Australia nominated for Cartier award Aidan O'Brien's dual Derby hero Australia is one of four horses nominated for this year's prestigious Cartier Horse of the Year award. His rivals are Kingman, who racked up four consecutive Group One victories including the Irish 2,000 Guineas, Noble Mission, whose memorable season included success in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh, and outstanding French filly Treve, who roared back to form to win a second Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe . Paddy Power make Kingman a red-hot 2-7 favourite to come out on top when the winner is announced at a glittering ceremony before an invited audience at the Dorchester Hotel in London next Tuesday. Paddy Power said: "None of the quartet deserves to lose, but Kingman was arguably unlucky not to be unbeaten this season and I'll never forget the acceleration he exhibited when hacking up in the Irish Guineas at the Curragh." Australia is next in the betting at 4-1, with Treve a 5-1 shot and Noble Mission the 20-1 outsider. The Cartier Horse of the Year is the main accolade among nine awards across various divisions that will be presented next week. Other Irish horses nominated include Tapestry, Leading Light, Gleneagles, Found and Together Forever, all of them stablemates of Australia at Ballydoyle. The Cartier Sprinter of the Year nominees are stable companions Slade Power and Sole Power from Eddie Lynam's yard, plus another Irish-trained favourite, Gordon Lord Byron, and the British hope G Force. Harry Herbert, Cartier's racing consultant, said: "There has hardly been a pause in the thrilling performances seen on the racecourses of Europe and beyond during 2014. The nominees highlight the wonderful quality of horses trained in Europe."
