HRI Awards 2023

Colin Keane – Those who believed that the jockeys’ championship was up for grabs late in the summer months were quickly put in their place by reigning champion Colin Keane. He gained a stranglehold in the title race towards the end of August and never looked back as he powered to a fourth successive crown, his fifth in all. While Group 1 success might have eluded him, he did score at Group 2 level and on multiple occasions at Group 3 level, enjoying Listed and big handicap success and also winning the valuable Tattersalls Ireland Super Auction Sale Stakes at Irish Champions Festival in September for trainer Richard Fahey. 

Ryan Moore – Ryan was among a number of jockeys to record a best-ever number of winners in Ireland during the Flat season but what set him apart from his weighroom colleagues was his outstanding winner to rides ratio. He rode 51 winners from 130 rides to take sixth place in the jockeys’ championship, giving him a stunning strike-rate of a fraction shy of 40%. Ryan rode winners at seven Irish racecourses during the season and counted top-flight wins on Auguste Rodin, Paddington, Savethelastdance, Luxembourg and Henry Longfellow among his haul. 

Aidan O'Brien – Aidan well and truly dominated on the home front again this year as he was crowned champion trainer for the 26th time. A multiple Group 1 winner once again, Aidan won at the highest level in Ireland with Auguste Rodin taking both the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby, the trainer’s 100th European Classic win, and the Kingdom Of Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes. Paddington won the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas while also at the Curragh, Savethelastdance won the Juddmonte Irish Oaks, Luxembourg captured the Tattersalls Gold Cup with the Goffs Vincent O'Brien National Stakes going the way of Henry Longfellow. Auguste Rodin also gave Aidan a record ninth Epsom Derby success and his 17th winner at the Breeders’ Cup in early November. 

Paddy Twomey – A hallmark of Paddy’s training career is his focus on the upper levels of the game and an enviable strike-rate since taking out his licence. He sent out 28 winners from just 89 runners in the 2023 Flat season, a winning rate of 31%, and 55% of the stable’s runners were placed. Paddy was a Group 2 winner Just Beautiful and Deepone and he landed a remarkable Curragh success with the Connolly Racing Syndicate-owned One Look which captured the Goffs Million, the richest two-year-old race in Europe, on her racecourse debut. 

Barry Connell - No stranger to big race success over the years, Barry Connell moved to a whole new level last season when winning Grade 1 races at three major racing festivals. Marine Nationale won the Bar One Racing Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse in early December and would go on to take the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham. Good Land was a maiden hurdle winner at the Leopardstown Christmas festival and on his next start captured the Grade 1 Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Novice Hurdle at the track’s Dublin Racing Festival. Both Espanito Bello and L’yser also scored notable handicap success for the Connell yard. 

Gordon Elliott – Gordon enjoyed another solid year. Among his domestic Grade 1 wins was a Savills Chase success with Conflated and victory for Gerri Colombe in the Faugheen Novice Chase. The latter also scored in the Grade 1 Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase at Sandown, and he was also one of his trainer’s three Grade 1 winners at Aintree. Gordon also landed three winners at the Cheltenham Festival and won three races on American Grand National day in Far Hills, New Jersey. The Tote Galway Plate, the Leopardstown Chase and the Munster National were among the big handicap races that went the way of the Cullentra trainer. 

Willie Mullins – Clearly without equal in the training ranks, Willie dominated the home scene at all levels and captured the leading trainer title at the Cheltenham Festival for a tenth time where his six winners included Galopin Des Champs in the Gold Cup. He won 25 Grade 1 races in Ireland during the 2022/2023 season and gained his second BoyleSports Irish Grand National success with I Am Maximus at Fairyhouse in April. He recorded his 4,000th career winner at the beginning of the year and with a tally of 237, set a new record for the number of winners in an Irish season, easily surpassing his previous best of 212, a figure achieved in the 2017/2018 season. 

Paul Townend – The Corkman enjoyed a terrific year delivering on the biggest stages time and time again, dominating at all the major festivals and emerging as the leading rider at Cheltenham for a third time before being crowned Irish champion jockey for the sixth time with a tally of 107 winners, the fourth occasion that he’s reached three figures for a domestic season. Paul’s winning rides on Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Galopin Des Champs and on I Am Maximus in the BoyleSports Irish Grand National were hailed as among the best of the season with his Guinness Galway Hurdle effort on Zarak The Brave not far behind. 

