Dubai: Muhaarar, an outstanding performer on the European sprinting circuit with a string of four Group 1 victories this season, emerged as one of the big winners at the 25th annual Cartier Racing Awards on Tuesday night.
The three-year-old colt, who was bred and raced by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, held off some fierce competition to pick up the Cartier Sprinter of the Year award.
In doing so he emulated his sire, Oasis Dream, who won the Award in 2003.
Muhaarar joins an illustrious group of speedsters to have been honoured at horse racing’s equivalent of the Oscars, including Sole Power (2014), Lethal Force (2013), Black Caviar (2012) and Starspangledbanner (2010).
Following the news, Shadwell Stud, where Muhaarar will become a breeding stallion for the 2016 season, tweeted: “Congratulations to @HH_ShkHamdan as #MUHAARAR is crowned @Cartier Champion Sprinter. Now an @ShadwellStud stallion.”
Muhaarar accrued 128 points for his quartet of Group 1 wins, to deny Goldream (72), Mecca’s Angel (48) and Twilight Song (48) in the sprinting category, which was also being contested by last year’s winner, Sole Power.
Trained by Charlie Hills at Lambourn in Berkshire. England, Muhaarar showed plenty of promise as a two-year-old winning the Gimcrack Stakes and finishing third in both the July Stakes and the Middle Park Stakes.
He began his three-year-old career by taking the Greenham Stakes before announcing himself as a leading sprinter with splendid victories in the Commonwealth Cup, July Cup and British Champions Sprint Stakes in the UK and the Prix Maurice de Gheest in France.
His sire, Oasis Dream, won the July Cup and the Nunthorpe Stakes in 2003 before becoming a very successful breeding stallion.
Muhaarar was retired from racing following his victory in the Champions Sprint Stakes to become a breeding stallion at Shaikh Hamdan’s Nunnery Stud at Thetford in Norfolk for the 2016 season.
Shadwell said on their website that their soon to be flagship stallion will command a fee of £30,000 (167,306).
Richard Lancaster, Shadwell’s Stud Director, commented following the news of his retirement: “As ever, we are keen to provide the best possible value for breeders and we strongly believe this is a very reasonable price for Muhaarar as he is the best sprinter we have seen for a number of years.
“We have been inundated with applications and although it is early days, we have been offered some exceptional mares for him.
“Due to his quality and impressive race record, and in line with Shadwell policy, Muhaarar will cover a limited book, which will be selected by the team at Shadwell,”
Muhaarar was completing back-to-back wins for Shaikh Hamdan at the Awards following Taghrooda’s success in the Cartier Three-Year-Old filly category 12 months ago.
The same year Shaikh Hamdan also received the prestigious Cartier Award of Merit which recognised his three and a half decades of commitment to the sport of horse racing as an owner, breeder and promoter.
Meanwhile, Golden Horn, winner of the Epsom Derby and Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe, was crowned Cartier Horse of the Year.
