A further accolade has been bestowed on Mongolian Khan (Holy Roman Emperor) as the multiple Group One winner prepares for the second stage of his career.

Now resident at Windsor Park Stud in Cambridge, he has successfully defended his Horse of the Year title after he was named the winner of the supreme honour on Sunday evening at the New Zealand Thoroughbred Awards in Auckland.

The highlight of Mongolian Khan’s final racing season was his hollow victory against Australian and international opposition in the Gr.1 Caulfield Cup. That performance also secured him the Champion Stayer Award.

Trained throughout his career by Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman, Mongolian Khan retired as the winner of eight of his 17 starts with his Group One haul also including the New Zealand and Australian Derbys to earn more than $4.1 million.