ANNUAL REPORT 2011 - Horse Racing Ireland

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2011 RACING REVIEWThe MCR Hurdle at Leopardstown is always the highlightof the opening weeks of January, and the success of FinalApproach in this valuable contest was the start of what provedto be an astonishing year for champion trainer Willie Mullins.He continued his domination of the Irish big race scene atLeopardstown, completing a double by landing the featuredGrade 1 BHP Insurances Irish Champion Hurdle with HurricaneFly. The other Grade 1 on the card was the Frank WardSolicitors Arkle Novice Chase and it was the Noel Meadetrained,Paul Carberry-ridden Realt Dubh that took the spoilsin a thrilling contest.The twice postponed Connolly’s Red Mills Thyestes HandicapChase meeting finally took place at Gowran Park and it was theDessie Hughes-trained Siegemaster that took the spoils in anexciting renewal of the feature race. At Punchestown, the TiedCottage Chase went to the Willie Mullins trained Golden Silverwho hit the front in the closing stages to get the better of his oldrival Big Zeb by half a length.February began with deep sadness in Irish racing circles asnews that amateur rider Jack Tyner, who had been in an inducedcoma since a fall at a point-to-point in Dungarvan five dayspreviously, had died early on Monday February 7th. The only sonof trainer Robert Tyner and his wife Mary, the 19-year-old hadbeen treated for a serious head injury at Cork University Hospitalfollowing the heavy fall.At Leopardstown Jessica Harrington landed the Dr. P.J. MoriartyNovice Chase with Bostons Angel and then the Deloitte NoviceHurdle with Oscar Wells running out the impressivewinner. Willie Mullins was not to be denied hisplace in the spotlight, with Kempes landing thefeatured Hennessy Gold Cup in good style underDavid Casey. The Grade 2 Red Mills Trial Hurdleat Gowran Park saw the Philip Fenton-trainedDunguib make an impressive winning seasonalreappearance under Brian O’Connell. The otherco-main event on the card was the Grade 2 RedMills Chase and it saw the Robbie Hennessy-trainedRubi Light produce an impressive winning performanceunder Andrew Lynch.March is all about the Cheltenham Festival and the first dayof the festivities saw Irish based trainers saddling three of theseven winners. The highlight came in the featured Grade 1Stan James Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy, with the WillieMullins-trained Hurricane Fly running out the comfortablewinner under Ruby Walsh. Mullins and Walsh enjoyed anothermemorable success just over an hour later, with Quevegaproducing a highly impressive performance to win the Grade 2David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle for the third year in succession.In between those wins, the Henry De Bromhead-trained SizingAustralia landed the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase underAndrew Lynch.On the second day of the meeting, Irish-trained horses won sixof the seven races on the card. Gordon Elliott got the ball rollingby sending out Chicago Grey to win the opening National HuntChase and he would go on to complete a double on the card bysaddling Carlito Brigante to win the Coral Cup. That latter winalso completed a double for Russell and owner GigginstownHouse Stud, as they had already won the Grade 1 NeptuneInvestment Management Novices’ Hurdle on the Mouse MorristrainedFirst Lieutenant. Jessica Harrington sent out the RobbiePower-ridden Bostons Angel to win the Grade 1 RSA Chase,while her Kildare compatriot Arthur Moore triumphed with WhatA Charm in the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle under PaulTownend. The Irish also enjoyed a clean sweep in the featurerace of the day, the Grade 1 sportingbet.com Queen MotherChampion Chase, with the Henry De Bromhead-trained,Andrew Lynch-ridden Sizing Europe leading home anIrish-trained 1-2-3-4.On the Thursday of the Cheltenham Festival, the PaulNolan-trained Noble Prince was the sole winner onthe day in the opening Grade 2 Jewson Novices’Chase, while on the final day, Irish-trained horseswon three races on the card, bringing their Festivaltotal to a remarkable 13. Willie Mullins saddledFinal Approach to win the Vincent O’Brien CountyHurdle under Ruby Walsh and Sir Des Champs tosecure a similarly last-gasp win in the Martin PipeConditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle under Emmet18 Horse Racing Ireland Annual Report 2011
