Horse Of The Year Award Standings So Far

Saturday's Irish Champion Stakes winner Roaring Lion has firmly thrown his hat into the ring to be on course for the Cartier Horse Of The Year and his last ditch attempt to get up on the line to take his third Group 1 in a row.

The John Gosden trained three year old colt has been magnificent this season winning three brilliant Group 1 races with the latest just pipping Saxon Warrior at Leopardstown in the 1 mile 2 furlong event.

This puts his standings onto 174 points 14 clear of his nearest rival in Alpha Centauri who we all know has now been retired due to an injury which is devastating for the sport and her connections in her bid for this prize. However the filly does lead the three year old filly standings and even though she won't race again should take the honours.

Roaring Lion will now head to Ascot for his final race of his three year old campaign in the Champion Stakes in the October Champions Day meeting where he could meet his stablemate Cracksman who is on 88 points for the prize.

One of the horses of the entire season Stradivarius for that man again John Gosden is sure to take the Staying division after winning those three Group 1s and the final Group 2 in the Lonsdale Cup at York to take the Stayers £1 million bonus.

He has reached 112 points that is nigh on impossible to catch now. The two that are closest to him but still won't catch him are this weekend's Irish St Leger winner Flag Of Honour for Aidan O'Brien on 56 points and the French raider Vazirabad who was runner up to Stradivarius in the Gold cup, he is on 55 points.

Sir Michael Stoute couldn't go a year without being in the headlines and he shouldn't do again this year with the superstar of the season Poet's Word who won back to back Group 1s in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes and King George VI And Elizabeth Stakes leading the way with 140 points.

The only other challenger to the five year old who's connections announced this week he is out for the rest of the season with an injury is French Group 1 winner Recoletos.

The Sprinters division is one of the tightest categories to pick from in the sport at the moment with four horses all joint on 48 points meaning the laast race or races of the season they compete in will have to be there best to see who will claim the title.

This Weekends Flying Five Stakes winner Havana Grey trained by Karl Burke joined Aidan O'Brien's Royal Ascot here Merchant Navy at the top after his win.

Before this weekend and still sitting at the top however is Sprint Cup second Brando and the superstar of the sprinting season in our eyes the Charles Hills trained Battaash who won the King George.

This division is the one to watch out for with the decision going to down to the last race of the season.

This exciting division is another one that isn't over until the last race of the season with exciting juveniles winning races all over the United Kingdom and different horses throwing there names into the hat.

Currently leading the category is the Martyn Meade trained Advertise who is on 56 points, he won the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh.

This weekend the Quorto, son of Dubawi really staked his claim staying unbeaten when winning the Group 1 National Stakes ahead of Aidan O'Brien's Anthony Van Dyck. The Godolphin owned colt is now on 48 points and will challenge again before the end of the season.

The fillies division saw the biggest move made for the title this weekend when Skitter Scatter trained by P J Prendergastwent onto win the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes and get up to 60 points.

Behind her and not to far away is the Prix Morny winner for Michael Bell in Pretty Pollyanna who is 48 points and just slightly behind them is the runner up in that race Signora Cabello on 38 points.

This division could see some change but this weekend saw a big statement made.