HRI Awards 2025

Dylan Browne McMonagle

Crowned champion jockey in Ireland for the first time this year with 95 winners, 18 of those black-type, Donegal’s Dylan Browne McMonagle is riding the crest of a wave. He capped his best season yet with a brilliant ride aboard Ethical Diamond in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf in California for Willie Mullins. He also won the G1 Comer Group International Irish St Leger on Al Riffa for trainer Joseph O’Brien with whom he is mostly associated. Dylan’s success has been recognised with a short-term licence in Hong Kong starting in January.

Colin Keane

Colin only just came up short in his quest to win six straight championships in 2025 but it was still a year to remember for the Meath native. He was appointed retained jockey to the powerful Juddmonte stable during the first half of the season and enjoyed multiple G1 successes for his new employer, including on Field Of Gold in the G1 Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas. He rode 87 winners in total in Ireland this year. Outside of the Classic victory, his most lucrative success came on Howd’yadoit for his longtime boss Ger Lyons in the Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes at Naas.

Johnny Murtagh

Johnny reached new heights as a trainer in 2025, sending out his biggest haul of winners, 55 during the championship and placing him third on the list overall. Nine of those wins were black-type successes, principally Alakazi in the G2 Tonybet Solonaway Stakes at the Irish Champions Festival. Zahrann, also in the famous colours of the late Aga Khan, provided him with two stakes wins, including the G3 Newbridge Silverware Royal Whip Stakes.

Aidan O'Brien

For the 28th time our champion trainer, Aidan has collected 26 G1 honours worldwide in 2025, two short of his own world record set in 2017. He won three of the season’s five domestic Classics via Lake Victoria (Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas), Lambourn (Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby) and Minnie Hauk (Juddmonte Irish Oaks). He also won the G1 Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes with Delacroix. A record 21st victory at the Breeders’ Cup came when Gstaad won the G1 Juvenile Turf. Other G1 winning juveniles such as Puerto Rico, Pierre Bonnard, Hawk Mountain and Precise et al suggest yet another strong showing in 2026.

Joseph O'Brien

Another season with triple figure winners on the Flat for Joseph, second only in the title race to his father Aidan. His most prestigious result during a year laden with stakes honours arrived courtesy of Al Riffa in the G1 Comer Group International Irish St Leger. It is worth adding that such were his NH achievements, he might have figured in that category, too, after his G1 King George Chase in GB, Dubin Racing Festival G1 double and a Cheltenham Festival success.

Goodie Two Shoes, a triple stakes winner in the middle of the year, did his stable proud in the Melbourne Cup when she finished runner-up.

Paddy Twomey

A best tally yet for Paddy, 40 winners in Ireland – 10 of those at Pattern level - from just 130 runners at a heady strike-rate of 31%, by some margin the best in the country. Perhaps his most memorable moment, however, came at Royal Ascot when Carmers won the G2 Queen’s Vase just six weeks after winning on debut at Ballinrobe.

Barry Connell

A focus on quality over quantity has been one of the hallmarks of Barry Connell’s training approach and his Co Kildare operation really hit the bullseye in 2025. Marine Nationale careered away with the G1 Champion Chase at Cheltenham and followed up with another decisive success in the G1 William Champion Chase at Punchestown. He also won a Listed event with William Munny, subsequently second in the Michael O’Sullivan Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Gavin Cromwell

Yet more peaks scaled during season 24/25 for Gavin Cromwell: a career high of 84 winners in Ireland and he reached the absolute summit of the sport when Inothewayurthinkin won the Cheltenham Gold Cup. A whole slew of black-type wins littered the season for the Meath handler with Hello Neighbour also successful in the elite bracket. Gavin also made history by saddling Stumptown to win the Velka Pardubicka in the Czech Republic, the first win by an Irish runner in the challenging, cross-country staying chase.

Gordon Elliot

Eight G1 successes during the 24/25 season for Gordon in Ireland and GB, including a treble at the highest level at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival. He also landed the Tote Galway Plate and Guiness Galway Hurdle double for good measure. Another very notable achievement came when he prepared five winners from six runners at Far Hills in New Jersey in October, principally via Zanahiyr in the G1 American Grand National.