Ken Condon – A Classic winner with Romanised in 2018, Ken Condon landed another Curragh Group 1 victory when Moss Tucker took the Al Basti Equiworld Flying Five Stakes at Irish Champions Festival in September. Owned by the Charlie Bit Me Syndicate, the five-year-old had won the Rathasker Stud Phoenix Sprint Stakes at the Curragh in August and stepped up a month later for his eighth, and by far, most the important success of his career. 

Wesley Joyce – Wesley completed a truly remarkable comeback when returning to race riding in the latter half of the 2023 Flat season after suffering serious injury at last year’s Galway festival. He was on the sidelines for over a year and returned to the racecourse in early August, riding two winners before the month’s end and finishing the season with 11 winners from just 98 rides. 

Natalia Lupini – Natalia enjoyed by far her best year in 2023, sending out 15 winners from just 88 runners and she more than tripled her prizemoney compared to last season. Her flagbearers were certainly the exciting two-year-old Kitty Rose which credited her with a notable success at Irish Champions Festival at Leopardstown in September and Dunum which went close to his own Champions Festival success on the back of a big handicap win at the Galway festival. 

Adrian Murray – Adrian reached new levels in 2023 with a first Group 1 success coming his way as Bucanero Fuerte scored a taking win the Keeneland Stakes at the Curragh in August. Building on an earlier victory in the Group 2 Gain Railway Stakes, the AMO Racing-owned juvenile scored at the top level in no uncertain terms with a four-length win, a huge occasion for the Murray yard which also tasted Royal Ascot success earlier in the summer as Valiant Force won the Norfolk Stakes. 

Donnacha O'Brien – Donnacha O'Brien enjoyed a great run with Porta Fortuna which progressed from a debut success at the Curragh to win a Group 3 at Naas on her second start before landing a Royal Ascot success in June. Better was to come when she won the Group 1 Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket at the end of September and she went close to adding a Breeders’ Cup win at Santa Anita when runner-up in the Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Jamie Powell – Jamie built on promise he showed during the 2022 season to emerge as the champion apprentice this year. He rode 28 winners to secure the title and incredibly he rode winners for 20 different trainers with Fozzy Stack supplying the highlight with Aussie Girl scoring in the Dubai Duty Free Summer Fillies Handicap at Jamie’s local track, the Curragh, on Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby weekend. 

Fozzy Stack – Fozzy scored a breakthrough top-level success with Aspen Grove which certainly justified her connections confidence to send her for the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes in July. A Group 3 winner at the Curragh last season, she didn’t show her true form when found to be in season for the Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas at the Curragh but bounced back straight away for an important international success. 

Martin Brassil – Martin Brassil typifies a “small trainer” who has consistently held his own against the battalions of the heaviest of hitters. The point was driven home on a couple of occasions in recent months but most particularly at the Punchestown festival in April where he won the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup with Fastorslow. A narrow runner-up at the last two Cheltenham Festivals and at the Punchestown festival in 2022, the seven-year-old hit the big-time when lowering the colours of none other than the Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs. 

Liam Burke – If ever anyone in racing “rolled back the years”, it was Liam Burke who at the age of 66 rode Teuchters Glory, a horse he trains and part-owns himself, to win a bumper at Limerick in March. A noted trainer for many years, Burke bridged a gap of 34 years with his success in the saddle as his previous win had come on Take Beating, another he trained, in a handicap hurdle at Killarney in May 1988. Among the jockeys he had behind him that day were Adrian Maguire, Tommy Carmody, Tony Mullins, Brendan Sheridan, Kevin O'Brien and Tommy Ryan. 

Henry de Bromhead – When Henry de Bromhead gets to reflect on his tremendous training career, there will be a special place reserved for Honeysuckle which bowed out with a never to be forgotten win in the Close Brothers Mares´ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March. She had lost her remarkable unbeaten record at the beginning of the season but rounded off a glittering career with a fourth Grade 1 win at the Festival, a unique feat for a mare.

