Cartier Awards: City of Troy named Europe's Horse of the Year

City of Troy, the fabulous colt who won three of Britain’s most prestigious races in the spring and summer, was honored as the 2024 Cartier Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old colt in an awards ceremony in London on Wednesday evening.

City of Troy, owned by the Coolmore partnership and trained by Aidan O’Brien, won 3 of 5 starts in an international campaign this year. The champion 2-year-old colt of 2023, City of Troy finished ninth of 11 in the Group 1 English 2000 Guineas at Newmarket Racecourse in May as the 3-5 favorite, and then reeled off three consecutive wins in Group 1 races.

City of Troy won the English Derby at Epsom in June, and beat older horses in the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park in July, and again in the Juddmonte International at York in August.

In his final start, City of Troy finished eighth of 12 in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 2, his only career appearance on dirt. A Kentucky-bred colt by Justify, City of Troy has been retired and will stand at stud in Ireland in 2025.

City of Troy joins Frankel as the only runner to be recognized with Cartier Awards as champion 2-year-old and Horse of the Year in successive seasons. Frankel did it in 2010 and 2011, and was honored as Horse of the Year again in 2012 for his success at 4.

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City of Troy outpolled Blustocking, Charyn and Kyprios for the Horse of the Year title.

In other Cartier awards, Charyn was honored as outstanding older horse for a season that included wins in three Group 1 races in Britain and France.

Porta Fortuna, eighth in the BC Mile at Del Mar on Nov. 2, was named champion 3-year-old filly for winning three consecutive Group 1 races in Britain and Ireland in the summer.

Bradsell, who won two Group 1 sprints in Britain and Ireland in late summer, was named champion sprinter. He finished last of 11 in the BC Turf Sprint on Nov. 2.

Kyprios, unbeaten in seven starts in 2024 for trainer Aidan O’Brien, was the champion stayer, an award he won in 2022.

Lake Victoria, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on Nov. 1, was recognized as champion 2-year-old filly, while Shadow of Light, the winner of two Group 1 races in the fall, was named champion 2-year-old colt.

Irish trainer Jessica Harrington was honored with an award of merit for decades of success in flat and jump racing.

The Cartier Awards closely mirror the American Eclipse Awards, but have a different voting structure.

The Cartier Awards are determined by a vote from readers of the Racing Post and Daily Telegraph, and a panel of racing journalists and handicappers, with each group accounting for 35 percent of the final tabulation. The remaining 30 percent is determined by points earned by performances in pattern, or leading stakes, races.

The Eclipse Awards are determined by votes from Daily Racing Form, the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters, National Thoroughbred Racing Association member racing officials, and Equibase field personnel.

The Eclipse Awards will be presented in Florida on Jan. 23.

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