Cartier Racing Awards: Calandagan named horse of the year

Mickael Barzalona Calandagan to both of his big wins at Ascot

Francis Keogh

BBC Sport senior journalist

2 hours ago

Calandagan has been named horse of the year at the Cartier Racing Awards in London.

The four-year-old, trained in France by Francis-Henri Graffard, won three top-level Group One races including both the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Champion Stakes at Ascot.

He is the only horse other than Brigadier Gerard (1972) to win both contests in the same season.

Calandagan, who runs in the Aga Khan’s colours, also won the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud in his home country, having finished second earlier in the year in the Coronation Cup and Dubai Sheema Classic.

Champion Stakes runner-up Ombudsman, who won the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes and Juddmonte International, and leading three-year-olds Delacroix and Minnie Hauk were also nominated for the main award.

Trawlerman, trained by John and Thady Gosden, was named leading stayer at the 35th annual awards after four victories this year which included the Gold Cup at Ascot.

The award of merit was given to broadcaster and writer Brough Scott.