Minding takes Cartier lead

Outstanding three-year-old filly Minding (176) registered her fourth Group One victory of 2016 in the Qatar Nassau Stakes at Goodwood and has a clear lead on Pattern race points in the race to be crowned Cartier Horse of the Year in 2016.

Trained by Aidan O’Brien for a Coolmore partnership, Minding has won the QIPCO 1000 Guineas, Investec Oaks, Dubai Duty Free Pretty Polly Stakes and Qatar Nassau Stakes in 2016, demonstrating her versatility by scoring at a mile, 10 furlongs and 12 furlongs.

She is already a winner at the Cartier Racing Awards, having taken Cartier Two-Year-Old Filly honours in 2015. The daughter of Galileo, with 176 points, also holds a clear lead in the Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly category, with the Jean-Claude Rouget-trained Qemah (80), successful in the Group One Prix Rothschild at Deauville on July 31, lying in second place.

It is much closer in the Cartier Three-Year-Old division, with Galileo Gold (136) currently holding a narrow advantage over The Gurkha (128). The duo have met twice, with Galileo Gold, trained by Hugo Palmer for Al Shaqab Racing, coming out on top by a length and a quarter in the Group One St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.

However, the placings were reversed recently with The Gurkha, owned by a Coolmore partnership and trained by O’Brien, taking the Group One Qatar Sussex Stakes by a neck from Galileo Gold at Goodwood on July 27.  

A third meeting between the two outstanding colts is a mouth-watering prospect. Galileo Gold and The Gurkha are also in second and third respectively behind Minding in the Cartier Horse of the Year standings.

Order Of St George (48), successful in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot, is still out in front in the Cartier Stayer category, though Big Orange, winner of last week’s Qatar Goodwood Cup, moves onto 22 points in the staying division and also has another 20 …

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