Enable crowned Cartier queen for second time

Brilliant mare joins elite club.

Enable has been named the 2019 Cartier Horse of the Year – becoming just the third horse to be awarded the title on two occasions.

John Gosden’s five-year-old, who was first crowned champion in 2017, follows Ouija Board (2004 and 2006) and Frankel (2011 and 2012) as a dual winner of the prize following another exceptional campaign.

While she suffered a shock defeat in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on her final start, Enable won the Eclipse, King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Yorkshire Oaks, to take home not just the Horse of the Year accolade, but also the award for 2019 Older Horse.

Enable, who stays in training in 2020, also ensured Gosden landed the Horse of the Year Award for the fifth time in the last six years, with Kingman (2014), Golden Horn (2015) and Roaring Lion (2018) also obliging.

The 29th annual awards also saw Gosden and jockey Frankie Dettori gain honours with Too Darn Hot in the Three-Year-Old Colt division, Star Catcher in the Three-Year-Old Filly category and Stradivarius in the Stayer prize.

Stradivarius was winning his award for the second successive year after another campaign that saw him land a £1million bonus by winning the Yorkshire Cup, Gold Cup at Royal Ascot, Goodwood Cup and Lonsdale Cup at York.

Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin operation landed two awards, with Blue Point taking the sprint prize and Pinatubo in the Two-Year-Old Colt category.

A son of Shamardal, Pinatubo ended the campaign unbeaten in six starts and boasting a rating of 128.

Enable’s owner-breeder Khalid Abdullah gained a third title this year courtesy of the unbeaten Quadrilateral, who was named leading Two-Year-Old Filly.

The Cartier/Daily Telegraph Award of Merit for 2019 went to Pat Smullen, who was forced to retire in May on medical advice.

The nine-times Irish champion was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2018 and has thrown all his efforts into helping others who face the same condition.

His fund-raising drive has resulted in over €2.5million being raised for Cancer Trials Ireland and culminated at the Curragh in September with the Pat Smullen Champions Race For Cancer Trials Ireland, which saw the likes of Sir Anthony McCoy and Ruby Walsh return to the saddle.

Harry Herbert, Cartier’s racing consultant, said: “Enable becomes just the third horse to be named Cartier Horse of the Year twice, following in the illustrious hoofprints of Frankel and Ouija Board.

“Bountiful talent combined with a courageous running style make her a joy to watch and it is no wonder that Enable is so popular with everyone in racing.

“It is exciting that Prince Khalid Abdullah is keeping her in training for 2020, when she could become the first three-time winner of the Cartier Horse of the Year.

“Pat Smullen, the Cartier/Daily Telegraph Award Of Merit winner this year, is an inspirational figure. As well as his brilliance in the saddle, his dedication to help others who face the same health issues tells us what an outstanding human being he is.”

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