Sam Ewing

When stable jockey Jack Kennedy became ruled out for the season in fall at the end of November 2024, trainer Gordon Elliott turned to his understudy Sam Ewing and the Co Antrim rider certainly seized his chance. He ended the terms second only in the jockeys’ championship to Paul Townend on 67 winners, six of those G1 honours in Ireland, including a treble at the highest level during the Leopardstown Christmas Festival.

Willie Mullins

These brief bios don’t provide enough space for this man’s achievements, even in one year, but we’ll try: Champion NH Trainer in Ireland for the 19th time; Champion NH Trainer in GB for second straight year; more than 200 winners in Ireland for the sixth time; 34 Grade 1s between Ireland and GB; 10 winners (equalling own record) at Cheltenham Festival; Randox Aintree

Paul Townend

Crowned our Champion NH Jockey for the seventh time, the last 12 months have been rammed with more big race glory for Paul. He counted 21 Grade 1 wins between Ireland and GB, including superstars like Galopin Des Champs and State Man for the all-conquering Willie Mullins team. The Corkman also won the King George at Kempton on Banbridge for trainer Joseph O’Brien.

Mark Walsh

Mark battled his way to seven Grade 1 races during 24/25, the pinnacle being the Cheltenham Gold Cup in which Inothewayurthinkin, trained by Gavin Cromwell. All of these major wins came in the famous JP McManus silks for whom he is retained. Fact To File (John Durkan Memorial Novice Chase and Ryanair Chase), Majborough (Goffs Irish Arkle Novice Chase and Barberstown Chase Novice Chase), Irancy (KPMG Champion Novice Hurdle) plus Honesty Policy (Turners Mersey Novices’ Hurdle) provided the other headline acts.

Wayne Lordan

A fine season for Wayne, numerically his best tally since 2012, with 59 wins to rank 5th in the championship. The outstanding memory is his G1 Epsom Derby victory aboard Lambourn for Aidan O’Brien but he also won the G1 Goodwood Cup on Scandinavia and the G1 Cheveley Park Stakes on True Love for Ballydoyle. He won ten stakes races in Ireland during 2025, eight of those for Aidan plus one apiece for Michael O’Callaghan and Paddy Twomey. He also excelled in the Melbourne Cup when partnering Goodie Two Shoes for Joseph O’Brien to a super runners-up finish.

Willie Mullins

Perhaps those in the Flat ranks are thankful Willie doesn’t target their domain more, judged on event in 2025 with Ethical Diamond. Winning a top handicap such as the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes at Royal Ascot was one thing, followed by the Ebor at York, another. But to take out the G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf defied all norms and convention. There is just no precedent to go from a maiden hurdle to being one of the highest-rated Flat horses in the world some nine months later. Truly remarkable.

Joseph Murphy

Joe Murphy, based in Fethard, Co Tipperary, delivered one of the most popular results of the year when his 33-1 outsider Cercene battled fiercely under Gary Carroll, linked to the stable for many years, to win the G1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot. It was the first Group 1 for Murphy in almost 50 years as a licensed trainer. Joe sent out 17 winners in Ireland on the Flat this season and his other stakes winner was Lord Massusus in the Irish EBF Heritage Stakes.

Adrian Murray

Another excellent campaign for Rathowen, Co Westmeath handler, his best yet with 36 wins this year. Perhaps the highlight came in consecutive races at the Curragh in August when Bucanero Fuerte won the G3 FBD Hotels & Resorts Phoenix Sprint Stakes and Power Blue lifted the G1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes for Amo Racing. Another G1 arrived when Arizona Blaze collected the Bar One Racing Flying Five. All told, Adrian prepared the winners of eight stakes races this year.

Donnacha O'Brien

Donnacha posted his best figure of winners yet this past year, 27 in total. However, his finest hour arrived at Del Mar in the Breeders’ Cup when Balantina, a Curragh maiden winner which had placed at Royal Ascot, found a new level in the G1 Juvenile Fillies Turf. Other stakes races arrived courtesy of fillies Atsila and Havana Anna. Meanwhile his multiple G1 winner Porta

Fortuna scored for one final time in the G2 Lanwades Stud Stakes before a training setback forced her retirement. She is due to sell tomorrow, Dec 2, at Newmarket.

