Goldikova Takes Cartier Award
Cartier Jewelers established the Cartier Racing Awards in 1991, and it has become one of the most prestigious award events in Britain. They are awarded to horses in the European horse racing industry and winners of the eight awards are chosen through a voting process. Loyal readers of the newspapers Daily Telegraph and the Racing Post are able to cast votes, as well as journalists who cover horse racing. Together the votes are counted to select the winners. On Tuesday evening, 16 November 2010, three hundred and fifty guests arrived for the awards, among them were celebrity race horse owners such as Lord Lloyd Webber and Liz Hurley.
Over and above the awards given to the horses, there is a special award that is handed to someone each year, which recognizes the individual’s contributions made to either European racing or breeding over the last year or during their lifetime. This year’s winner of the Daily Telegraph Award of Merit was Richard Hannon. His son and wife, Richard Jr. and Jo, accepted the award on his behalf and were visibly very moved and emotional.
The most sought after award at this magnificent event is the Horse of the Year Award, which went to the five-year-old Goldikova. This breathtaking mare has secured twelve Group One victories during her career, of which her most recent winning performance was at the Breeder’s Cup Mile, which took place on 6 November 2010. She is owned by brothers Gerard and Alain Wertheimer and is trained by Freddie Head. On the evening, her trainer and Gerard stepped onto the stage to receive the award. Speaking after the ceremony, they expressed their excitement over the award and the fact that Goldikova received the Older Horse award for the second consecutive year, and said they hoped that their mare will remain in good form to return next year as a six-year-old competitor.
The complete list of winners at the Cartier Racing Awards was as follows:
Horse of the Year – Goldikova
Two Year Old Colt – Frankel
Two Year Old Filly – Misty For Me
Three Year Old Colt – Workforce
Three Year Old Filly – Snow Fairy
Sprinter – Starspangledbanner
Stayer – Rite of Passage
Older Horse – Goldikova.
