Strong Tipperary Representation in the 2016 Horse Racing Ireland Awards Nominations
Tipperary trainers Aidan O’Brien and Mouse Morris and jockeys Seamie Heffernan from Cashel and Liz Lalor from Clonmel have been nominated. Brothers Joseph and Donnacha O’Brien have secured a joint nomination.
RTE sports broadcaster Des Cahill will be master of ceremonies for the awards, which take place at Leopardstown Racecourse on Monday December 5th.
Champion Irish Flat Trainer, Aidan O’Brien is nominated in the Flat category after a truly remarkable year with 22 Group 1 wins worldwide along with a 1-2-3 in the Newmarket 1000 Guineas and the Prix De l’Arc De Triomphe, which was an unprecedented achievement.
Trainer Mouse Morris, based in Fethard received a nomination in the Outstanding Achievement category on the strength of his remarkable achievement last season of saddling the winner of the BoyleSports Irish Grand National with Rogue Angel and the Aintree Grand National with Rule The World – something that has not been done since the 1880s.
2016 was an excellent year for talented rider Seamie Heffernan, who is nominated in the Flat category, as he enjoyed four top level wins among a host of other important successes. Most recently, his excellent front running ride on Highland Reel in the Breeders’ Cup Turf earned him plenty of plaudits.
Nominated in the point-to-point category, Liz Lalor has been one of the leading lady riders on the Irish point-to-point circuit over the last ten years. The Tipperary native was at her very best to win by the narrowest of margins at Ballingarry on the final day of the season, bringing her to the six winner mark, and equal with Aileen O’Sullivan and Sheila Ahern, ensuring there was a three-way share of the title.
The trainer/jockey combination of Joseph and Donnacha O’Brien is a joint nomination for the Outstanding Achievement category. They were nominated after teaming up together to win the 2016 Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh on Longines Irish Champions Weekend with Intricately just getting the better of their father’s Hydrangea and Rhododendron respectively.
The winner of the Outstanding Achievement Award is voted on by the Irish racing media and the general public through the HRI website or through forms available from HRI.
Brian Kavanagh, Chief Executive of HRI said: “Every year, the Horse Racing Ireland Awards give us the opportunity to celebrate the tremendous achievements in the Irish racing industry, both at home and on the world stage. The exceptional reputation of Irish racing and breeding is built on the achievements of the hugely talented people we are so lucky to have and I wish all nominees the very best of luck.”
The Goracing.ie website contains information about the awards and each of the nominees, an image gallery and all the latest news. It will also provide a live stream of the awards on December 5th. Voting is now open for the Outstanding Achievement category.