Ouija Presses Hurricane For Cartier Honours

Ouija Board and Hurricane Run each staked a claim for honours in the Older Horse category of the prestigious Cartier Racing Awards, and possibly the ultimate accolade of Horse of the Year, after recently registering stunning Group One victories.

The Cartier Racing Awards, European horseracing´s equivalent of the Oscars, are now in their 16th year, and honour the top horses of the year, plus one person.

The coveted awards are revealed and presented after the end of the 2006 Flat season at the Four Seasons Hotel in Mayfair, London, England, on Wednesday, November 15.

The eight horse 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.

Hurricane Run, the 2005 Cartier Horse of the Year, currently leads the way with 88 points in the race for the Cartier Older Horse Award, after landing a thrilling renewal of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes over a mile and a half at Ascot on July 29.

The Andre Fabre-trained four-year-old produced a late burst of speed to defeat Dubai World Cup winner Electrocutionist by half a length, with crack Japanese runner Heart´s Cry a further half length away in third.

Ouija Board, Britain´s favourite mare, is hard on the heels of the leader after rewarding her adoring public with victory in a spine-tingling finish to the Vodafone Nassau Stakes at Goodwood on August 5. This was her second Group One victory of the year following victory in the Prince Of Wales´s Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Lord Derby´s five-year-old prevailed by a short-head over the equally brilliant and tough Alexander Goldrun (52 points) in one of the most thrilling contests ever staged, and is now hard on Hurricane Run´s heels with 80 points.

The manner of Ouija Board´s triumph, and the adulation which it created, bodes well for Ed Dunlop´s charge in her bid for a repeat of her 2004 Cartier Horse of the Year Award.

Court Masterpiece´s decisive victory in the Group One Cantor Spreadfair Sussex Stakes at Goodwood on August 2 meant he jumped up to 56 points.

Yeats confirmed his position as the leading stayer in Europe with a brilliant victory in the Group Two ABN AMRO Goodwood Cup over two miles at Goodwood on August 3.

The Aidan O´Brien-trained Ascot Gold Cup winner is third in the Cartier Older Horse category, having accumulated 64 points, and that running total places him firmly at the head of affairs in the Cartier Stayers´ division, 34 clear of his nearest rival, Reefscape.

Strategic Prince has emerged from the pack of promising juveniles to lay down a solid claim for the Cartier Two-Year-Old Colt Award.

Paul Cole´s charge followed victory in the Group Two TNT July Stakes at Newmarket with a win in the same grade at Goodwood on August 2, when he proved a neck too good for Duke Of Marmalade in the Veuve Clicquot Vintage Stakes over seven furlongs.

Strategic Prince´s 32 points put him in front of last week´s Sterling Insurance Richmond Stakes scorerr Hamoody, Weatherbys Sperlative Stakes victor Halicarnassus, and Royal Ascot winners Dutch Art and Hellvelyn, who each have 16 points.

The Tim Pitt-trained Les Arcs (64 points) leads the sprinting division after scoring back-to-back Group One wins in the Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot in June and the Darley July Cup at Newmarket on July 14.

The six-year-old gelding is currently 40 points clear of his nearest rival, the Australian speedster Takeover Target, for the Cartier Sprinter title, while Benbaun and Moss Vale both have 20 points.

Sander Camillo´s success in the Group Two Chippenham Lodge Stud Cherry Hinton Stakes at Newmarket on July 12, took her to the top of the standings in the Two-Year-Old Filly category with 24 points, but the Jeremy Noseda-trained filly´s lead was cut to four points following Boccassini´s victory over the colts in the Group Two Prix Robert Papin at Deauville on July 23.

Vodafone Derby hero Sir Percy and Irish Derby victor Dylan Thomas are still locked together on 72 points as they bid to secure the Cartier Award for Three-Year-Old Colts Award, while dual Oaks winner Alexandrova (76 points) leads Stan James 1000 Guineas winner Speciosa (62) in the battle for the Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly Award, with Prix de Diane heroine Confidential Lady, Nannina and Germance on 56 points.

Harry Herbert, Cartier´s racing consultant, commented today: 'The 2006 season continues to witness contests of thrilling intensity thanks to the high calibre of horses gracing European racecourses, and I look forward to honouring the very best at the Cartier Awards´ ceremony in November.

'It is particularly satisfying to see two previous Cartier Horses Of The Year winning in the most brilliant fashion this season. Ouija Board and Hurricane Run are real superstars and epitomise the ethos of the Cartier Awards in rewarding the outstanding achievers in European racing.

'The Newmarket July Festival, Ascot´s King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes meeting and Glorious Goodwood brought more than the usual level excitement and I am sure that some of the horses that so enthralled us through high summer will be rewarded with Cartier Racing Awards.'

Latest Cartier Awards Points (up to August 6, 2006)

CARTIER 3-Y-O COLT

• DYLAN THOMAS 72
• SIR PERCY 72
• STORMY RIVER 64
• ARAAFA 62
• GEORGE WASHINGTON 60

CARTIER 3-Y-O FILLY

• ALEXANDROVA 76
• SPECIOSA 62
• CONFIDENTIAL LADY 56
• GERMANCE 56
• NANNINA 56

CARTIER OLDER HORSE

• HURRICANE RUN 88
• OUIJA BOARD 80
• YEATS 64
• COURT MASTERPIECE 56
• ALEXANDER GOLDRUN 52

CARTIER SPRINTER

• LES ARCS 64
• TAKEOVER TARGET 24
• BENBAUN 20
• MOSS VALE 20
• BALTHAZAAR´S GIFT 19

CARTIER STAYER