Frankel named Cartier Horse of the Year

The unbeaten Frankel, who was electric on the racecourse throughout 2011, was

named Cartier Horse of the Year at the 2011 Cartier Racing Awards Tuesday night

in London. Owned and bred by Khalid Abdulla and expertly handled by Sir Henry

Cecil, Frankel also took the honors in the Cartier three-year-old colt category.

The Cartier Racing Awards were announced for the 21st year running before an

invited audience of 300 oat the Dorchester Hotel, Park Lane, Mayfair.

Frankel is now unbeaten in nine career starts. His 2011 season included

stunning victories in the Group 1 Two Thousand Guineas, Group 1 St James's

Palace Stakes, Group 1 Sussex Stakes and Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at

Ascot on the inaugural British Champions Day in October.

The Galileo colt will remain in training for 2012, when he is likely to step

up in distance to 10 furlongs and everyone in racing is relishing this

mouth-watering prospect.

In the Cartier Horse of the Year category, Frankel saw off competition from

Group 1 Champion Stakes winner Cirrus Des Aigles, Group 1 Eclipse Stakes and

Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes scorer So You Think, Group 1 Prix de l'Arc de

Triomphe heroine Danedream and the 2010 Cartier Horse of the Year Goldikova.

His rivals in the Cartier three-year-old colt category were the star sprinter

Dream Ahead, Group 1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes victor Nathaniel,

Group 1 Epsom Derby hero Pour Moi and Treasure Beach, runner-up at Epsom before

taking the Group 1 Irish Derby.

Danedream, who set a new race record time when winning the Prix de l'Arc de

Triomphe in such devastating style, took the honors in the Cartier

three-year-old filly category. The German-trained filly saw off competition from

Group 1 Epsom Oaks and Group 1 Preis der Diana victress Dancing Rain, Group 1

One Thousand Guineas heroine Blue Bunting and Immortal Verse, who registered two

Group 1 victories over a mile. She is trained by Peter Schiergen for Gestut Burg

Eberstein and Teruya Yoshida.

In the Cartier older horse category, Cirrus Des Aigles gained the honors

following his success in the Champion Stakes at Ascot on October 15, the richest

race in Britain. The French gelding, trained by Corine Barande-Barbe, came out

on top in a category that included last year's Cartier Horse of the Year

Goldikova, miler Canford Cliffs, So You Think and Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf

winner St Nicholas Abbey.

Dabirsim went through his first season unbeaten in five outings and the

Christophe Ferland-trained colt is the winner in the Cartier two-year-old colt

Award, seeing off competition from the Group 1 winners Camelot, Parish Hall,

Power and Wrote.

Similarly, the Aidan O'Brien-trained Maybe enjoyed an unblemished juvenile

career and she was named Cartier two-year-old filly, getting the nod over Lyric

of Light, Fire Lily, Lightening Pearl and Elusive Kate.

Fame And Glory, also handled by O'Brien, made the successful transition from

top-class middle-distance performer to top-class stayer and he took the honors

in the Cartier stayer category ahead of Dunaden, Duncan, Kasbah Bliss and

Opinion Poll.

Dream Ahead, winner of the Group 1 July Cup, Group 1 Haydock Sprint Cup and

Group 1 Prix de la Foret, was the outstanding sprinter of 2011 and was the clear

victor in the Cartier sprinter award, seeing off challenges from Prohibit,

Deacon Blues, Society Rock and Bated Breath. David Simcock trained him for

Khalifa Dasmal.

Barry Hills, who enjoyed an outstanding training career and handed over his

license to son Charlie in August, has been voted this year's Cartier/Daily

Telegraph Award of Merit winner. The award is for the person or persons who,

in the opinion of the special 17-strong Cartier Jury, has/have done most for

European racing and/or breeding either over their lifetime or within the past 12

months.

The list of past winners of the Cartier/Daily Telegraph Award of Merit

is as follows: Richard Hannon, John Oxx, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum,

the Niarchos Family, Peter Willett, Henry Cecil, David & Patricia Thompson, Lord

Oaksey, Prince Khalid Abdulla, John Magnier, His Highness the Aga Khan, Peter

Walwyn, the Head Family, Sir Peter O'Sullevan, Frankie Dettori, John Dunlop, the

Marquess of Hartington, Francois Boutin, Lester Piggott and Henri Chalhoub.

Established in 1991 to reward excellence in horse racing, the eight Cartier

Awards for horses are determined by points earned by horses in Pattern races

throughout 2011, combined at the end of the season with the opinions of a panel

of racing journalists and votes from readers of the Racing Post and The

Daily Telegraph.