Ronan Whelan

Ronan’s association with Ballydoyle became something of real substance towards the end of the 2025 campaign with the stable’s retained rider Ryan Moore being stood down through injury. The Monasterevin, Co Kildare man capitalised and ended the year with G1 victories on Precise in the Moyglare Stud Stakes and Hawk Mountain in the G1 William Hill Futurity Trophy at Doncaster. He also won the Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club Beresford Stakes on the latter.

Cian Collins

It was only into his third season with a licence that Cian, based in Co Meath, plundered a first success at the Cheltenham Festival thanks to Jazzy Matty’s slick round of jumping in the Grand Annual Handicap Chase. The trainer recorded his best tally yet of 17 wins in Ireland last season and appears ahead of schedule in his quest to better that score this term. He is certainly one to keep an eye on.

Keith Donoghue

Keith logged his best seasonal tally in 2024/25 with 63 wins to finish third in the NH riders’ championship. His relationship with trainer Gavin Cromwell continues to bear fruit and the pair combined to win a Grade 1 when Hello Neighbour collected the Gannon’s Recycling Services Juvenile Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival. An even more memorable prize came abroad for the combination, however, when Stumptown became the first Irish-trained winner of the famous and feared Velka Pardubicka in the Czech Republic when the rider’s expertise shone.

Danny Gilligan

Hailing from Co Galway, Danny has wasted little time in establishing himself as one of the best young riders in the country. In just his third season riding, he ranked 7th in the jockeys’ list at the end of 24/25 on 42 wins. Gordon Elliott has provided most of his biggest moments over the past year, most notably Wodhooh in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and Western Fold in the Tote Galway Plate. Trainer Cian Collins’ Jazzy Matty gave the rider a huge thrill in the Grand Annual at Cheltenham also.

Eoin McCarthy

Based in Athea, Co Limerick, Eoin is already enjoying his best season yet with a long way still to run. His nomination for this award is due to his exceptional six-winner bonanza at the Listowel Harvest Festival when he finished leading trainer at the popular meeting. His first black-type

winner followed shortly afterwards when Shadow Paddy won a Tote Listed Novice Hurdle at Limerick.

Patrick Mullins

Patrick Mullins didn’t have much to prove to anyone, but he went and did it anyway. His victory aboard Nick Rockett, trained by father Willie, in the Randox Grand National at Aintree in April went beyond the regular confines of racing and into the history books. He also landed the G1 Golden Miller Chase at the same fixture on Gaelic Warrior. Patrick’s stated aim of achieving 1,000 winners isn’t quite on the horizon yet, but it is getting closer.

Tiernan Power Roche

Wexford’s Power Roche had the honour of lifting the trophy for Champion Conditional last season, his first in the pro ranks, after piloting the winners of 29 races. Trainer Philip Rothwell supplied much of Tiernan’s success en route to the title, including a first Listed win atop The Busy Fool in the Brown Lad Handicap Hurdle at Naas.

Nicola Burns

Nicola was aged just 16 when she savoured her first winner at the Curragh in October 2024 and it came for her trainer father Robbie, based in Co Westmeath. An upward trajectory has followed this year. She was in the hunt for the Champion Apprentice title but fell just short on 19 winners, still an impressive score. Ger Lyons (4 winners) has been a notable supporter among many big names in the training ranks and with over 30 career wins in the bag by mid-November, one senses there are many more chapters to be written in this story.

Jack Cleary

From Co Kildare, Jack has made the most of his association with Aidan O’Brien and he went close to landing the Champion Apprentice crown, ending up on 22 wins. Dorset provided him with a huge win in the Goffs Million, the richest juvenile race in Europe, at the Curragh. He followed up on the same horse in the G3 Killavullan Stakes at Leopardstown in October on his 22nd birthday when he rode a four-timer for Ballydoyle, also scoring on Christmas Day in the G3 Mongey Commincations Eyrefield Stakes.

