City of Troy, Charyn, Kyprios, Goliath. Anmaat, Economics or Bluestocking? Daily Telegraph readers now have the chance to have their say in the outcome of the 34th Cartier Awards, including the Flat season’s most prestigious accolade, Horse of the Year.
With the notable exception of the Japan Cup and Hong Kong, the northern hemisphere’s Flat year is all but done and it is time to determine Europe’s champions after a stellar Breeders’ Cup at which a number of Irish two-year-olds and British older horses advanced their claims.
The only human award at the Cartier Awards, which will be held at the Dorchester on Wednesday Nov 20, the Daily Telegraph Award of Merit for lifetime achievement, which last year was won by Jeff Smith, has already been decided and will be announced on the night.
But the eight equine categories are still all up for grabs. The horses have collected points for their performance in Pattern races through the season but those only amount to 30 per cent of the total when it comes to selecting the winners. Votes from readers of the Telegraph and Racing Post amount to 35 per cent, as do the points awarded by an expert panel, so it is all still to play for.
Geldings eligible for Horse of the Year
Unlike as in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, geldings are, along with colts, eligible for Horse of the Year, Two-year-old Colt, Three-year-old Colt, Sprinter and Stayer.
Though a couple of categories – Kyprios in the Stayers, Lake Victoria in the two-year-old fillies, for example – look one-horse races, the remainder are open, so your opinion of who is best from a short-list of 10 could be crucial.
The points accrued in races for these awards were originally instigated to not only reward thoroughbred brilliance but also factor in the number of runs a horse has during the season which is, perhaps, also a consideration to be made when selecting your idea of the best.
Voting closes at noon on Tuesday and readers whose votes correspond to each category winner will go into a hat with a chance of winning a Cartier prize. To vote go to www.cartierracingawards.co.uk
