THE best turned out league was established by Horse Racing Ireland’s welfare department in 2021 to recognise and celebrate the exceptional high standards of care provided to racehorses by the dedicated staff in racing yards across the country.
The winners are determined by the aggregate of wins recorded at racing fixtures throughout the calendar year. A total of six awards, which are each worth €3,000, are divided between flat and National Hunt yards, with each category determined by a stable’s number of runners over 12 months.
On the flat, Gavin Cromwell’s team were first-time winners of category A, having earned 67 best turned out prizes earned from 301 runners.
Noel Meade and Jim Bolger’s staff shared the €3,000 prize for category B, after each produced 71 best turned out horses from 250 and 233 runners respectively. Completing the flat awards, Ross O’Sullivan’s Co Kildare team took category C with 33 best turned out prizes from 125 horses, coinciding with a career-best season on the track.
Reigning champions
Gordon Elliott’s staff have a strong reputation for turning their horses out beautifully, which saw them win category A for the fourth year in a row.
The Co Meath team was responsible for 152 best turned out horses from 1,187 runners.
The National Hunt category B award went to Charles Byrnes’ team, who produced 88 best turned out horses from 213 runners. James Fahey’s Laois-based team took the spoils in category C, with an impressive 35 best turned out winners from 80 runners.
Special mention
John Osborne, Equine Welfare & Bloodstock Director at Horse Racing Ireland, said: “Once again, the Best Turned Out League has highlighted the incredibly high standard of care, which is afforded to our racehorses, day by day.
“289 individual yards won a best turned out prize somewhere in Ireland in 2024, so we salute the hard work of so many people in all the yards, big and small.
“We see familiar faces among the category winners: repeat winners Gordon Elliott, Jim Bolger, James Fahey and Noel Meade, joined by Charles Byrnes, Gavin Cromwell and Ross O’Sullivan.
“Others to note would have to include the John Ryan yard, which won a best turned out prize over 100 times from less than 300 runners, well done Isabelle Ryan and team.
“The category C National Hunt section was a tight contest between winners James Fahey and the close second, previous winners Eoin Griffin, Natalie Bradley and team.”