Nominations announced for the 2024 HRI Awards

Three champion riders and two handlers are among the five nominees in the point-to-point category at this year’s HRI Awards.

Last year’s winner Barry O’Neill is once again back among the nominations following another title-winning season for the Wexford rider, which saw him share the champion point-to-point crown Rob James, who receives his first nomination.

The pair are joined by fellow rider Shane Cotter, who received his nomination following a breakthrough season which saw him crowned champion under-21 rider in his very first season, whilst David Christie, handler of the champion point-to-point horse Winged Leader, and Emmet Mullins, the handler of the champion hunter chase horse Its On The Line, are also nominated.

Three horses that that enjoyed an unbeaten season are among the six nominations for the Horse of the Year Award. Jumps stars State Man and Teahupoo and the world’s champion Flat stayer Kyprios were the winners of 15 races between them and they are up against the dual Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Galopin Des Champs and top three-year-olds City Of Troy and Porta Fortuna.

Champion jockey Jack Kennedy, champion trainer Willie Mullins, Gavin Cromwell, JJ Slevin and Paul Townend are the five nominees for the National Hunt Award while champions Aidan O'Brien and Colin Keane, along with Dylan Browne McMonagle and Ryan Moore make up the list in the Flat Award category.

The National Hunt Achievement Award boasts seven nominees: BoyleSports Irish Grand National winning trainer Tom Gibney, Grade 1 winners Jimmy Mangan and Martin Brassil, Cheltenham Festival-winner Sam Ewing, multiple Grade 1-winning jockey Danny Mullins, King George VI Chase winner John “Shark” Hanlon and Eric McNamara for his achievements at the Listowel Festival.

Six names have been nominated for the Flat Achievement Award category: Epsom Oaks winning jockey Chris Hayes, Donnacha O'Brien for his handling of Porta Fortuna, Gerry Keane for his repeated success with Crystal Black, White Birch’s trainer John Murphy, Pat O’Donnell for his headline-making with Extensio and Wayne Lordan who bounced back from serious injury to enjoy a fine season that included Group 1 success.

Five jockeys go forward for the Emerging Talent Award are five young jockeys: James Ryan, Wayne Hassett, Carl Millar, Alex Harvey and Keithen Kennedy.

Racegoers and racing fans will be asked to help select the winners of the Racecourse of the Year Award and the Ride of the Year Award, and the nominees for those will be announced in the coming weeks.

The Horse of the Year, and the winners of the awards in the categories of National Hunt, National Hunt Achievement, Flat, Flat Achievement, Point-to-Point and Emerging Talent will be decided by a ballot of the HRI Awards committee, made up of members of the various sections of the Irish racing media.

2024 Horse Racing Ireland Awards nominees

Horse of the Year Award
1.            City Of Troy
2.            Galopin Des Champs
3.            Kyprios
4.            Porta Fortuna
5.            State Man
6.            Teahupoo

National Hunt Award
1.            Gavin Cromwell
2.            Jack Kennedy
3.            Willie Mullins
4.            JJ Slevin
5.            Paul Townend

National Hunt Achievement Award
1.            Martin Brassil
2.            Sam Ewing
3.            Tom Gibney
4.            John “Shark” Hanlon
5.            Jimmy Mangan
6.            Eric McNamara
7.            Danny Mullins

Flat Award
1.            Colin Keane
2.            Dylan Browne McMonagle
3.            Ryan Moore
4.            Aidan O'Brien

Flat Achievement Award
1.            Chris Hayes
2.            Gerry Keane
3.            Wayne Lordan
4.            John Murphy
5.            Donnacha O'Brien
6.            Pat O’Donnell

Point-To-Point Award
1.            David Christie
2.            Shane Cotter
3.            Rob James
4.            Emmet Mullins
5.            Barry O’Neill

Emerging Talent
1.            Alex Harvey
2.            Wayne Hassett
3.            Keithen Kennedy
4.            Carl Millar
5.            James Ryan