Dubai: Godolphin picked up a 17th Cartier Racing Award when Harry Angel was named Sprinter of the Year at the 27th awards ceremony in London on Tuesday evening.

The Cartier Racing Awards were introduced in 1991 to reward excellence in European thoroughbred horse racing. There are a total of eight equine categories.

Less than a month ago, Godolphin, the stable created by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, was declared Champion Owner at the end of the 2017 British flat racing season.

Harry Angel, who cost a modest £44,000 at the Doncaster Bloodstock, has earned over £662,238 in prize money from four career wins in eight starts.

Trained by Clive Cox in England, the son of Dark Angel, established himself as the leading sprinter in Europe with thrilling victories in the Group 1 Darley July Cup at Newmarket and Group 1 Sprint Cup at Haydock on September.

Hugh Anderson, Godolphin’s Managing Director in the UK and Dubai, accepted the award from Laurent Feniou, Managing Director Cartier UK. He commented: “I know this room is full of the very best trainers and very best jockeys, but is there a better partnership of trainer and jockey than Clive and Adam when it comes to G1 sprinters?

“Harry Angel has been absolutely brilliant — a flag-bearer for Godolphin this season along with some very good horses that have been mentioned tonight.

“On behalf of Godolphin, I want to thank Clive, I want to thank Adam, I want to thank Cartier for this very prestigious award and mostly I’d like to thank Shaikh Mohammad for his unflagging generosity and loyalty to our sport.”

‘Angel’ began the season by winning the Group 2 Sandy Lane Stakes also at Haydock and would finish second in the Group 1 Commonwealth Stakes at Royal Ascot in June and fourth in the season ending Group 1 British Champions Sprint Stakes at Ascot in October.

Godolphin have confirmed that he will stay in training for the 2018 flat racing season with all the top sprint races on his agenda.

The 2017 Cartier Racing Awards are presented at a glittering ceremony before an invited audience of 300 at the Dorchester Hotel, London, England,

Enable, who recorded five consecutive Group 1 victories in 2017 for Prince Khalid Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, picked up the prestigious Cartier Horse of the Year Award.

Trained by John Gosden in Newmarket, Enable was very impressive against her own sex in two Classics, the Group 1 Oaks at Epsom Downs and the Group 1 Darley Irish Oaks at the Curragh, winning by five lengths each time. She then easily defeated all-aged, all-sex opposition in Ascot’s Group 1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Enable also won top honours in the Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly Award from Winter, Lady Aurelia and Roly Poly, while her stable companion Cracksman, became the Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt following his impressive seven-length success in the Group 1 Champion Stakes at Ascot in October.

Cracksman saw off challenges of Harry Angel, Churchill and another Godolphin star, Barney Roy.

Ireland’s champion trainer Aidan O’Brien won three Cartier awards including the Two-Year-Old Colt category with U S Navy Flag, Cartier Two-Year-Old Filly award with Happily, and second successive Cartier Stayer of the Year award with Order Of St George.

Ulysses won the competitive Cartier Older Horse of the Year Award, after registering a Group 1 10-furlong double in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown Park and the Juddmonte International at York.

Ulysses did not have it easy in the voting with Godolphin’s star miler Ribchester and French-trained Talismanic also strong contenders.

Ulysses’ trainer, Sir Michael Stoute, was honoured for his contribution to racing with the Cartier/The Daily Telegraph Award of Merit.