John Kiely – Hailed as a nurturer of both horse and jockey, John has been feted for his handling of the bumper star A Dream To Share and his young rider John Gleeson. The pair enjoyed an unbeaten season that saw them win races at Tipperary and Roscommon in early summer before continuing their winning run in the even more competitive surroundings of the Dublin Racing Festival, the Cheltenham Festival and the season ending Punchestown festival. 

John McConnell – Truly established as a top-rank trainer for a number of years, John McConnell gets special recognition for his handling last season of the Galaxy Horse Racing Syndicate-owned Seddon, a winner at three major festivals. A win over hurdles at Cheltenham in October was followed by handicap chase success at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival and the 10-year-old returned to Cheltenham in March to give McConnell his first festival win when capturing the Magners Plate Handicap Chase. The unbeaten run stretched to four at the Punchestown festival where Seddon won the Fitzwilliam Sports Handicap Hurdle. 

Emmet Mullins – Emmet is certainly making his name as a trainer capable of delivering on the biggest of days and he gained his first Grade 1 success in quite remarkable circumstances as Feronily took the Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase at the Punchestown festival in April. The six-year-old only won his maiden hurdle a month earlier and on then on just his second start over fences made all the running under Donagh Meyler for a success that caught many traditionalists off guard.

Patrick Mullins - Record-breaker Patrick Mullins was crowned champion amateur rider for the 15th time at the end of the Punchestown festival and made the headlines for a second time when partnering his 800th career winner during the Listowel festival in September. The year also saw him notch up his eighth Cheltenham Festival success on Gaillard Du Mesnil in the National Hunt Chase. 

Michael O'Sullivan – Beginning the 2022/2023 season as a 7lbs claiming amateur, Michael rode his first winner in the professional ranks in mid-September and ended the term as champion conditional jockey with three Grade 1 winners to his name. He won the Bar One Racing Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse on Marine Nationale and the Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle on Good Land at Leopardstown’s Dublin Racing Festival before partnering the former to take the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Cian Collins – Navan-based Cian has certainly made his mark since saddling his first winner in August, 2022. Effernock Fizz gave the Tralee native that breakthrough racecourse success in a valuable handicap hurdle at Killarney and the same horse would go on to win the Welsh Champion Hurdle at Ffos Las a couple of months later. Mighty Tom was to give Cian another notable Killarney win in May of this year while Fiveonefive is flying the flag for the stable in Britain of late and famously gave Denis O'Regan a full set of winners at every current racecourse on both sides of the Irish Sea with his recent success at Hereford. 

Danny Gilligan – Danny began his career in racing as an apprentice on the Flat in 2022 but he’s really made his name since switching his attentions to the jumping game at the beginning of this year. He rode his first winner in the National Hunt sphere when Likable Chancer won a handicap chase at Tramore in April and Tullybeg gave him a notable win in the McHale Mayo National at Ballinrobe the following month. He rode a bigger winner again when landing the Tote Galway Plate on Ash Tree Meadow and another important success came his way on Samui in the Liam Healy Memorial Lartigue Hurdle at Listowel. 

John Gleeson – John certainly confirmed the promise he showed at the beginning of his career with his efforts in the saddle throughout 2023. His year was highlighted by the unbeaten run of A Dream To Share which scored at three high-profile meetings, the Dublin Racing Festival in February, the Cheltenham Festival the following month and the Punchestown Festival in late April. John has also been a frequent visitor to the winners’ enclosure this season and he notched up his first Galway festival success on 66/1 chance Minella Mate during the summer

Ben Harvey – Ben has been riding as a professional for less than 12 months and while he had shown considerable promise in the amateur ranks, 2023 has certainly been his breakthrough year. His association with Seddon gave him a first success at the Cheltenham Festival in March, he had been a winner on the same horse at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival and again at the Punchestown Festival in April. Another big winner came his way at Punchestown in February when he won the National Trial Handicap Chase on Coko Beach. 

