Update on Cartier Racing Awards 2009
The embargo on the Cartier Awards press release was clearly honoured as none of the winners knew they won--except Sea The Stars of course.
His trainer John Oxx was completely surprised and said "It's hard to know what to say when you've been so badly caught out." Typically, he gave full credit to Sea The Stars, the Tsui family, the people who do the work and his "unsung heroine"--Catriona his wife.
Sea The Stars' young owner Christopher Tsui dedicated the award to his mother Ling (at home in Hong Kong) who bred STS out of the family's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Urban Sea who died earlier this year after having her final foal.
Touchingly Tsui said, "It was her (his mother's) love and faith for Urban Sea, her relentless passion and dedication to breed from her and her understanding of the thoroughbred that made it all possible. Fifteen years ago she was alone in thinking that Urban Sea would become the best broodmare in the world. Today I think it would be fairly difficult to disagree with her."
Urban Sea is also the dam of Galileo IRE (Sadler's Wells USA), sire of Teofilo and New Approach to name merely a few.
Owner/breeder of Goldikova, Gerard Wertheimer (with his brother Alain) spoke of her great victories in the Falmouth Stakes, the Prix Rothschild, the Prix Jacques Marois and her second Breeders' Cup Mile.
In a great understatement he said, "I think these successes have proved without a doubt that she is truly of international class."
The Wertheimer blue and white colours will be 100 years old in 2011.
Derrick Smith, co-owner of St Nicholas Abbey IRE (Montjeu IRE), said "It was apparent from very early on that St Nicholas Abbey had everything that a top two-year-old should have."
J P Magnier accepted the award for Yeats IRE (Sadler's Wells USA) on behalf of his parents and the David Nagles with the following comment: "I'd like to thank Aidan (trainer O'Brien) and all the team at Ballydoyle for managing to keep the horse sound for so many years and winning seven Group Ones, including the Coronation Cup and four Ascot Gold Cups. Our livers will be able to have a break next year, which is a sigh of relief!"
"Special Duty USA (Hennessy USA) is a real product of Juddmonte in that her mother (Quest To Peak USA) was trained by the late, great Bobby Frankel", according to Lord Grimthorpe, racing manager for Prince Khalid Abdulla, owner of Juddmonte Farms.
SD was conceived in the US, foaled in England, broken in Ireland and sent to French trainer Criquette Head-Maarek who has produced everyone's favourite 1000 Guineas prospect.
Head-Maarek's brother Freddie Head is the trainer of France's outstanding filly Goldikova.
Sir Anthonly Bamford stood in for his wife Lady Bamford who is the owner/breeder of Sariska (Pivotal). He acknowledged not being horsey or knowing much about racing but admitted that "Sariska is now at home with us at the moment. She hasn't yet been in the kitchen, which the ponies used to do, but perhaps next year."
It appears that both the Bamfords love their lovely "tank".
The Searchers were represented by Paul Roy who could not resist comparing their sweet filly Fleeting Spirit IRE (Invincible Spirit IRE) to one of the Searchers great songs 'Sweets for My Sweet'.
"Fleeting Spirit is an absolutely wonderful filly...she will hopefully be out again next year."
All winning connections expressed gratitude to Cartier and its UK managing director Arnaud Bamberger for the company's 19 years of support for the Oscars of European horseracing. The event was hosted by Cartier's racing consultant Henry Herbert with Bamberger presenting the Awards.
The event had drama, pathos, gratitude and deep emotion.
What it lacked was controversy over the riches of having two fabulous fillies who are both qualified to be Horse of the Year (for those who cannot guess: Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta).
Racing International http://www.racingint.com
His trainer John Oxx was completely surprised and said "It's hard to know what to say when you've been so badly caught out." Typically, he gave full credit to Sea The Stars, the Tsui family, the people who do the work and his "unsung heroine"--Catriona his wife.
Sea The Stars' young owner Christopher Tsui dedicated the award to his mother Ling (at home in Hong Kong) who bred STS out of the family's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Urban Sea who died earlier this year after having her final foal.
Touchingly Tsui said, "It was her (his mother's) love and faith for Urban Sea, her relentless passion and dedication to breed from her and her understanding of the thoroughbred that made it all possible. Fifteen years ago she was alone in thinking that Urban Sea would become the best broodmare in the world. Today I think it would be fairly difficult to disagree with her."
Urban Sea is also the dam of Galileo IRE (Sadler's Wells USA), sire of Teofilo and New Approach to name merely a few.
Owner/breeder of Goldikova, Gerard Wertheimer (with his brother Alain) spoke of her great victories in the Falmouth Stakes, the Prix Rothschild, the Prix Jacques Marois and her second Breeders' Cup Mile.
In a great understatement he said, "I think these successes have proved without a doubt that she is truly of international class."
The Wertheimer blue and white colours will be 100 years old in 2011.
Derrick Smith, co-owner of St Nicholas Abbey IRE (Montjeu IRE), said "It was apparent from very early on that St Nicholas Abbey had everything that a top two-year-old should have."
J P Magnier accepted the award for Yeats IRE (Sadler's Wells USA) on behalf of his parents and the David Nagles with the following comment: "I'd like to thank Aidan (trainer O'Brien) and all the team at Ballydoyle for managing to keep the horse sound for so many years and winning seven Group Ones, including the Coronation Cup and four Ascot Gold Cups. Our livers will be able to have a break next year, which is a sigh of relief!"
"Special Duty USA (Hennessy USA) is a real product of Juddmonte in that her mother (Quest To Peak USA) was trained by the late, great Bobby Frankel", according to Lord Grimthorpe, racing manager for Prince Khalid Abdulla, owner of Juddmonte Farms.
SD was conceived in the US, foaled in England, broken in Ireland and sent to French trainer Criquette Head-Maarek who has produced everyone's favourite 1000 Guineas prospect.
Head-Maarek's brother Freddie Head is the trainer of France's outstanding filly Goldikova.
Sir Anthonly Bamford stood in for his wife Lady Bamford who is the owner/breeder of Sariska (Pivotal). He acknowledged not being horsey or knowing much about racing but admitted that "Sariska is now at home with us at the moment. She hasn't yet been in the kitchen, which the ponies used to do, but perhaps next year."
It appears that both the Bamfords love their lovely "tank".
The Searchers were represented by Paul Roy who could not resist comparing their sweet filly Fleeting Spirit IRE (Invincible Spirit IRE) to one of the Searchers great songs 'Sweets for My Sweet'.
"Fleeting Spirit is an absolutely wonderful filly...she will hopefully be out again next year."
All winning connections expressed gratitude to Cartier and its UK managing director Arnaud Bamberger for the company's 19 years of support for the Oscars of European horseracing. The event was hosted by Cartier's racing consultant Henry Herbert with Bamberger presenting the Awards.
The event had drama, pathos, gratitude and deep emotion.
What it lacked was controversy over the riches of having two fabulous fillies who are both qualified to be Horse of the Year (for those who cannot guess: Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta).
Racing International http://www.racingint.com
Posted by susan trevelyan-syke at 11/18/2009 11:23 PM 
Categories: Cartier Racing Awards 2009
Tags: Cartier Racing Awards 2009
Categories: Cartier Racing Awards 2009
Tags: Cartier Racing Awards 2009
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