Ian Donoghue

The elder brother of leading rider Keith, nominated in the NH Achievement Award tonight, Ian took out his licence in 2020, initially focusing on the Point-to-Point scene. The winners began to flow a little while later and his tally to date this season (12 by mid-November) was already his best yet. Lisnamult Lad, Randox Ulster National winner Dunboyne, classy mare Break My Soul are among the best horses in his care at present.

David Doyle

David is the son of Tipperary trainer Tim Doyle and only made point-to-point debut in March 2023. He has made his name quickly and was crowned Champion Under-21 rider in 2025 with 14 winners between the flags to follow the likes of Adrian Maguire, Davy Russell and Derek O’Connor. At the same time, the 19-year-old rode a further 12 winners on the track, a rare feat for a qualified rider to be able to combine such a level of success in both spheres.

Stephen Thorne

Only granted his training licence just over a year ago, Stephen’s impact has been immediate. The Dubliner served notice of his ability by winning the 2024/25 All-Weather Trainers’ Championship, operating at a win strike-rate of 24%. Many of his winners come under the successful Shamrock Thoroughbreds syndicate which he manages. His campaigning of Pink Oxalis, sourced for just €5,500 at the sales last November, this season is also due praise: four wins in 2025, including at the Irish Champions Festival.

Wayne Hassett

Our Champion Apprentice this season with 25 winners, Wayne has been well supported by the Joseph O’Brien stable, to which he is attached, but he was able to keep a lot of people happy on his way to the title. His biggest win of the year came aboard Jagged Edge for Dermot Weld in the Paddy Power Supporting Cancer Trials Ireland Irish Cambridgeshire. Another big win he enjoyed was aboard Mr Percy for Joseph in the Sky Bet Race to the Ebor Premier Handicap at the Curragh early in June.

Robert Whearty

Robert gave it a mighty go in his bid to become Champion Apprentice but the Meathman came up just two wins short on 23. He was associated most closely with the Gavin Cromwell stable but also rode plenty of winners for Paul Flynn with Ger Lyons also a supporter among many others.

Colin Bowe

Colin Bowe maintained his domination within the handler ranks. 42 winners throughout the 2024/25 season meant he was once again crowned champion. That was an eleventh consecutive title for his Milestone Stables team, with the Wexford handler now having lifted that particular trophy 13 times in its 18-year history. On the track, his graduates went on to secure eight black-type victories throughout the 24/25 campaign, with Envoi Allen adding to that with his recent tenth Grade 1 victory in the BetVictor Champion Chase at Down Royal.

David Christie

David Christie, based in Co Fermanagh, has had a particularly memorable 2025. His expert handling of Winged Leader resulted in the 11-year-old becoming the winningmost horse in the modern era of point-to-pointing on these shores. Having equalled a 59-year record in May, Winged Leader returned from his summer break to bring his tally of point-to-point victories to a record 34 at Portrush in mid-October. Earlier in the year, Winged Leader also became the first horse to successfully defend the Champion Point-to-Point Horse award, securing the title for a Christie-trained horse for the fourth time within the last six seasons.

Sam Curling

Sam Curling sent out Wonderwall to become the first Irish-trained winner since 2022 of the St. James’s Place Festival Hunter Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. Wonderwall won consecutive open races at Loughrea and Damma House in October and November 2024 and, kept fresh for the Festival, he returned from a four-month absence to win the point-to-point fraternity’s holy

grail by a neck. Between the flags the 2024/25 campaign also proved to be Curling’s most successful with 34 winners.

Pat Doyle

The 2024/25 campaign was a particularly notable one for the graduates of Pat Doyle’s Suirview Stables academy in Tipperary. He was responsible for three individual subsequent Grade 1 winners at each of the big spring festivals: Bob Olinger, who claimed the Paddy Power Stayers Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival; Honesty Policy in the Turners Mersey Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree and Champ Kiely in the Dooley Insurance Novices’ Chase at Punchestown. To top it all off, Doyle produced his second Aintree Grand National winner, with the famous victory of Nick Rockett coming 31 years after the success of Miinnehoma in 1994.

