Roaring Lion named Horse of the Year as Gosden team scoop five Cartier awards

It was a night to remember for John Gosden as his outstanding and versatile three-year-old colt Roaring Lion was named the Cartier Horse of the Year, a success that headlined four other awards for the trainer's horses, at a ceremony in London on Tuesday evening.

Purchased as a yearling in 2016 for $160,000 by Qatar Racing's manger David Redvers, Roaring Lion was also named the winner of the Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt award off the back off an outstanding season in which he reeled off four Group 1 victories in a row.

Following excellent performances in the 2,000 Guineas and Derby, Roaring Lion eventually found his home over a mile and a quarter, winning the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown, the Juddmonte International at York and the Qipco Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown.

The decider: Oisin Murphy and Roaring Lion pip Saxon Warrior again in the Irish Champion StakesCredit: Caroline Norris

He followed those successes by dropping back to a mile to claim a hard-fought victory on soft ground in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on British Champions Day.

Roaring Lion becomes the fourth Cartier Horse of the Year in the past five years to be trained by Gosden, following in the footsteps of Kingman (2014), Golden Horn (2015) and last year's winner Enable.

Enable this time picked up the Cartier Older Horse award. After an injury-interrupted campaign, the star filly returned to her brilliant best at the end of the season when winning a second Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp and following up in the Breeders' Cup Turf at Churchill Downs.

Gosden's Weatherbys Stayers' Million bonus winner Stradivarius took home the Cartier Stayers Award after winning all five of his races this season including successive victories in the Group 1 Ascot Gold Cup, Group 1 Goodwood Cup and Group 2 Lonsdale Cup.

Dewhurst Stakes winner and ante-post 2,000 Guineas favourite Too Darn Hot rounded off a memorable evening for Gosden when Lord Lloyd-Webber's colt was named the Cartier Two-Year-Old Colt.

On the night Gosden became only the second trainer to take home a total of five Cartier awards, after Aidan O'Brian achieved the same feat in 2016.

Alpha Centauri won four consecutive Group 1 races in 2018Credit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

The Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly award went the way of the Jessica Harrington-trained Alpha Centauri, who set the flat season on fire with her memorable displays in the Irish 1,000 Guineas, Coronation Stakes and Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket.

The Michael Dods-trained Prix de l'Abbaye winner Mabs Cross won the Cartier Sprinter award while Moyglare Stud Stakes hero Skitter Scatter was recognised as the Cartier Two-Year-Old Filly of the year, for owners the Rogers family and trainer Patrick Prendergast.

Cartier's Racing consultant Harry Herbert said: "What another outstanding year it has been for European horseracing.

"Congratulations to John Gosden and his team for securing a joint-record five equine Cartier Racing Awards at the 28th annual Cartier Racing Awards. Roaring Lion truly lived up to his name with four courageous Group 1 wins over the course of the season."

2018 Cartier Racing Awards

Cartier Two-Year-Old Colt: Too Darn Hot
Cartier Two-Year-Old Filly: Skitter Scatter
Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt: Roaring Lion
Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly: Alpha Centauri
Cartier Sprinter: Mabs Cross
Cartier Stayer: Stradivarius
Cartier Older Horse: Enable
Cartier Horse of the Year: Roaring Lion

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