JP McManus and Kevin Manning honoured at HRI awards
AWARD WINNER: JP McManus, who has been champion National Hunt owner in Ireland on 19 occasions, was awarded the Contribution to the Industry Award at the 2022 HRI awards. File pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile
Leading owner JP McManus and recently retired jockey Kevin Manning were recognised for their long and storied involvement in the racing industry when the Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) awards for 2022 were revealed on Monday evening in Dublin.
McManus, who has been champion National Hunt owner in Ireland on 19 occasions, was awarded the Contribution to the Industry Award. His famous green and gold silks have been carried to victory on more than 4,000 occasions. Chantry House brought up that particular milestone when winning the Cotswolds Chase in January of this year, but McManus has enjoyed great success on both sides of the Irish Sea.
The brilliant three-time Cheltenham Champion Hurdle and four-time Irish Champion Hurdle winner Istabraq was one of the best and most popular to carry ‘the colours’, while the likes of Synchronised, in the 2012 Cheltenham Gold Cup, and Aintree Grand National winners Don’t Push It and the Rachael Blackmore-ridden Minella Times, brought further success to the proud Limerick owner.
However, all that Cheltenham success began with Mister Donovan, in the Sun Alliance Novices’ Hurdle of 1982, a win which his owner has called his ‘most important one.’
That landmark victory seems a lifetime ago but all the way back in 1982, Kevin Manning, who received the Irish Racing Hero Award, was up and running in his riding career. Testament to his dedication, ability, and desire to extend himself to the fullest, it was just at the end of the Flat season recently concluded that Manning called time on his riding career.
The two-time champion apprentice has been associated with the stable of his father-in-law Jim Bolger from the outset and became stable jockey in 1993 when he took over from Christy Roche.
Together he and Bolger enjoyed plenty of success worldwide. Eva Luna gave the partnership their first Group 1 when winning the Phoenix Stakes of 1994, and the likes of the globetrotting Alexander Goldrun, dual Guineas winner Finsceal Beo, Teofilo, New Approach, Trading Leather and Dawn Approach helped bring Manning’s top-level tally to 36.
A day after she relinquished her unbeaten record, Honeysuckle received her Horse of the Year Award, a thoroughly merited accolade for a mare who completed her fourth season unbeaten. It culminated in a second Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham and concluded with a second success in the Punchestown equivalent. Despite Sunday’s defeat, who is to say there is not another chapter yet to be written by Kenny Alexander’s mare?
Her trainer, Henry de Bromhead, received the National Hunt Award for another tremendously successful season which included her exploits here and abroad, and also a second consecutive one-two in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, this time with A Plus Tard reversing last year’s form with Minella Indo. The latter win ensured he became the first trainer since Vincent O’Brien, in 1950, to complete the Champion Hurdle-Gold Cup double two years in a row.
The National Hunt Achievement went to the inimitable Shark Hanlon, who had a year to remember with Hewick. The seven-year-old won the Bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown, added the Galway Plate, was unlucky when falling at the last in the Kerry National, but rounded off his season with a memorable stroll to victory in the American Grand National Hurdle at Far Hills.
Billy Lee came up just short in his bid to topple reigning champion Colin Keane in the Flat jockeys’ championship, but nonetheless he enjoyed his greatest season to date, and that was recognised with the Flat Award. Two Group 1s, both for trainer Paddy Twomey, were the highlights for the County Limerick rider.
The Flat Achievement Award went to Dylan Browne McMonagle, who was crowned champion apprentice for the second consecutive season. Not alone did he successfully defend his crown, with 49 winners, he won a first Group 1 — sure to prove the first of many — aboard the exciting Al Riffa in the National Stakes. He is a key cog in the wheel at Joseph O’Brien’s Owning Hill yard, and the future could hardly look brighter for the immensely talented 19-year-old from Donegal.
The Emerging Talent Award went to young jockey Sam Ewing, who has impressed over jumps as well as on the level. The County Antrim rider started out as a Flat apprentice but has developed into a dual-purpose jockey, highlighted by an October weekend which yielded a win on the all-weather at Dundalk on the Friday night, and victories over fences on Saturday at Chepstow, and over hurdles, in the Welsh Champion at the same track, on the Sunday.
The Ride of the Year Award went to Wayne Lordan for his beautifully timed run aboard Waterville in the Irish Cesarewitch. Ridden from a long way off the pace in the 30-runner field, the Aidan O’Brien-trained runner had plenty still do as they straightened up for the final time but Lordan made all the right moves at the right times to get him into the clear in time to run down Echoes In Rain in the final strides.
The Point-to-Point Award went to Liz Lalor, who became the winning-most female rider in point-to-point history when riding Read To Return to victory at Comea in February. Before the season ended, the nine times ladies’ champion rider added four more to extend the record to 114.
JP McManus.
Kevin Manning.
Honeysuckle.
Sam Ewing.
Henry de Bromhead.
John ‘Shark’ Hanlon.
Liz Lalor.
Billy Lee.
Dylan Browne McMonagle.
Wayne Lordan.