Conor Stone-Walsh – While Conor had his first ride on the racecourse in May of last year, he had to wait until December for his first winner and it’s safe to say that he hasn’t looked back in the 12 months since. He rode four winners during the Winter season at Dundalk and would reach a tally of 24 to take third place in the 2023 apprentice championship. His rode winners for 14 different trainers during the season with his most valuable win coming on Danny Murphy’s Ocean Baroque at Cork in September. 

Colin Bowe - Colin Bowe equalled his best ever season to date as he sent out 46 winners which left him just one shy of Robert Tyner’s 2009 total, as his dominance within the handler ranks showed no sign of relenting. Crowned champion handler for the 19th year in a row, he has now won the leading handler prize for a total of 11 times in the 16 years that it has been presented since its introduction in 2008. The exciting mare Qualimita was the highest-priced point-to-pointer sold at public auction last season after she was sold for €500,000 having won her maiden for Bowe at Fairyhouse, whilst his past graduates Gerri Colombe and Envoi Allen won a combined five Grade 1 races last season.

Pa King - Tipperary rider Pa King has enjoyed a noted resurgence to his career in recent seasons, and the 2022/23 campaign brought the biggest success of his career to date when he guided Angels Dawn to success in the Kim Muir Chase at Cheltenham in March, on what was his first ride at the Festival. On the pointing scene, King rode 16 winners which saw him successfully defend the western title, a prize he shared this season with Derek O’Connor.  

Derek O'Connor - The 2022/23 season saw Derek O’Connor push the bar even higher, as the all-time winning-most rider in the sport’s history broke new ground by becoming the only rider to reach the 1,300-winner mark with the success of Longhouse Legacy at one of his local tracks Bellharbour in February. The season also brought him a 12th western title, an award that he shared this year with Pa King, whilst he also guided Emmet Mullins’ Its On The Line to a hard-fought victory in the big domestic hunter chase of the season at the Punchestown festival.

Barry O’Neill - A total of 64 winners in the pointing fields saw Barry O’Neill crowned champion rider for the seventh straight year as he rode almost double the number of winners of any other rider in what was a thoroughly dominant season for the Wexford rider. With the assistance of Colin Bowe and David Christie in particular, the Wexford rider could boast a 33% strike rate for the season, his highest ever to date across his 18 seasons of race-riding, and his growing list of regional titles was further enhanced by the addition of the eastern and northern awards in 2023.

Maxine O’Sullivan - Maxine O’Sullivan was the champion lady rider for a sixth year courtesy of eight winners included victories on high-profile open stars Chris’s Dream and Its On The Line, with the latter featuring as part of a double for her at Kildorrery in February. Its On The Line also supplied the Mallow native with her 70th success in the pointing sphere when he won an open at Damma House in early November. 

Auguste Rodin – Put a disappointing run in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket firmly behind him to win the Epsom Derby and then followed up in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh. Bounced back again to land the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown at Irish Champions Festival and rounded off his season with a memorable win in the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita in early November. 

Energumene – Made a winning seasonal return in Cork’s Hilly Way Chase before suffering a rare reversal in the Clarence House Chase at Ascot in January. Back to his brilliant best when taking the Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival for a second time in March and brought his Grade 1 tally to six with another win at the Punchestown festival the following month. 

Galopin Des Champs – Added to an early season success in the John Durkan Chase at Punchestown when winning the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup at the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown in early February. A brilliant winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup six weeks later only to lose out narrowly in the Ladbrokes Gold Cup at the Punchestown festival.  

Paddington – Emerging from the handicap ranks, success in the Listed Tetrarch Stakes was a springboard for a terrific run of wins at the very highest level. He was a Classic winner when taking the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas before becoming a summer sensation with wins in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, the Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown and the Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood in a little over two months.

State Man - Proved himself to be the outstanding Irish-trained hurdler of the 2022/2023 season with top-level wins in the Unibet Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown, the Matheson Hurdle at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival, the Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival and the Paddy Power Champion Hurdle, again at Punchestown, in late April. Suffered his only defeat at the hands of Constitution Hill in the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. 

Tahiyra – Soon put a narrow defeat in the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket behind her to win the Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas at the Curragh in May and was a winner again in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot. She scored another career-defining win in the Coolmore America 'Justify' Matron Stakes on the opening day of Irish Champions Festival at Leopardstown in September.