Judging panel spoilt for choice with HRI Horse of the Year nominees

IT’S the kind of line up that will have racing fans salivating at the bit: Big Zeb, Fame And Glory, Hurricane Fly, Quevega, Sizing Europe and So You Think all taking each other on for one title - Horse Racing Ireland’s Horse of the Year.

Following a season when 13 Irish-trained winners won at Cheltenham, Willie Mullins and Aidan O’Brien dominated the national hunt and flat seasons and an Irish jockey claimed the Grand National, the cream of Irish horse racing will meet on Monday to decide the 2011 Horse Racing Ireland Awards.

“It (2011) was another tremendously successful year for Irish Racing both at home and abroad which began with a record breaking 13 Irish trained winners at the Cheltenham Festival in March and ended with a fantastic Aidan O’Brien double at the Breeders Cup Meeting in Churchill Downs,” said Brian Kavanagh, Chief Executive of HRI.

“Trainer Willie Mullins saddled four winners at the Cheltenham Festival with the victory of Hurricane Fly in the Champion Hurdle the highlight while Irish trained horses filled the first four placings in the Queen Mother Champion Chase with Henry de Bromhead’s Sizing Europe leading home the quartet for a memorable victory. Ruby Walsh was crowned leading rider at the meeting once again while there was almost an unforgettable Irish sweep of the seven races there on the Wednesday with only the Champion Bumper failing to go to an Irish-trained runner.

“Arthur Moore and his niece Nina Carberry then combined to take the Ladbrokes Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse on Easter Monday while the Punchestown Festival was once again an outstanding success. Champion Trainer Willie Mullins had a memorable week with seven winners all told and the supremely impressive success of Hurricane Fly in the Rabobank Champion Hurdle will live long in the memory while Quevega took the Ladbrokes World Series Hurdle for a second consecutive year.

“On the Flat, Aidan O’Brien enjoyed another memorable year with 20 Group 1 winners worldwide. Treasure Beach gave him a sixth consecutive win in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby while his teenage son, Joseph, partnered Roderic O’Connor to take the Abu Dhabi Irish 2000 Guineas and Misty For Me landed the Etihad Irish 1000 Guineas.

“The continued success of Irish owned, trained, ridden and bred horses in these prestigious international races indicates that Irish racing has a lot to look forward to again next year.”

Award Nominees

Horse of the Year: Big Zeb, Fame And Glory, Hurricane Fly, Quevega, Sizing Europe and So You Think.

National Hunt: Bryan Cooper, Gordon Elliott, Willie Mullins and Paul Townend.

Flat: Seamie Heffernan, Johnny Murtagh, Aidan O’Brien and his son Joseph.

Outstanding Achievement Award: Grand National winning jockey Nina Carberry; Tom Doyle who won a Grade 1 on Follow the Plan at Punchestown and also the Galway Hurdle; Ger Lyons who saddled his first Group 1 winner with Lightening Pearl; Arthur Moore who trained Grand National and Cheltenham Festival winners; Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby winning jockey Colm O’Donoghue; and Dermot Weld who saddled a record breaking 17 winners at the Galway Festival.

Point-to-Point: Trainers Colin Bowe and Ian Ferguson and jockeys Jamie Codd and Derek O’Connor.

The Contribution to the Industry Award: Will be announced on the day.