Trainer John Gosden insists Golden Horn needs to be remembered as a special horse after he was named the Horse of the Year for 2015.
The three-year-old was given the crown at the annual Cartier Racing Awards in London on Tuesday evening.
The Bay colt stormed to victories at the Investec Derby at Epsom, the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown, the QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown and the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp, all while being partnered by Frankie Dettori.
He was unable to win the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland after he finished half a length behind Found and Golden Horn has now been retired to stud at Dalham Hall.
After beating Solow, Muhaarar and Legatissimo to the title, Gosden admits his horse needs to be remembered as “the complete athlete”.
“We never gave him an easy time but he kept coming back for more,” he said. “It was unfortunate that he couldn’t sign off with a victory at Keeneland but the ground was loose. It was like a sandpit, it had been raced on a lot, then they got three inches of rain and he was left scrambling all the way round, like a quarterback trying to get the pass away while his defensive line were struggling to hold.
“Remember the big days – he was imperious in the Arc, the Eclipse and the Derby. He was a very special horse.”
