Authorized Makes Strong Case For Cartier Honours

Epsom Derby winner Authorized laid down his claim to the title of Europe's top three-year-old colt and strode imposingly back into the battle to be named Cartier Horse of the Year with a convincing victory against his elders in the Group One Juddmonte International Stakes at York on August 21.

Saleh Al Homaizi and Imad Al Sagar's colt now has 112 points after he swept aside King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes winner Dylan Thomas (124 points), who was beaten a length into second, while emphatically reversing form with his Coral-Eclipse Stakes conqueror Notnowcato (73), who was a further three lengths away in third.

The Peter Chapple-Hyam-trained son of Montjeu leads the Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt division, while Prix du Jockey Club Mitsubishi Motors winner Lawman has 89 points and the recently retired English and Irish 2,000 Guineas hero Cockney Rebel is equal on 72 points with Budweiser Irish Derby victor Soldier Of Fortune.

The Cartier Racing Awards, now in their 17th year, are European horseracing's most prestigious accolades, and will be presented during a glittering ceremony in London on November 14, 2007. The coveted awards celebrate the eight champions of the Turf, plus one person.

Horseracing's equivalent of the Oscars, the Cartier Racing Awards are determined by points earned in Pattern races combined with the opinions of a panel of racing journalists plus votes from readers of the Racing Post and The Daily Telegraph, a system which accurately rewards supreme excellence.

Dylan Thomas still tops the older horse division with 124 points and can go further ahead in Ireland's Group One Tattersalls Millions Irish Champion Stakes on Saturday (September 8). But the Andre Fabre-trained Manduro (104) will be a tough nut to crack come the season's end after taking his unbeaten streak this term to four with a brilliant success in the Group One Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois over a mile at Deauville on August 12. The pair could lock horns with Authorized in a mouth-watering renewal of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp on Sunday, October 7.

The Aidan O'Brien-trained Peeping Fawn (142) is the season's female phenomenon and will push the boys to the wire in her bid for the Cartier Horse of the Year Award. She continued her relentless summer domination of the three-year-old distaff division with a resounding triumph in the Group One Darley Yorkshire Oaks at York last month, which saw her pull four lengths clear of the year older ABN Amro Goodwood Cup heroine Allegretto (32).

Allegretto will be a fine addition to her owners' Cheveley Park Stud broodmare band when she retires but for now the daughter of Galileo is still in contention for the Cartier Stayer Award, which is headed by reigning champion and dual Ascot Gold Cup winner Yeats (48 points).

The pecking order is beginning to be established in the juvenile division and a fascinating autumn programme is on the agenda after Myboycharlie, trained by Tommy Stack for Sue Magnier, defeated the crack French filly Natagora (40) in the Group One Darley Prix Morny at Deauville to leap to the top of the two-year-old colt category with 40 points.

Kingsgate Native caused a stir when becoming the first two-year-old since Lyric Fantasy in 1992 to defeat the older horses in the five-furlong Group One Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes at York, and the John Best-trained colt is level with Group Two Coventry Stakes victor Henrythenavigator on 36 points. The unbeaten Group Two winners Winker Watson (32) and the Jim Bolger-trained New Approach (24), who is following the same route as former stablemate and 2006 champion Teofilo, are sure to have a say in the final destination of the Cartier Two-Year-Old Colt Award.

Bolger pulled off a remarkable double last year when Teofilo and Finsceal Beo carried off both the Cartier Two-Year-Old Awards and he could equal that tremendous achievement this year with New Approach and star filly Saoirse Abu. The latter defeated Henrythenavigator in the Group One Independent Waterford Wedgewood Phoenix Stakes on August 12 before adding the Group One Moyglare Stud Stakes on September 2 to spring to the top of the Cartier Two-Year-Old Filly category with 68 points.

The sprinting division was shaken up by Kingsgate Native's victory in the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes and the competition for the Cartier Sprinter is still wide open.

Marchand D'Or, trained in France by Freddie Head, now has 36 points after taking the Group One Prix Maurice de Gheest for the second successive year on August 5, defeating Dutch Art (32), who also filled the runner-up berth behind Sakhee's Secret (32) in the Group One Darley July Cup earlier in the summer.

The Jeremy Noseda-trained Soldier's Tale is joint top with 36 points courtesy of his Group One Golden Jubilee Stakes win at Royal Ascot. He may take his chance in the Betfred Sprint Cup at Haydock on September 8, alongside Marchand D'Or, Dutch Art and Sakhee's Secret, after which the picture could become clearer.

Harry Herbert, Cartier's racing consultant, said today: 'Things are certainly taking shape as we head into September and I am sure everyone is excited at the prospect of Authorized and Manduro meeting in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp next month, a race in which Aidan O'Brien could unleash his crack filly Peeping Fawn as well as Dylan Thomas.

'There are some very good two-year-olds about. Myboycharlie has impressed and Winker Watson has done nothing wrong, while it will be fascinating to see whether Jim Bolger can match his terrific success of last year with New Approach and Saoirse Abu.'

Cartier Two-Year-Old Filly

• SAOIRSE ABU 68
• NATAGORA 40
• YOURESOTHRILLING 28
• ELLETELLE 28
• LISTEN 24

Cartier Two-Year-Old Colt

• MYBOYCHARLIE 40
• HENRYTHENAVIGATOR 36
• KINGSGATE NATIVE 36
• WINKER WATSON 32
• NEW APPROACH 24

Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt

• AUTHORIZED 112
• LAWMAN 89
• COCKNEY REBEL 72
• SOLDIER OF FORTUNE 72
• EAGLE MOUNTAIN 56

Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly

• PEEPING FAWN 142
• FINSCEAL BEO 88
• DARJINA 80
• LIGHT SHIFT 68
• SIMPLY PERFECT 52

Cartier Stayer

• YEATS 48
• ALLEGRETTO 32
• GEORDIELAND 32
• LORD DU SUD 24
• LE MIRACLE 20

Cartier Sprinter

• MARCHAND D'OR 36
• SOLDIERS TALE 36
• DUTCH ART 32
• KINGSGATE NATIVE 32
• SAKHEE'S SECRET 32

Cartier Older Horse

• DYLAN THOMAS 124
• MANDURO 104
• RAMONTI 80
• NOTNOWCATO 73
• MANDESHA 48