Classic winners True Love and Christmas Day along with top four-year-old Daryz lead the inaugural Cartier Horse of the Year points standings.
True Love, trained by Aidan O’Brien, leads the Cartier Horse of the Year and Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly divisions, having accumulated 72 points in model racing this year. The daughter of No Nay Never decisively beat Evolutionist (32 points) in the Betfred 1000 Guineas at Newmarket and was runner-up to stablemate and two-year-old Cartier Precise 2025 (32) in the Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas.
Thundering On (56) confirmed her early claims to the Cartier three-year-old filly title by dominating Legacy Link (32) in the Betfred Oaks, while Diamond Necklace (32) enjoyed her own Classic success by winning the Emirates Poule d’Essai des Pouliches, and will move up the rankings following her victory in France on Sunday.
Christmas Day leads a 3 year old Colt
The Coolmore-owned and Aidan O’Brien-trained runners have won three of the five major colts’ classics so far this season, with Christmas Day (60) winning the Betfred Derby at Epsom to lead the Cartier Colt three-year-old division.
Constitution River (32) led a Coolmore 1-2-3 in the Qatar Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly, while Colt Gstaad (56) Cartier two-year-old 2025 was a dominant winner of the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas.
The most impressive classic performance so far this season came from Bow Echo (48), who maintained his unbeaten record for George Boughey with a scintillating victory over Gstaad in the Betfred 2000 Guineas.
Daryz leads an older horse
Daryz (64), winner of last season’s Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, has had a superb start to 2026 and leads the Cartier rankings for older horses after numerous victories at Longchamp in the Prix Ganay and Prix Aga Khan IV.
Bred at the Aga Khan Studs and trained by Francis-Henri Graffard, the Sea The Stars colt represents the same bonds that won the Cartier Horse of the Year and Cartier Older Horse awards in 2025 with Calandagan (24).
Other leading Cartier Older Horse contenders include Bay City Roller (56), who had Calandagan behind him in winning the Coolmore Coronation Cup by 10 lengths, Jebel Hatta Presented By Longines winner Opera Ballo (40) and Prix Ganay runner-up Bright Picture (40).
Sprinter and Stayer divisions
Night Raider (24) holds the early advantage in the race to be crowned Cartier Sprinter, having won the HKJC World Pool Palace House Stakes and William Hill Temple Stakes in his two appearances so far in 2026. Owned by Wathnan Racing, the Karl Burke-trained gelding holds a slight advantage over the well-traveled duo of Lazzat (20) and Comanche Brave (19), with Elmonjed (16) and Venetian. Sun (16) both had G2 victories in the UK.
Victorious Forever’s Caballo de Mar (42) leads the Cartier Stayer division after his victory over Santorini Star (16) in the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier at Longchamp. Boodles Yorkshire Cup winner Rahiebb (16) features prominently alongside Al Nayyir (17), Sons And Lovers (12) and Fairy Glen (12), who all enjoyed success in the Gulf States earlier in the year.
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