Aidan O’Brien’s Delacroix extended his lead over rival Ombudsman in the race for Cartier Horse Of The Year, after a strong success in the Group 1 Irish Champions Stakes.

Established in 1991, the Cartier Racing Awards are split into eight categories - the Cartier Horse Of The Year, the Cartier Older Horse, the Cartier Sprinter, the Cartier Stayer, the Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt, the Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly, the Cartier Two-Year-Old Colt and the Cartier Two-Year-Old Filly – and are decided by a combination of points earned, panel of journalists and votes from readers of the Racing Post and Daily Telegraph.

Delacroix's victory in Sunday's Irish Champion Stakes saw the three-year-old top the overall Horse Of The Year category, with 136 points compared to Group 1 Juddmonte International winner Ombudsman's 124. Although the fellow O'Brien-trained Minnie Hauk sits close to the pair on 112 points, it seems likely that Delacroix and Ombudsman will continue their rivalry for leading honours.

Ombudsman remains in control of the Older Horse category with his points haul, whilst Minnie Hauk tops the Three-Year-Old Filly division.

It was all change for the Sprinter category as a result of Irish Champions Weekend, with Group 1 Flying Five Stakes winner Arizona Blaze moving to the top of the rankings with 72 points. He now holds a significant advantage over the second-placed Big Mojo (56) with the pair likely to head to the Breeders' Cup for their next respective assignments.

Zavateri's unbeaten record remained unblemished in the Group 1 National Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday and his point accumulation sees the Eve Johnson Houghton-trained colt lead the Two-Year-Old Colt standings. Whilst she could only manage third in the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes, Karl Burke's Venetian Sun continues to control the Two-Year-Old Filly rankings with 64 points, having won the Group 1 Prix Morny on her previous outing.

The 35th Cartier Racing Awards will be awarded on 19 November.