HRI Fact Book 2006 - Horse Racing Ireland

IRISH HORSE RACING AWARDS
06
Horse Racing Ireland hosted
the fourth annual Irish Horse
Racing Awards in the Westin
Hotel, Dublin. These awards are
designed to honour the human and
equine talent which has made racing
one of the country’s most popular
sports and has delivered great
success in the international arena.
The awards were presented by Mr
John O’Donoghue, TD, Minister for
Arts, Sport & Tourism who said:
- “We are witnessing a golden era
of unprecedented success in Irish
Racing. The training, the breeding,
the education and the hard graft have
delivered results. The organisation
of the racemeetings, the preparation
of the tracks, and the marketing
and promotion of the events have
delivered their own success as
thousands of racegoers all over the
country have enjoyed the excitement
of this great sport.”
2006 NATIONAL HUNT AWARD
RUBY WALSH
For a third consecutive year, the NH
Award went to the four-time Irish
Champion Jockey. Widely recognised
as one of Ireland’s greatest ever
National Hunt jockeys, Ruby
continues to ride at an exceptionally
high level and won the leading rider
at the Cheltenham Festival award for
the second time in three years. He
also won a third consecutive Kerry
National at Listowel while more
recent successes include the Betfair
Chase and the Tingle Creek Trophy on
the exciting Kauto Star.
2006 FLAT AWARD
DECLAN MCDONOGH
Declan captured the Champion Flat
Jockeys’ crown for the first time
with 89 home successes. His victory
on Miss Beatrix in the inaugural
Shelbourne Hotel Goffs Million at the
Curragh on September was backed
up by his first Royal Ascot winner
while Mustameet provided him with
five triumphs at listed and Group
level. Declan was also the leading
rider at the Galway and Listowel
Festivals and is a deserving winner of
the 2006 Flat Award.
2006 POINT TO POINT AWARD
J.T. MCNAMARA
John Thomas has ridden more
winners in this sphere than any
other. In his 15th season in the
saddle, he overtook Enda Bolger’s
all-time record of 413 winners and
now has his sights set firmly on
the 500 winner milestone before
he retires. 2006 featured another
notable victory on Spot Thedifference
in the Cross Country Chase at the
November Cheltenham Meeting, a
third consecutive victory in this race
and the fifth that both horse and
rider have enjoyed together over this
famous course.
2006 OUTSTANDING
ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
NIALL MADDEN
Niall deservedly won this Award after
his brilliant and unforgettable victory
on Martin Brassil’s Numbersixvalverde
in the Aintree Grand National in April.
Showing a maturity far beyond his
tender years, Niall showed a cool
head at all stages in the world’s most
famous steeplechase as he defeated
Ruby Walsh and Tony McCoy in front of
a worldwide audience of hundreds of
millions. Niall also added two further
‘Nationals’ in 2006 with successes in
the Midlands National at Kilbeggan
in July and the Munster National at
Limerick in October.
2006 HORSE OF THE YEAR AWARD
WAR OF ATTRITION
War Of Attrition’s brilliant victory in
the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March
will live long in the memory as he led
home an unprecedented Irish 1-2-3.
This success confirmed the long held
faith that trainer ‘Mouse’ Morris had
in this top class seven year old who
also won the Daily Star Chase at
Punchestown and the Clonmel Oil
Chase at Clonmel before rounding
off a wonderful season with a fluent
all the way win in the Guinness Gold
Cup at the Punchestown Festival.
2006 CONTRIBUTION OF THE
INDUSTRY AWARD
KEVIN PRENDERGAST
One of the longest and most
consistently successful Irish trainers,
Kevin Prendergast and Miss Beatrix
pulled off a notable big race double
in the Moyglare Stud Stakes and the
Shelbourne Hotel Goffs Million while
Mustameet was expertly placed to
win five of his seven races. Kevin has
been associated with such great
horses as Pidget, Oscar Schindler,
Nebbiolo and Rebelline over the
years and both the Champion Jockey
and Champion Apprentice, Declan
McDonogh and Chris Hayes, are
attached to his Curragh stables.
also won a third consecutive Kerry famous course. KEVIN PRENDERGAST
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