Minding was named the Cartier Horse of the Year at the 26th annual Cartier Racing Awards, European horseracing’s equivalent of the Oscars on Tuesday evening.
Minding – deserved Horse Of The Year
The 3yo Galileo filly, owned by a Coolmore partnership, trained by Aidan O’Brien and ridden by Ryan Moore, was a five-time Gr1 winner in 2016 with victories, at distances ranging from a mile to a mile and a half, in the QIPCO 1,000 Guineas, Investec Oaks, Sea The Stars Pretty Polly Stakes, Qatar Nassau Stakes and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.
Minding achieved Cartier Racing Awards’ glory last year too, as she was crowned Cartier Two-Year-Old Filly in 2015 when she enjoyed two Gr1 victories.
Minding also took the honours in the Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly category, ahead of Alice Springs, Quiet Reflection and La Cressonniere.
This year a new record was set at the Cartier Racing Awards, with five of the eight equine awards going to horses owned by Coolmore partnerships, consisting in the main of owners Sue Magnier, Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor.
Aidan O’Brien – stellar season
All five of these award winners are trained by Aidan O’Brien, at Ballydoyle in Ireland, who gained the accolade of Cartier/Daily Telegraph Award of Merit.
Coolmore’s Found, who led home a remarkable 1-2-3 for O’Brien and the owners in Europe’s richest race, last month’s Gr1 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, was named Cartier Older Horse. The other contenders for Cartier Older Horse Award were Postponed, Limato and Highland Reel.
Order Of St George, winner of the Gr1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot, was another success for Coolmore and O’Brien, with the four-year-old landing the Cartier Stayer Award ahead of Quest For More, Vazirabad and Sheikzayedroad.
The fifth award to go to a Coolmore/O’Brien horse, in a stellar year, is Cartier Two-Year-Old Colt, won by Churchill.
More about the Cartier Awards
The Galileo colt finished a superb campaign with Group One victories in two of Europe’s best juvenile contests – the Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes and the Dubai Dewhurst Stakes. The other nominees in this category were Caravaggio, The Last Lion and Mehmas.
2016 – Cartier Stars
Cartier Two-Year-Old Colt: Churchill
Cartier Two-Year-Old Filly: Lady Aurelia
Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt: Almanzor
Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly: Minding
Cartier Sprinter: Quiet Reflection
Cartier Stayer: Order Of St George
Cartier Older Horse: Found
Cartier Horse of the Year: Minding owned by Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier & Michael Tabor
Cartier/Daily Telegraph Award of Merit: Aidan O’Brien
