Found in contention for top honours at Cartier Racing Awards

Found's victory in the Group One Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe has propelled the filly firmly into contention for top honours at the 2016 Cartier Racing Awards next month.

The four-year-old daughter of Galileo, owned by a Coolmore partnership, led home an unprecedented 1-2-3 for trainer Aidan O'Brien in the world's richest turf race and now heads the points' standings in the Cartier Older Horse category on 152.

Fellow Cartier Older Horse contender and this year's King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Sponsored by QIPCO) winner Highland Reel (104) chased home Found at Chantilly ahead of Gold Cup hero Order Of St George (84), who leads the standings in the Cartier Stayer Award.

O'Brien's dominance has not been limited to the older division this year and Ireland's champion Flat trainer is responsible for four of the five leaders on points for Cartier Horse Of The Year, with three-year-olds Minding (188), The Gurkha (128) and Alice Springs (118), successful in the Kingdom Of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket on October 1, featuring alongside Found. Galileo Gold (136), trained by Hugo Palmer for Al Shaqab Racing, is the only horse preventing an O'Brien clean sweep.

A scintillating weekend of racing at Chantilly also saw Darley July Cup winner Limato saunter to a three-length victory in the Qatar Prix de la Foret over seven furlongs. The Henry Candy-trained four-year-old, who races in the colours of Paul Jacobs, remains in contention for both the Cartier Older Horse Award (with 80 points) and the Cartier Sprinter Award (48) and could head to America next month for the Breeders' Cup, with both the turf sprint and the mile under consideration for the son of Tagula.

Mecca's Angel (64) beat Limato over five furlongs in the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes and the Michael Dods-trained mare came home third behind Marsha (36), from the Newmarket stable of Sir Mark Prescott, and the O'Brien-trained Washington DC (44) in the weekend's big sprint, the Qatar Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp, over the same trip. Quiet Reflection (96) still leads the way for the Cartier Sprinter Award.

Four-year-old filly Speedy Boarding (80), trained in Newmarket by James Fanshawe, annexed a second Group One win in France this season with a brave success in the Prix de l'Opera Longines, on her final appearance before retiring to her owner/breeder Mark Weinfeld's Meon Valley Stud. 

A fruitful weekend for British-trained horses also saw Cartier Stayer contender Quest For More (56), owned by HRH Sultan Ahmad Shah and trained by Roger Charlton, beat Vazirabad (52) and gain a first top level success in the Qatar Prix du Cadran over a marathon trip.

Two-year-old filly Wuheida (32) became a first juvenile Group One winner for her sire Dubawi when comfortably taking the Total Prix Marcel Boussac for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby, while National Defense (34) captured the colts' equivalent - the Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere - for Criquette Head-Maarek in a rare French-trained success at the meeting.

The Dubai Future Champions Festival at Newmarket this week, October 7 & 8, could have a major bearing on the Cartier Two-Year-Old Colt and Cartier Two-Year-Old Filly Awards, with the Dubai Dewhurst Stakes and Dubai Fillies' Mile taking centre stage, while the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster on October 22 is also set to play its part.

QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot on October 15 looks a fitting finale to the UK season, with Minding, Almanzor (106), Galileo Gold, Quiet Reflection and Ribchester (80) among those set to feature among a tremendous cast for the four Group One races.

Harry Herbert, Cartier's Racing Consultant, commented: "Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe day never disappoints and this year's was no exception as Aidan O'Brien re-wrote the history books with another masterful piece of training.

"There were also some sensational supporting races which will live long in the mind, most notably Limato's impressive display in the Qatar Prix de la Foret.

"We now look forward to the Dubai Future Champions Festival, while QIPCO British Champions Day is shaping up to be a card to relish."

The 26th annual Cartier Racing Awards will be presented at a glittering ceremony before an invited audience of 300 at the Dorchester Hotel, London, England, on the evening of Tuesday, November 8, 2016.

Cartier Racing Awards - points in Pattern races up to and including Sunday, October 2, 2016

Cartier Horse Of The Year

Minding                       188

Found                          152

Galileo Gold                136

The Gurkha                 128

Alice Springs               118

Cartier Older Horse

Found                          152

Postponed                    116

Highland Reel             104

Order Of St George       84

Limato                          80

Silverwave                    80

Speedy Boarding           80

Vadamos                        80

Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt

Galileo Gold                 136

The Gurkha                  128

Almanzor                     106

Harzand                        88

Ribchester                    80

Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly

Minding                       188

Alice Springs                118

Quiet Reflection            96

Qemah                           88

La Cressonniere            80

Cartier Sprinter

Quiet Reflection           96

Mecca's Angel              64

Profitable                      56

Limato                         48

Washington DC           44

Cartier Stayer

Order Of St George       72

Quest For More             56

Vazirabad                      52

Wicklow Brave             40

Sheikhzayedroad           36

Cartier Two-Year-Old Colt

Mehmas                       64

The Last Lion               62

Churchill                      56

Caravaggio                   48

Blue Point                    40

Cartier Two-Year-Old Filly

Lady Aurelia                 56

Roly Poly                     48

Brave Anna                  40

Intricately                     38

Wuheida                       32