Dylan Thomas leapt to the head of affairs for the 2006 Cartier Racing Award for three-year-old colts and threw down a challenge for Cartier Horse of the Year honours with a gutsy neck victory over Ouija Board (92 points) in the 10-furlong Group One Baileys Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday, September 9.

The Cartier Racing Awards, European horseracing`s equivalent of the Oscars, are now in their 16th year, and honour the equine champions of the year, plus one person.

The coveted awards are revealed and presented after the end of the 2006 Flat season at the Four Seasons Hotel in Mayfair, London, England, on Wednesday, November 15.

The eight horse awards are determined by points earned in Pattern races combined with the opinions of a panel of racing journalists plus votes from readers of the Racing Post and The Daily Telegraph, a system which accurately rewards supreme excellence.

The Aidan O`Brien-trained Dylan Thomas (100 points), successful in the Budweiser Irish Derby after finishing a close third in the Vodafone Derby, is currently clear of his Epsom conqueror, Sir Percy (72 points), who has not raced since, in the Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt category, courtesy of his battling Leopardstown triumph and earlier fourth to the four-year-old Notnowcato (64 points) in the Juddmonte International Stakes at York.

Stormy River, runner-up to Librettist in the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp over a mile on September 3, sits second in the division with 84 points, Stan James 2000 Guineas winner George Washington has 64 points after finishing third in the Group Two totesport Celebration Mile at Goodwood on August 27 and Boylesports Irish 2,000 Guineas victor Araafa is on 62 points.

Alexandrova (108 points) is head and shoulders above her peers in the Cartier Three-Year-Old Fillies` Award. Also trained by O`Brien - Ireland`s champion trainer - she took on older horses for the first time in the Group One Darley Yorkshire Oaks at York on August 23 and scored an emphatic victory to complete the coveted English, Irish and Yorkshire Oaks treble.

The Alain de Royer Dupre-trained Mandesha (64 points) emerged as a possible challenger to Alexandrova`s divisional supremacy with an impressive success in the Group One Prix Vermeille Lucien Barriere at Longchamp on Sunday, September 10. The victory saw the Zahra Aga Khan-owned filly draw level on points with Germance, who added to her Group One Montjeu Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary triumph with an easy win in the Group Three Darley Prix de la Nonette at Deauville on August 20.

The brilliant 2005 Cartier Horse of the Year, Hurricane Run, leads the Cartier Older Horse division with 96 points, four more than the Breeders` Cup bound 2004 Cartier Horse of the Year, Ouija Board.

The Andre Fabre-trained Hurricane Run narrowly failed to add to his superb record on September 10 in the Group Two Prix Foy Gray d`Albion Barriere at Longchamp, going down by a neck to stablemate Shirocco (64 points), but the pair are set to lock horns again in the Group One Prix de l`Arc de Triomphe at the same course next month, a race which could determine the destination of at least one Cartier Racing Award.

Godolphin`s Librettist (72 points), with the Group One Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on September 23 his next run and the Breeders` Cup Mile on the horizon, comes into the reckoning for the Cartier Older Horse Award after an unbeaten run of five so far this season, the latest in two French Group Ones, the Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois at Deauville on August 13 and the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp on September 3.

Reverence (81 points) has blazed to the lead in the race for the Cartier Sprinter Award, and lies third in the older horse category, after taking a brace of Group Ones in quick succession when capturing the five-furlong VC Bet Nunthorpe Stakes at York on August 24, from Amadeus Wolf (40 points), followed by the Betfred Sprint Cup over six furlongs at Haydock nine days later.

The Eric Alston-trained five-year-old at the moment holds a definite advantage over fellow dual Group One winner Les Arcs (64 points), who is being aimed at Far-Eastern targets later in the season, and will bid to secure the title with victory in the Group One Prix de l`Abbaye at Longchamp in early October.

Yeats (64 points), imperious in the Ascot Gold Cup and ABN AMRO Goodwood Cup, is still the number one stayer, but the ever-popular Sergeant Cecil is making a bold bid for Cartier Stayer Award recognition and took his haul to 43 points with Group Two victories in the Weatherbys Insurance Lonsdale Cup at York in August and the GNER Doncaster Cup at the same course on September 8. The Rod Millman-trained seven-year-old may now bid for a Group One triumph in the Prix du Cadran at Longchamp in October.

The Cartier two-year-old categories are coming to life, and there is all still to play for with the big end of season juvenile prizes on the horizon.

Dutch Art and Holy Roman Emperor jointly head the Cartier Two-Year-old Colt standings with 48 points. The former, trained by Peter Chapple-Hyam, maintained his unbeaten record with a success in the Group One Darley Prix Morny at Deauville on August 20, while the O`Brien-trained Holy Roman Emperor took the Group One Independent Waterford Wedgwood Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh on August 13.

Coventry Stakes winner Hellvelyn (32 points) was a length and three-quarters second in the Phoenix Stakes and is joint third in the division alongside Paul Cole`s dual Group Two winner Strategic Prince, while the Kevin Ryan-trained Wi Dud is next best with 24 points following his deserved success in the Group Two Persimmon Homes Flying Childers Stakes at York on September 8.

Phoenix Stakes third Miss Beatrix holds the advantage in the Cartier Two-Year-old Filly category after subsequently capturing the Group One Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh on August 27. The Kevin Prendergast-trained filly is 14 points clear of Jeremy Noseda`s Simply Perfect, who was victorious over a mile in the Group Two Keepmoat May Hill Stakes at York on September 9.

The Noseda-trained Sander Camillo remains on 24 points, while Boccassini. Silk Blossom and Gilded each have 20 points.

Harry Herbert, Cartier`s racing consultant, commented today: "The 2006 season is building towards a thrilling climax, with outstanding candidates vying for the ultimate accolade of Cartier Horse of the Year, including the past two winners, Hurricane Run and Ouija Board, alongside potential champions such as Dylan Thomas, Sir Percy, George Washington, Librettist, Alexandrova, Reverence, Shirocco, Yeats and David Junior.

"The top horses continue to produce tremendous performances and I am looking forward to the remaining Group and Grade One events, when questions of supremacy will be resolved, and claims for several Cartier Racing Awards will be made.

"The season to date has been excellent and there will undoubtedly be plenty more excitement to savour before the very best performers of 2006 are justly rewarded for their prowess at the Cartier Racing Awards in London in November."

CARTIER AWARDS POINTS UPDATE TO SEPTEMBER 11, 2006

CARTIER THREE-YEAR- OLD COLT
DYLAN THOMAS 100
STORMY RIVER 84
SIR PERCY 72
GEORGE WASHINGTON 64
ARAAFA 62

CARTIER THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLY
ALEXANDROVA 108
GERMANCE 64
MANDESHA 64
SPECIOSA 62
NANNINA 59

CARTIER TWO-YEAR-OLD COLT
DUTCH ART 48
HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR 48
HELLVELYN 32
STRATEGIC PRINCE 32
WI DUD 24

CARTIER TWO-YEAR-OLD FILLY
MISS BEATRIX 40
SIMPLY PERFECT 26
SANDER CAMILLO 24
BOCCASSINI 20
GILDED 20
SILK BLOSSOM 20

CARTIER OLDER HORSE
HURRICANE RUN 96
OUIJA BOARD 92
REVERENCE 81
MANDURO 74
LIBRETTIST 72

CARTIER SPRINTER
REVERENCE 81
LES ARCS 64
AMADEUS WOLF 40
MARCHAND D`OR 32
BENBAUN 26

CARTIER STAYER
YEATS 64
SERGEANT CECIL 43
REEFSCAPE 30
MONTARE 24
LORD DU SUD 20