Richie O'Keefe

Richie O’Keeffe had a week to savour at the Punchestown Festival earlier in the year, winning two of the three cross-country races on offer. The week began particularly well for him when Transprint led home a one-two for the stable in the Ladies Cup. That was O’Keeffe’s second time to win that race in the past four years, before his stable star Vital Island improved upon his fourth in the La Touche Cup on the Thursday, to win the Howden Cross Country Chase 48 hours later. The 13-year-old illustrated his prowess over the natural obstacles by defeating the 144-rated French Dynamite, the 140-rated Final Orders, and the 151-rated Conflated.

Barry O'Neil

Having shared the rider’s championship with Rob James in 2024, Barry O’Neill was back dominating proceedings in 2025 with 56 winners, 15 more than his nearest rival, to secure his ninth consecutive overall title. For good measure, the Wexford rider added a further two regional championships to his title haul, winning the northern crown outright for a sixth time, and sharing the southern prize with Jamie Scallan. The 36-year-old was also aboard the history-making Winged Leader for seven of his victories throughout the 2024/25 season, in addition to his all-important 34th at Portrush in October.

Delacroix

Displayed a lethal turn of foot to win the G1 Coral-Eclipse at Sandown, his final furlong said to be the fastest ever recorded in the race. Deployed the same killer trait in the G1 Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes, so at this best he was quite brilliant. Events conspired against him on other occasions, however: he never got involved after early interference at Epsom in the Derby when favourite; he did well to get 2nd in the Juddmonte International given how it was run and was unlucky not place in the Champion Stakes at Ascot. Also won two G3 trials in the spring at Leopardstown. Retired to stud at Coolmore.

Ethical Diamond

Likely to become the subject of quiz questions before too long, along the lines of ‘which maiden hurdle winner ended up a Breeders’ Cup world champion in the same year?’ Trainer Willie Mullins really pulled a rabbit out of the hat with this amazing 5yo, going from a strong Royal Ascot handicap to landing an even stronger Ebor at York with ease. As if to scorn those who felt a tilt at the G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf was a tad ambitious, he bolted up in track record time under Dylan Browne McMonagle. His rating rose from 96 at Ascot to 121 after his American triumph.

Galopin Des Champs

Another season of class and consistency from this wonderful chaser, one which yielded three Grade 1 titles in the Savills Chase, Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup and Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup by an aggregate of over 34 lengths. His ability to hold his form at the highest level is remarkable: over the past three seasons prior to this, he contested 14 races, all Grade 1s, for nine wins and placed in the remainder. He lost nothing in defeat in the Cheltenham Gold Cup when 2nd this year and few would bet against him adding more honours in the months ahead.

Inothewayurthinkin

The last two seasons have shown that Inothewayurthinkin has a knack for hitting his best form in the springtime. The Cheltenham Festival is a nice fixture to hold an unbeaten record and he went 2-2 at the meeting when overpowering even the mighty Galopin Des Champs by six lengths in the Gold Cup. He’s only 7 and the last two horses to win the Gold Cup at that age (Galopin and Al Boum Photo) both won it on multiple occasions. Reason, perhaps, to believe the best might yet be to come for this homebred of owner JP McManus.

Marine Nationale

Hero of the Champion Chase at Cheltenham by 18 lengths and the William Hill Champion Chase at Punchestown by 7 lengths, Marine Nationale emphatically proved himself the best two-mile chaser of the year. His name will always be associated with that of his former rider Michael O’Sullivan whom we lost so tragically earlier in the year. Marine Nationale’s splendid deeds in the spring of 2025 were a fitting, timely and poignant tribute to his late partner.

Minnie Hawk

She might have cost €1.85m as a yearling at the Goffs Orby sale, but it was money very well spent. The cobwebs were blown off in the Listed Cheshire Oaks at Chester early in May before she went on a triple G1 spree in the Epsom Oaks, Juddmonte Irish Oaks and Yorkshire Oaks. Minnie Hauk faced male rivals for the first time in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and only went down by a head to the French colt Daryz, the pair in a duel over the final furlong with a gap of over five lengths back to the third. Things didn’t go her way at the Breeders’ Cup, but there is still a fantastic season to look back on and, even better, plans are for her to stay in training next year.