Irish Horse Racing Award Winners Announced

Horse Racing Ireland today hosted the annual Irish Horse Racing Awards in the Westin Hotel, Dublin.

These awards are designed to honour the human and equine talent which has made racing one of the country's most popular sports and has delivered great success in the international arena.

The awards were presented by Mr John O'Donoghue, TD, Minister for Arts, Sport & Tourism who said:- 'We are witnessing a golden era of unprecedented success in Irish Racing. The success is there because the people in this room have worked extremely hard to achieve it. The training, the breeding, the education and the hard graft have delivered results. The organisation of the racemeetings, the preparation of the tracks, and the marketing and promotion of the events have delivered their own success as thousands of racegoers all over the country have enjoyed the excitement of this great sport.'

A record ten winners at the Cheltenham Festival, including the coveted ?Triple Crown' for the second consecutive year, and a fifth Aintree Grand National victory in the last eight years, surpassed the most optimistic expectations. On the flat, the English 2000 Guineas, the Epsom Oaks and the two top juvenile races in France plus a 1-2 in the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket showed that Irish trained horses continue to compete successfully at the highest level of competition around the racing world.

Brian Kavanagh, Chief Executive of Horse Racing Ireland said: '2006 was a year of great achievement on the racetrack for Irish horses and our attendance and betting figures are on target to surpass last year. We had record prize money and a record number of horses in training, and with significant capital developments underway at Navan, Dundalk, Galway and the Curragh we have much to look forward to in 2007.'

Details of the winners in the six categories are:

2006 National Hunt Award - Ruby Walsh

For a third consecutive year, the 2006 National Hunt Award went to the four-time Irish Champion Jockey. Widely recognised as one of Ireland's greatest ever National Hunt jockeys, Ruby continues to ride at an exceptionally high level and won the leading rider at the Cheltenham Festival award for the second time in three years. He also won a third consecutive Kerry National at Listowel while more recent successes include the Betfair Chase and the Tingle Creek Trophy on the exciting Kauto Star.

2006 Flat Award ? Declan McDonogh

The 2006 Flat Award went to a young man who enjoyed a wonderful year as he captured the Champion Flat Jockeys' crown for the first time with 89 home successes. His victory on Miss Beatrix in the inaugural Shelbourne Hotel Goffs Million at the Curragh in September was backed up by his first Royal Ascot winner while Mustameet provided him with five triumphs at listed and Group level. Declan was also the leading rider at the Galway and Listowel Festivals.

2006 Point-to-Point Award ? JT McNamara

The 2006 Point To Point Award went to the jockey who has ridden more winners in this sphere than any other, John Thomas McNamara. In his 15th season in the saddle, J.T. overtook Enda Bolger's all-time record of 413 winners and now has his sights set firmly on the 500 winner milestone before he retires. 2006 featured another notable victory on Spot Thedifference in the Cross Country Chase at the November Cheltenham Meeting, a third consecutive victory in this race and the fifth that both horse and rider have enjoyed together over this famous course.

2006 Outstanding Achievement Award ? Niall ?Slippers' Madden

Niall deservedly won the Outstanding Achievement Award for 2006 after his brilliant and unforgettable victory on Martin Brassil's Numbersixvalverde in the Aintree Grand National in April. Showing a maturity far beyond his tender years, Niall showed a cool head at all stages in the world's most famous steeplechase as he defeated Ruby Walsh and Tony McCoy in front of a worldwide audience of hundreds of millions. Niall also added two further ?Nationals' in 2006 with successes in the Midlands National at Kilbeggan in July and the Munster National at Limerick in October.

2006 Contribution to the Industry Award ? Kevin Prendergast

One of the most consistently successful Irish trainers, Kevin Prendergast is a very worthy winner of the 2006 Contribution to the Industry Award following yet another successful season. Miss Beatrix pulled off a notable big race double in the Moyglare Stud Stakes and the Shelbourne Hotel Goffs Million while Mustameet was expertly placed to win five of his seven races. Kevin has been associated with such great horses as Pidget, Oscar Schindler, Nebbiolo and Rebelline over the years and both the Champion Jockey and Champion Apprentice, Declan McDonogh and Chris Hayes, are attached to his Curragh stables.

2006 Horse of the Year ? War of Attrition

The 2006 Horse of the Year Award went to War Of Attrition whose brilliant victory in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March will live long in the memory as he led home an unprecedented Irish 1-2-3. This success confirmed the long held faith that trainer ?Mouse' Morris had in this top class seven year old who also won the Daily Star Chase at Punchestown and the Clonmel Oil Chase at Clonmel before rounding off a wonderful season with a fluent all the way win in the Guinness Gold Cup at the Punchestown Festival.