The 2005 Cartier Racing Awards

The 2005 Cartier Racing Awards, European horseracing´s equivalent of the Oscars, are announced to the invited guests at the Awards´ dinner which is held at the Four Seasons Hotel, Mayfair, London, UK, tomorrow evening.

The eight horse categories, Horse Of The Year, Top Older Horse, Top Stayer, Top Sprinter, Three-Year-Old Colt, Three-Year-Old Filly, Two-Year-Old Colt and Two-Year-Old Filly, are revealed to an international audience of leading owners, trainers, breeders and racing personalities.

The equine winners are determined by points earned in Pattern races, the opinions of a panel of leading independent racing journalists and votes from readers of Racing Post and The Daily Telegraph - a system which is carefully structured to reflect the best performances throughout the year.

The nominations for each category this year are as follows:

Horse of the Year - Azamour, Divine Proportions, Hurricane Run, Shamardal, Westerner

Top Older Horse - Alcazar, Alexander Goldrun, Azamour, Starcraft, Westerner

Top Stayer - Alcazar, Distinction, Millenary, Reefscape, Westerner

Top Sprinter - Avonbridge, Cape Of Good Hope, Goodricke, La Cucaracha, Pastoral Pursuits

Three-Year-Old Colt - Dubawi, Hurricane Run, Motivator, Scorpion, Shamardal

Three-Year-Old Filly - Divine Proportions, Eswarah, Maids Causeway, Shawanda, Virginia Waters

Two-Year-Old Colt - Amadeus Wolf, George Washington, Horatio Nelson, Red Clubs, Sir Percy

Two-Year-Old Filly - Donna Blini, Flashy Wings, Nannina, Rumplestiltskin, Silca´s Sister

The Cartier Racing Awards, now in their 15th year, are recognised as the most prestigious within the European horseracing industry.

In addition to the horse awards, the Daily Telegraph Award of Merit goes to the person who, in the opinion of the Cartier Jury, has done most for European racing and/or breeding either over his or her lifetime or within the past 12 months.

The list of past winners of the Cartier / Daily Telegraph Award of Merit shows why this award has so much prestige.

Lat year´s Award went to David and Patricia Thompson of Chevely Park Stud, whose successful breeding operation has produced a steady stream of top-quality racehorses, including this year´s Sun Chariot Stakes winner Peeress, and Fillies Mile victor Nannina.

The 2003 Award went to Lord Oaksey, the distinguished racing journalist, amateur rider and founder of the Injured Jockeys´ Fund, while Prince Khalid Abdullah, one of the foremost owner-breeders in the world, took the award in 2002 when a special Cartier Award was also given to Tony McCoy, the most successful jump jockey of all time.

John Magnier was the recipient in 2001, with 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 completing the list back to 1991.