Palace Pier tops Horse of the Year standings despite Baaeed Champions Day defeat

Palace Pier has gained a narrow lead at the top of the table to be crowned Cartier Horse of the Year despite his defeat behind Baaeed in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on Champions Day at Ascot last Saturday.

The John and Thady Gosden-trained four-year-old, whose retirement was announced on Wednesday, had landed the Lockinge, Queen Anne Stakes and Prix Jacques le Marois earlier in the season, but suffered his second defeat in consecutive years in the mile Group 1 when a neck runner-up to the still unbeaten Baaeed.

Despite his turnover, Palace Pier has edged ahead of the now-retired St Mark's Basilica (160) at the top of the Horse of the Year rankings on 168 points, with Poetic Flare (156) third and Baaeed (88) joint-11th.

The five-time top-level winner also heads the rankings in the Older Horse division ahead of stablemate Mishriff, who is 60 points behind on 108 following his fourth-place finish in the Champion Stakes, and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe hero Torquator Tasso (96).

Trueshan (84) maintained his lead in the Stayer division after winning the Long Distance Cup for the second year in succession, with his old rival Stradivarius – who finished third behind the Alan King-trained star at the Berkshire track – in joint-second alongside Gold Cup winner Subjectivist (60).

Trueshan: in pole position to be crowned the year's leading stayerCredit: Edward Whitaker

Creative Force (32) was unable to dent Starman's lead at the top of the Sprint division despite his Champions Sprint success with the July Cup scorer on 64 points following his retirement last week.

The Aidan O'Brien-trained pair of Mother Earth and Snowfall (both 144) remain at the head of the Three-Year-Old Filly category despite their defeats on Champions Day.

The 31st Cartier Racing Awards will be awarded on November 10 in a ceremony at the Dorchester Hotel, with the rankings making up 30 per cent of the result of the awards as well as contributions from journalists and handicappers, and votes from Racing Post and Daily Telegraph readers also deciding the result.

Voting opens at midday on Wednesday, October 20 and closes on Tuesday, November 2. The vote will be conducted entirely online this year and can be done on the Cartier Racing Awards website.

Vote now at www.cartierracingawards.co.uk

Cartier Horse of the Year

Palace Pier 168 points
St Mark's Basilica 160
Poetic Flare 156
Hurricane Lane 152
Mother Earth 144
Snowfall 144
Mishriff 108
Adayar 100
Alcohol Free 96
Torquator Tasso 96
Baaeed 88
Broome 88

Cartier Older Horse

Palace Pier 168
Mishriff 108
Torquator Tasso 96
Broome 88
Lady Bowthorpe 84

Cartier Stayer

Trueshan 84
Stradivarius 60
Subjectivist 60
Hurricane Lane 48
Skazino 48

Cartier Sprinter

Starman 64
A Case Of You 58
Dragon Symbol 56
Emaraaty Ana 52
Oxted 48

Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt

St Mark's Basilica 160
Poetic Flare 156
Hurricane Lane 152
Adayar 100
Baaeed 88

Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly

Mother Earth 144
Snowfall 144
Alcohol Free 96
Saffron Beach 68
Joan Of Arc 64
Santa Barbara 64

Cartier Two-Year-Old Colt

Native Trail 80
Perfect Power 80
Angel Bleu 48
Ebro River 40
Point Lonsdale 40

Cartier Two-Year-Old Filly

Inspiral 48
Agartha 40
Sandrine 40
Zellie 40
Discoveries 36

Read more:

'It was a disgrace' – Frankie Dettori fumes at rival rider as Trueshan reigns

'He's just a beast' – Baaeed holds off Palace Pier in epic QEII

Creative Force breaks Appleby's Champions Day duck with sublime sprint success

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