TRAINER Denis Hogan and jockey Seamus Heffernan were the big winners at the Tipperary Crystal Curragh Racing Awards in Kildare Village on Tuesday evening.

The annual awards recognise the outstanding performers at the Curragh Racecourse during the most recent season.

In attendance were Aidan and Annemarie O’Brien, Jim and Jackie Bolger, jockey Colm O Donoghue, Michael Kinane, owners Luke Comer and John Corcoran, Brian Kavanagh and Joe Keeling from Horse Racing Ireland, Curragh chairman Padraig McManus, racecourse CEO Derek McGrath and Ger Humphreys from Tipperary Crystal. Local TDs Martin Heydon and Fiona O’Loughlin also attended, as did Godolphin CEO Joe Osborne, Stephen Collins of Derrinstown Stud, Kildare Mayor Martin Miley and Deputy County Manager Joe Boland.

This year’s awards included a public vote element which saw racing fans applaud Denis Hogan for his handling of Tithonus, winner of both the valuable Tote Rockingham and Tote Scurry Premier Handicaps. Seamus Heffernan’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby success on Capri also topped the public poll.

The Special Achievement Awards, in association with Kildare Village and the Irish Daily Mail, were presented to Curragh trainer Takashi Kodama (following the success of Elusive Time in the Tote Irish Cambridgeshire) and to 17-year-old jockey Cian MacRedmond, whose first ride in a race aboard Sweetest Taboo was a winner.

Aidan O’Brien was the track’s leading trainer with 34 wins, Ryan Moore was leading jockey (17 wins) and Sue Magnier was crowned leading owner.

Derek McGrath commented: “Our track was in excellent condition through the season and consistently received very positive reviews from trainers and jockeys which is testament to the hard work and dedication of the Curragh team. We now look forward to staging the first our 18 races days in 2018 next May.

Our re-development project is on schedule and the racecourse is currently a hive of activity with contractors working on the construction of the new racecourse complex and upgrade of the stable yard, while we have also commenced further training ground improvement works, with the refurbishment of the Stepaside Gallop.”

THE AWARD

WINNERS

For their Curragh 2017 achievements

TRAINERS

Gordon Elliott

Aidan O’Brien

Joe Murphy

Denis Hogan

John Gosden

Takashi Kodama

JOCKEYS

Seamus Heffernan

Kevin Manning

Donnacha O’Brien

Pat Smullen

Chris Hayes

Cian MacRedmond