Zarkava receives Cartier prize

Zarkava, the undefeated winner of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, was named Cartier European Horse of the Year at the annual Cartier Awards dinner in London on Monday night.

A daughter of Zamindar trained by Alain de Royer-Dupre for her breeder/owner, the Aga Khan, Zarkava won three Group 1 races this season besides the Arc: the Prix Vermeille, the French Oaks and the French 1000 Guineas, triumphs that garnered her the 3-year-old filly title as well. Christophe Soumillon rode Zarkava in all seven of her career victories.

New Approach, trained by Jim Bolger to win the Epsom Derby and both Newmarket's Champion Stakes and Leopardstown's Irish Champion Stakes, was named Cartier's champion 3-year-old colt. Five-time Group 1 winner Duke of Marmalade took the older horse crown, while his Aidan O'Brien-trained stablemate Yeats was named champion stayer after having won the Ascot Gold Cup for the third time. O'Brien completed a Cartier hat trick as Mastercraftsman took the 2-year-old colt title.

George Strawbridge's undefeated Group 1 Fillies Mile winner Rainbow View, trained by John Gosden, landed the juvenile filly title, while the Freddy Head-trained Marchand d'Or was awarded the sprint crown for his three Group 1 victories.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum was named the winner of the Cartier/Daily Telegraph Award of Merit.

The Cartier Awards are determined by a combination of points achieved in group races plus votes from both racing journalists and readers of Britain's Daily Telegraph and Racing Post. The official European Thoroughbred championships will be announced in January as part of the year-end World Thoroughbred Racehorse Ratings.