Mullins. Ian Ferguson sent out Zemsky to record a wide marginwin in the Christie’s Foxhunter Chase Challenge Cup.The spring National Hunt festival bandwagon rolled into Aintreeat the beginning of April and while the Grand National went theway of the Donald McCain-trained Ballabriggs, Irish-trainedhorses enjoyed plenty of success. Gordon Elliott’s Steps ToFreedom won the Grade 2 John Smith’s Champion StandardOpen National Hunt Flat Race under Paul Carberry while theDavy Russell-ridden Quito De La Roque landed the Grade 2 JohnSmith’s Mildmay Novices’ Chase.On the flat, as the season started at the Curragh, Tommy Stackwas the man to follow, saddling a double that included thefeatured Group 3 Lodge Park Stud EBF Park Express Stakeswith the Wayne Lordan-ridden Lolly For Dolly. Jim Bolgerand Kevin Manning then teamed up to complete a doubleat Leopardstown which included the featured Group 3 P.W.McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes with Banimpire. DermotWeld was also in double form, with the highlight being the winof the ever-green Famous Name in the Listed Heritage Stakesunder Pat Smullen.The Fairyhouse Easter Festival got underway and the feature onthe opening day, the Grade 1 Powers Gold Cup, was won by theNoel Meade-trained Realt Dubh. Then, on Easter Monday, NinaCarberry had a day that will surely rank as one of the greatestof her career, riding Organisedconfusion to win the featuredLadbrokes Irish Grand National for her uncle, Arthur Moore.Nina sent the six-year-old to the front after the penultimatefence and looked to be in control soon after, eventually havingfive lengths to spare over Western Charmer.ball rolling in the Boylesports.com Champion Chase, followed bythe relentless galloper Quito De La Roque grinding out a widemargin success in the Growise Champion Novice.The Grade 1 Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup was the mainevent on the second day of the Punchestown Festival withFollow The Plan capitalising on very disappointing runs from theBritish raiders Kauto Star and Nacarat, as well as the final fencefall of Roberto Goldback. Quevega lit up proceedings on the thirdday of the Festival, winning the Grade 1 Ladbrokes.com WorldSeries Hurdle in brave fashion. Hurricane Fly then confirmedhis position as the most exciting hurdler since Istabraq bycompleting his perfect season with a deeply impressive win inthe Grade 1 Rabobank Champion Hurdle on the Friday.The attentions of the racing public soon returned to the Flat withthe first Classic of the Irish Flat season, the Abu Dhabi Irish 2,000Guineas at the Curragh. The feature race produced a famousfamily success, with Aidan and Joseph O’Brien combining withRoderic O’Connor to take the spoils. The son of Galileo wasgiven a well judged front-running ride by Joseph and had threequarters of a length to spare over the British raider Dubawi Goldat the line. The following day, Aidan O’Brien was in dominantform, completing a remarkable four-timer that included bothGroup 1 contests on the card. The highlight came in the Group 1Etihad Airways Irish 1,000 Guineas, with the Seamie HeffernanriddenMisty For Me beating off the challenge of her stable mateTogether. O’Brien’s other Group 1 win came courtesy of theimmensely exciting So You Think in the Tattersalls Gold Cup.May kicked off with the ex-Australian superstar So You Thinkmaking a highly impressive Irish debut in the Group 3 HighChaparral EBF Mooresbridge Stakes at the Curragh, with AidanO’Brien’s charge bolting up by no less than ten lengths. Theattention was soon back on the National Hunt action, with theopening day of the Punchestown Festival proving to be a redletter day for trainer Colm Murphy, as he saddled the winner oftwo of the three Grade 1 contests on the card. Big Zeb got theHorse Racing Ireland Annual Report 2011 19
Page 1 and 2: Horse Racing IrelandANNUALREPORT201
Page 3 and 4: MISSION STATEMENTTo develop and pro
Page 5 and 6: FINANCE COMMITTEEDenis Brosnan Chai
Page 7 and 8: The Minister for Agriculture, Food
Page 9 and 10: major contributor to the national e
Page 11 and 12: Payments made to Racecourses for va
Page 13 and 14: acecourse turnstiles. Similarly, HR
Page 15 and 16: HRI RACECOURSE DIVISION2011 was the
Page 17 and 18: NavanNavan raced 19 times in 2011,
Page 19: also continued its association with
Page 23 and 24: causing a 25/1 shock in the Group 1
Page 25 and 26: Members AND OTHER INFORMATIONMember
Page 27 and 28: Comptroller and Auditor GeneralRepo
Page 29 and 30: STATEMENT ON INTERNAL FINANCIAL CON
Page 31 and 32: STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES (C
Page 33 and 34: GROUP INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUN
Page 35 and 36: GROUP BALANCE SHEETAS AT 31 DECEMBE
Page 37 and 38: GROUP CASH FLOW STATEMENTFOR THE YE
Page 39 and 40: NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTSFO

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