The awards honour the champions of European horse racing who will be announced in November.

European horse racing’s equivalent of the Oscars are delivered through a tried and tested combination of points earned by horses in pattern races throughout 2014 (40%); opinions of a panel of journalists at the end of season (30%) and votes from readers of Racing Post and The Daily Telegraph, plus Channel 4 Racing viewers (30%).

Cirrus Des Aigles (124 points) still leads the way in the race for Cartier Horse of the Year accolade, but Kingman, pictured above, (112) has moved a close second following his impressive victory in the Group One St James’s Palace Stakes at the Royal Meeting.

The John Gosden-trained colt proved too strong for Night Of Thunder (76), his QIPCO 2000 Guineas conqueror.

In between his Newmarket Classic second and the Royal Ascot success, the Khalid Abdullah-owned colt - who has been partnered by James Doyle in all his races - ran away with the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh.

Cirrus Des Aigles, trained in France by Corine Barande-Barbe, also continues to hold a commanding lead in the Cartier Older Horse category, ahead of Godolphin’s Dubai World Cup victor African Story (54).

The Fugue, who bounced right back to her best when taking the Group One Prince Of Wales’s Stakes on the second day of Royal Ascot, has 48 points for owners Lord & Lady Lloyd-Webber.

The mare is level with Toronado, who captured the opening race of Royal Ascot - the Group One Queen Anne Stakes - in style despite not having run for 300 days.

Toronado, owned by Al Shaqab Racing and trained by Richard Hannon in Wiltshire, triumphed under Richard Hughes.

Kingman also leads the way in the Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt category. The Investec Derby winner Australia (60) - trained by Aidan O’Brien - is next best after his win in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh on Saturday.

The Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly Award is headed by unbeaten Avenir Certain (64), though the star performance from a filly of the Classic generation at Royal Ascot came from Rizeena (32).

Trained by the evergreen 80-year-old Clive Brittain for Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum, the daughter of Iffraaj put a disappointing effort in the QIPCO 1,000 Guineas behind her when taking the Group One Coronation Stakes.