Brilliant filly Tahiyra has opened up a clear lead in the points standings for the Cartier Racing Awards following her victory in the Coronation Stakes, one of a host of superb performances at Royal Ascot last week.
Established in 1991 to reward excellence in horseracing, the 33rd Cartier Racing Awards will be presented at the Dorchester Hotel in London on the evening of Thursday, November 9.
Tahiyra (88 points) followed up her victory in the Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas with another authoritative win in Friday’s Coronation Stakes. The Aga Khan homebred has now been successful on four of her five starts for Dermot Weld, with her only defeat coming when finishing second in the QIPCO 1000 Guineas. Her Newmarket conqueror Mawj (48) was forced to miss the Coronation Stakes following a bad scope.
Tahiyra’s nearest challenger in the Cartier Horse Of The Year points is another Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly contender, Blue Rose Cen (72). Trained by Christopher Head, the daughter of Churchill notched her second French Classic with a dominant four-length verdict in the Prix de Diane Longines at Chantilly on June 18.
Five outstanding days of racing at Royal Ascot also saw Paddington (64) come out on top over Chaldean (64) in the battle of the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas and QIPCO 2000 Guineas winners in Tuesday’s St James’s Palace Stakes.
Both Classic victors are level at the head of the Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt category, with Betfred Derby runner-up King Of Steel (40) advancing his claims as well by taking the King Edward VII Stakes on Friday.
Auguste Rodin (48), who finished half a length ahead of King Of Steel at Epsom Downs, will be hoping to regain top spot in the division when he bids for a Classic double in this weekend’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby.
Cartier Older Horse contender Mostahdaf (54) produced arguably the performance of the week as he stormed to a first G1 victory when defeating Luxembourg (56) by four lengths in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes on Wednesday. Triple Time (48) also collected a first top-level success in the Queen Anne Stakes 24 hours earlier as he gamely edged out last year’s Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly Inspiral (24).
Bradsell (36) holds a slender advantage in the Cartier Sprinter standings, with the Victorious Racing-owned three-year-old having beaten Highfield Princess in the opening day’s King’s Stand Stakes. Highfield Princess, recipient of the Cartier Sprinter award in 2022, ran another excellent race just four days later as she took third behind surprise winner Khaadem (32) in Saturday’s Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes.
Shaquille (32) produced a sensational display when overcoming a dreadful start to deny Little Big Bear (32) in the Commonwealth Cup on Friday. Both three-year-olds now look set to tackle older opposition in next month’s July Cup.
Wathnan Racing only had three runners at Royal Ascot but the Qatari-owned operation remarkably enjoyed a pair of winners at the meeting with two unbeaten horses trained by John & Thady Gosden.
Courage Mon Ami (48) leapt to the head of the Cartier Stayer standings following his victory over Coltrane (32) in Thursday’s Gold Cup, while Gregory (16) also announced himself as an emerging force in the same division by taking the previous day’s Queen’s Vase.