Raja Baru Pacuan Kuda Eropa: Calandagan Horse of the Year 2025

A New King of European Horse Racing: Calandagan, Horse of the Year 2025

SARGA.CO – The 2025 Cartier Racing Awards in London have once again crowned new stars in the world of European horse racing. This year, the most prestigious title—Horse of the Year—went to the phenomenal Calandagan, the four-year-old champion owned by Aga Khan Studs Scea, who dazzled on the world’s elite tracks.

A Perfect Season

Trained by Francis-Henri Graffard in France and ridden by jockey Mickael Barzalonna, Calandagan delivered a spectacular performance throughout the 2025 season. He won three Group One races, including two of the most prestigious in England: the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, and the Champion Stakes at Ascot.

This achievement places him alongside British racing legend Brigadier Gerard as the only horse to win both races in the same season—a feat that stunned the racing world.

Calandagan also captured the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and delivered strong performances with second-place finishes in the Coronation Cup and Dubai Sheema Classic.

Rivals Who Were Equally Impressive

For the Horse of the Year title, Calandagan competed against several top contenders: Ombudsman, the Champion Stakes runner-up and Prince of Wales’s Stakes winner; Delacroix, the breakout star among three-year-olds; and Minnie Hauk, the sensational three-year-old filly of the season. But Calandagan’s dominance and consistency throughout the year set him apart.

In the Leading Stayer category, the winner was Trawlerman, trained by the John and Thady Gosden duo. He secured four major wins in 2025, including the most prestigious of all: the Gold Cup at Ascot. His dominance established him as the long-distance king of the season.

Meanwhile, the Award of Merit—given to influential figures in the horse racing world—went to Brough Scott, a renowned broadcaster and writer whose contributions have helped bring the sport to a wider audience.

Complete List of 2025 Cartier Racing Awards Winners

Horse of the Year: Calandagan

Sprinter: Asfoora

Stayer: Trawlerman

Three-year-old colt: Delacroix

Three-year-old filly: Minnie Hauk

Two-year-old colt: Gstaad

Two-year-old filly: Precise

Older Horse: Calandagan

Award of Merit: Brough Scott

With his double titles—Horse of the Year and Older Horse of the Year—Calandagan has firmly established himself as Europe’s newest superstar. The 2025 season was truly his stage of glory.

If he returns to the track next season, one thing is certain: the world will be watching closely to see whether Calandagan can continue his dominance and solidify his status as a living legend.

(Source: BBC)