season, moving him to the top of both the Cartier Horse of the Year and Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt divisions ahead of Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas victor Gstaad (96).
Five days of fantastic action at Goodwood saw Diamond Necklace (96) also enhance her perfect record with a commanding victory against older opposition in the Qatar Nassau Stakes. The Coolmore filly was securing a third top-level win this season following French Classic success in the Emirates Poule d’Essai des Pouliches and Prix de Diane Longines.
Diamond Necklace shares the lead in the Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly standings alongside two more Coolmore-owned contenders trained by Aidan O’Brien who have enjoyed Classic glory – Betfred 1000 Guineas winner True Love (96) and Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas scorer Precise (96).
Scandinavia (88) continued his dominance of the staying ranks with a seventh consecutive win in the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup as he defeated old adversary and 2025 Cartier Stayer Trawlerman (40) for a second time this season. A head had separated the duo in the Gold Cup, with Scandinavia prevailing by eight and a half lengths at Goodwood, although the intervention of a loose horse may have affected the winning margin.
Juddmonte-owned fillies and mares have enjoyed a spectacular spell, with Kalpana (64) avenging her defeat to Calandagan (80) in last season’s King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes as she decisively beat the reigning Cartier Horse of the Year in the Ascot showpiece in late July.
Blue Bolt (80) struck in the same colours in Sunday’s Prix Rothschild – Fonds Europeen de l’Elevage – World Pool By PMU at Deauville, with the Tattersalls Sceptre Sessions Falmouth Stakes scorer defeating Precise for a second consecutive time.
The daughter of Blue Point, who like Kalpana is trained by Andrew Balding, is unbeaten in four starts this term and has moved up to a share of top spot in the Cartier Older Horse category alongside Calandagan.
Commonwealth Cup heroine Venetian Sun (64) continues to head the Cartier Sprinter division ahead of her Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai July Cup Stakes conqueror Comanche Brave (51). Last season’s King Charles III Stakes winner American Affair (24) enhanced his claims with an exhilarating display in last week’s King George Qatar Stakes, his first victory since his Royal Ascot success.
About the Cartier Racing Awards
The Cartier Racing Awards were established in 1991 to reward excellence in horseracing. There are eight equine awards – the Cartier Horse Of The Year, the Cartier Older Horse, the Cartier Sprinter, the Cartier Stayer, the Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt, the Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly, the Cartier Two-Year-Old Colt and the Cartier Two-Year-Old Filly.
European horseracing’s top awards are delivered through a tried and tested combination of points earned by horses in Pattern races (30%), combined at the end of the season with the opinions of a panel of racing journalists/handicappers (35%) and votes from members of the public (35%).
In addition to the equine awards, the Cartier/Daily Telegraph Award of Merit goes to the person or persons who, in the opinion of the 15-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 36th Cartier Racing Awards will be presented at the Dorchester Hotel in London on the evening of Wednesday, November 18.