Top award for King

Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Kicking King was voted Horse of the Year at the Irish Horse Racing awards in a ceremony at the Westin Hotel, Dublin.

As well as his famous triumph in the blue riband, Tom Taaffe’s charge also beat Kingscliff to land the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.

Ruby Walsh was handed the National Hunt award for the second year in succession after he won the English, Irish and Welsh Grand Nationals and narrowly missed out on the Grand Slam when beaten a short-head in the Scottish National.

The Flat prize went the way of Kieren Fallon, who enjoyed a successful first year with Aidan O’Brien when winning both the 2000 and 1000 Guineas at Newmarket.

Fallon also scooped the Irish Derby and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe for the first time when driving home Hurricane Run.

The Contribution to the Industry award was given to the Galway Racecourse Committee, while Derek O’Connor scooped the Point-to-Point award.

The award for Outstanding Achievement was handed to Nina Carberry after she became the first lady rider to defeat the professionals in a race at the Cheltenham Festival when guiding Paul Nolan’s Dabiroun to victory.

The awards were presented by John O’Donoghue, Minister for Arts, Sport & Tourism, who said: “We are enjoying an era of unprecedented success in Irish racing.

“Nine winners at Cheltenham and eight at Aintree surpassed our most optimistic expectations. When we include Kempton, Irish-trained horses won the top five UK National Hunt races.

“On the Flat, the English 2000 and 1000 Guineas, the Eclipse Stakes, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes and the St Leger were all won by Irish-trained horses.”