Ezeliya, Rosallion and White Birch share the spoils in first Cartier horse of the year standings of 2024

Oaks heroine Ezeliya, Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Rosallion and White Birch share the early lead in the points standings in the race to be Cartier horse of the year.

Ezeliya made a successful seasonal debut in the Group 3 Salsabil Stakes at Navan before providing Dermot Weld with his second victory in the Oaks, 43 years after the trainer first won the Epsom Classic with Blue Wind. Ezeliya unsurprisingly also tops the three-year-old filly standings, which went to the fellow Aga Khan-owned and Weld-trained Tahiyra last year.

Rosallion’s strong performances in the English and Irish 2,000 Guineas have helped earn him the same 56 points as Ezeliya. The Richard Hannon-trained son of Blue Point chased home Notable Speech at Newmarket before going one better in the Irish equivalent at the Curragh when beating stablemate Haatem. 

Notable Speech and Derby winner City Of Troy split Rosallion and Haatem in the three-year-old colt standings, with Royal Ascot sure to have an impact on proceedings. Hannon is hoping the bend at the Berkshire venue in the St James’s Palace Stakes will help the dual Group 1 winner reverse Newmarket form with Notable Speech.

White Birch has improved 7lb on official ratings from his Classic campaign last year, having won Group races on all three of his starts as a four-year-old. Joe Murphy’s stable star followed up his Alleged and Mooresbridge Stakes victories in the Tattersalls Gold Cup to complete a hat-trick of wins at the Curragh this term.

White Birch beat last year’s Derby winner Auguste Rodin by three lengths to secure a first Group 1 success and earn a share of the lead in the most prestigious category at the Cartier Racing Awards.

White Birch is the early front-runner in the older horse category for the awards, which will be held at the Dorchester Hotel in London on Wednesday, November 20, with his 56 points meaning he is two clear of Godolphin’s globetrotter supreme Rebel’s Romance.

The six-year-old landed last month's Champions & Chater Cup at Sha Tin under William Buick to add Hong Kong to Germany, the US and UAE as countries where he has achieved Group 1 success.

Cartier Racing Awards standings

Horse of the Year
56 Ezeliya
56 Rosallion
56 White Birch
54 Rebel's Romance
50 Elmalka
48 City Of Troy
48 Haya Zark
48 Notable Speech
36 Haatem
36 Naval Power

Older Horse
56 White Birch
54 Rebel's Romance
48 Haya Zark
36 Naval Power
32 Audience
32 Charyn
32 Luxembourg
32 Mqse de Sevigne
32 Ottoman Fleet

Three-Year-Old Colt
56 Rosallion
48 Notable Speech
48 City Of Troy
36 Haatem
32 Metropolitan
32 Look de Vega

Three-Year-Old Filly
56 Ezeliya
50 Elmalka
32 Fallen Angel
32 Rouhiya
28 Dance Sequence

Sprinter
30 Ponntos
27 Star Of Mystery
20 Mill Stream
16 Inisherin
16 Kerdos
16 Mitbaahy

Stayer
24 Sevenna's Knight
18 Tower Of London
17 Giavellotto
12 Alessio
12 Shembala

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Arc hero Ace Impact crowned 2023 Horse of the Year at Cartier Awards 

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