True Love and Christmas Day Head the Race for the Cartier Awards

Following a terrific start to the European classic season, the winners of the 1000 Guineas and the Derby lead the early standings for the Cartier Horse of the Year award, while Daryz sets the pace in the older horse category

True Love, Sporting an Outstanding Campaign This Season / NEWMARKET

LONDON, England (Special to Turf Diario).– The European classic season has begun to shape its main protagonists and, following the first major targets of the calendar, True Love and Christmas Day appear at the head of the preliminary standings for the prestigious Cartier Racing Awards, the highest honors in European racing.

The 36th edition of the awards will be celebrated on November 18 at the traditional Dorchester Hotel in London, though the battle across the different categories has only just begun and promises to remain wide open for much of the year.

For the moment, the absolute leader is True Love, who accumulates 72 points thanks to her victory in the 1000 Guineas (G1) and her subsequent runner-up finish behind stablemate Precise (Starspangledbanner) in the Irish 1000 Guineas (G1). The daughter of No Nay Never, trained by Aidan O'Brien for a Coolmore partnership, dominates both the overall standings and the division reserved for 3-year-old fillies.

However, the category features top-level competition. The remarkable winner of the Oaks (G1), Thundering On(Frankel), sits on 56 points after her spectacular performance at Epsom, while Diamond Necklace (St Mark's Basilica) remains in the hunt after prevailing in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (G1).

Among the classic colts, leadership belongs to Christmas Day, who reached 60 points following his authoritative success in the Epsom Derby (G1) contested last Saturday at Epsom under extremely demanding conditions.

The son of Camelot also became the first Derby winner produced by the Irish stallion, handing O'Brien his twelfth victory in England's most important race.

Behind him appears Gstaad (Starspangledbanner), European champion 2-year-old in 2025, who accumulates 56 points thanks to his victory in the Irish 2000 Guineas (G1), while Constitution River (Wootton Bassett), victor of the Prix du Jockey Club (G1), has 32 units.

One of the names attracting the most attention so far this year is Bow Echo (Night of Thunder), who remains undefeated and reached 48 points after his brilliant conquest in the 2000 Guineas (G1), where he defeated precisely Gstaad.

In the older horse division, the grand reference remains Daryz, winner of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) in 2025 and current leader with 64 points.

The representative of the Aga Khan Studs, conditioned by Francis-Henri Graffard, kicked off the season with two consecutive exhibitions at ParisLongchamp, prevailing in both the Prix Ganay (G1) and the Prix Aga Khan IV(G1).

His main pursuer is Bay City Roller (New Bay), who reached 56 points following an impressive 10-length victory achieved on Saturday in the Coronation Cup (G1) at Epsom, where he left none other than Calandagan (Gleneagles), the 2025 European Horse of the Year, far behind.

Also well-positioned are Opera Ballo (Ghaiyyath), winner of the Jebel Hatta (G1) in Meydan, and Bright Picture(Intello), runner-up to Daryz in the Ganay.

The sprinters' category finds Night Raider (Dark Angel) momentarily in front, victor of both the Palace House Stakes(G3) and the Temple Stakes (G2). The representative of Wathnan Racing leads by a narrow margin over international travelers Lazzat (Territories) and Comanche Brave (Wootton Bassett).

For his part, Caballo de Mar (Phoenix of Spain) leads among the stayers, reaching 42 points after capturing the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier (G2) at ParisLongchamp. The horse racing for Victorious Forever holds the advantage over rivals such as Al Nayyir (Dubawi), Rahiebb (Frankel), Sons And Lovers (Study of Man), and Fairy Glen (Farhh).

Since their inception in 1991, the Cartier Racing Awards have established themselves as the most important accolades in European racing.

Winners are determined through a formula that combines points earned in Group races (30%), the opinions of specialized journalists and handicappers (35%), and a public vote (35%).

With the entire summer season ahead and major engagements like Royal Ascot, the King George, the Irish Champion Stakes, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, and the Breeders' Cup still to be contested, the current standings are far from definitive.

But if one thing is clear after the first classics of the year, it is that Coolmore once again dominates the European landscape, while Daryz continues to establish himself as the great older horse of the continent.