Horse racing: Godolphin’s Ghaiyyath makes strong bid for 2020 Cartier Racing Award

Dubai: Godolphin’s Ghaiyyath recorded a significant victory over two-time Horse of the Year winner Enable to shake up standings for the 2020 Cartier Racing Awards, which were established in 1991 to reward excellence in horse racing.

Making her first appearance in almost nine months, the 2017-18 Cartier champion went down by two-and-a-quarter lengths to Ghaiyyath, who moved strongly into second position in the Horse of the Year and Older Horse divisions behind Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud victor Way To Paris (72).

On July 4, Epsom Downs played host to a special programme featuring two Classics — the Epsom Derby and Oaks. The Derby saw an incredible all-the-way success for Serpentine (32), who handed trainer Aidan O’Brien a record eighth victory in the mile-and-a-half Classic.

It was an Epsom Classic double for O’Brien won also landed the Oaks with Love, who heads the Three-Year-Old Fillies division.

At Chantilly on July 5 there was also a Classic double-header, with Mishriff recording a smooth victory the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) for Newmarket-based John Gosden. The Prix de Diane Longines (French Oaks) went to Fancy Blue gifting a first Classic success to 21-year-old Donnacha O’Brien in his first season as a trainer.

Leading the way in the Three-Year-Old Colt category is Santiago (48), who followed up success in the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot by winning the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh on June 27.

The standings for Sprinter remain unchanged, with a three-way tie for the lead shared by Battaash, Golden Horde and Hello Youmzain (all on 32 points). The next major sprint in the calendar is the Darley July Cup at Newmarket on Saturday, which features Golden Horde and Hello Youmzain among the entries.

Similarly, there is little change in the Stayer division, which is still headed by the great Stradivarius (32), who won his third Gold Cup at Royal Ascot last month. The six-year-old was crowned Stayer in 2018 and 2019 and is set to head to Goodwood next for the Qatar Goodwood Cup on July 28 — a contest he won in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

The 30th annual Cartier Racing Awards will be awarded in November 2020.

Cartier Racing Awards — points

Cartier Horse Of The Year

Way To Paris — 72

Ghaiyyath — 70

Addeybb — 64

Love — 64

Older Horse

Way To Paris — 72

Ghaiyyath — 70

Addeybb — 64

Barney Roy — 44

Lord North — 40

Magic Lily — 40

Stradivarius — 40

Three-Year-Old Colt

Santiago — 48

Victor Ludorum — 42

The Summit — 40

Golden Horde — 32

Kameko — 32

Mishriff — 32

Palace Pier — 32

Serpentine — 32

Siskin — 32

Three-Year-Old Filly

Love — 64

Alpine Star — 48

Fancy Blue — 48

Peaceful — 40

Dream And Do — 36

Sprinter

Battaash — 32

Golden Horde — 32

Hello Youmzain — 32

Equilateral — 22

Dream Of Dreams — 16

Kimari — 16

Speak In Colours — 16

Tour To Paris — 16

Stayer

Stradivarius — 32

Nayef Road — 24

Call The Wind — 16

San Huberts — 16

Santiago — 16