Cartier Awards 2010: Goldikova Named Horse of the Year

Flying the flag: Goldikova earns recognition for a fantastic season in which she won five Group One races
Photo: GETTY
Story: Marcus Armytage/www.telegraph.co.uk

Goldikova was on Tuesday night named Cartier Horse of the Year after another stellar season in which she won a further five Group One races to take her total to 12, a European record.

She also became the first horse to win three Breeders’ Cups.
Gerard Wertheimer, who shares the mare with his brother Alain, and trainer Freddie Head were at the 20th Cartier Awards at the Dorchester in London to accept the award in front of 350 guests.

Goldikova, who will stay in training, won five of her six starts in 2010, her only defeat coming in the Prix Jacques Le Marois when she was beaten by the 2,000 Guineas winner Makfi. The mare also became the first horse to win the Cartier Older Horse of the Year twice.

Also shortlisted for the top prize were Workforce, Canford Cliffs, Harbinger and Twice Over. Workforce, a rare Derby and Arc winner, just got the better of Canford Cliffs in a photo finish for the Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt for 2010.

His female counterpart was Snow Fairy. Ed Dunlop’s Epsom and Irish Oaks winner took her earnings for the year to over £1 million when winning the QEII Commemorative Cup, in Kyoto, on Sunday.

Apart from Workforce the Khalid Abdullah camp, who enjoyed a memorable campaign with 16 Group One winners, picked up the Cartier Two-Year-Old Colt award for the unbeaten Henry Cecil-trained Frankel.

The Coolmore/Ballydoyle team did not go home empty-handed either, with Misty For Me being named Cartier Two-Year-Old Filly and Starspangledbanner coming out top in the sprinter category.