JESSICA Harrington received a standing ovation in Dublin’s Mansion House on Monday night when the trainer was honoured for her Contribution to the Industry at the Horse Racing Ireland Awards.

Despite a difficult year off the track which saw her receive treatment for cancer, Harrington continued to send out winners with metronomic regularity.

Since she began training in 1989, Harrington has been associated with such greats as Moscow Flyer, Sizing John and Alpha Centauri.

After watching a video montage of some of her greatest moments on the track, and hearing tributes from Ted Walsh, Shane Foley, Robbie Power, Barry Geraghty and Maria Niarchos, the trainer paid tribute to those who kept the show on the road during her illness.

“They were fantastic,” she said, referring to her daughters Emma, Kate, son-in-law Richie Galway, and the entire Commonstown Stables team.

“I was sort of there in the background but all I had to go was give a few orders. They worked so hard.”

Robbie Power and Barry Geraghty confirmed that their former boss was never shy about letting them know if they’d made a mistake but, as Power said, “Once Jessie gave you a bollocking it was forgotten about and on to the next race.”

On her recent health challenge, Harrington said: “Everyone has been so supportive, letting me get away with murder. When I think of all the people who drove me up and down to the hospital and never complained. Everyone was so kind.”

Looking ahead, she added: “I hope they are not putting me on the backburner by giving me this award. I want to win a few more classics.”

Racing Hero

Davy Russell also brought guests to their feet when he was named winner of the Irish Racing Hero Award.

Undoubtedly one of the all-time great National Hunt jockeys, Russell bowed out at the Aintree Festival in April, having extended his career by a couple of months in order to help out trainer Gordon Elliott.

Footage of Tiger Roll’s two Grand National wins was shown, and tributes were paid by Elliott, Charles Byrnes, Michael O’Leary, Jack Kennedy, Rachael Blackmore, Kevin O’Ryan and even former Kilkenny hurling coach Brian Cody.

Russell told MCs Nina Carberry and Gary O’Brien he was “having a ball” since he retired and is being kept busy by his family and horses at home. He also admitted he is already taking bookings for Cheltenham preview nights.

Reflecting on his career, he said: “I maxed it to the limit but I am glad I did. Trainers who I rode for as a 7lb claimer were still using me at the end. I couldn’t have done it all without Gordon and the lads in the yard. A lot went on behind the scenes but I was always Gordon’s number one. When I wasn’t, it was time to go. I was his number one up until the last day I rode and it was special to finish that way.”

THE prospect of Auguste Rodin running in the Breeders’ Cup Classic next year has not been ruled out according to Coolmore Stud’s Christy Grassick.

Winner of the Derby, Irish Derby, Irish Champion Stakes and Breeders’ Cup Turf, the Deep Impact three-year-old was crowned Horse of the Year this week. He stays in training in 2024 and his sporting owners - Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier and Westerberg - will be led by trainer Aidan O’Brien on how best to campaign the top-class colt.

Asked if the $6 million dirt race at Del Mar next November could be on the agenda for Auguste Rodin, Grassick said: “Aidan might have it on his his mind, we will leave it up to him. The horse seemed to be very happy when he was in America.”

Grassick selected the Irish Champion Stakes win as the most important day so far for the stable star. “The comeback - everybody was waiting to see if he could do it. That was the highlight for me. Auguste Rodin is up there with the best we’ve had, and he is a homebred too.”

Auguste Rodin’s Breeders’ Cup win was the highlight of the year for Annemarie O’Brien, who was on hand to collect the Flat Award on behalf of her husband, Aidan, who is in Hong Kong this weekend.

Asked what drives Aidan on after winning his 26th trainers’ championship, Annemarie said: “He loves what he does and he has a great team around him. He knows he can always strive to do better and there are lots of races still to be won.”

Auguste Rodin’s Irish Derby win was the trainer’s 100th European classic win, and other highlights of the year for Ballydoyle included Paddington’s Group 1 four-timer, Savethelastdance winning the Irish Oaks, Luxembourg capturing the Tattersalls Gold Cup, and the two-year-olds City Of Troy and Henry Longfellow scoring at the highest level.

A DREAM To Share’s Grade 1 wins at Cheltenham and Punchestown were highlights of the year in racing. The age gap between trainer John Kiely (85) and rider John Gleeson (18) caught the imagination, along with the fact that the Gleeson family had bred the horse, while it was Kiely’s first Cheltenham winner.

The two Johns were both winners at this week’s HRI Awards - Kiely receiving the National Hunt Achievement Award while Gleeson was presented with the Emerging Talent Award.

Looking back at that moment in the Cheltenham winner’s enclosure, John Kiely said: “I can’t believe it could ever have happened. It was a thrill and I was delighted my wife Marian was there too.”

J.P. McManus commented: “I can’t think of anybody who deserves this award more. John has given us some marvellous memories over the years, memories for the rocking chair. Carlingford Lough won two Irish Gold Cups - John got the best out of him. Even when John has a good winner for you, the phone never rings. He is never looking for another horse. He’s an absolute pleasure to deal with.”

John Gleeson has been going into John Kiely’s yard “for as long as I can remember” and the rider had to juggle his race-riding duties with studying for the Leaving Cert last spring. His mum Claire said: “John did put the work in - he fooled us a little bit by doing well in the end. But racing is what he wants to do so we’re there to back him in his dream.”

A PUBLIC vote determined the winner of the Ride of the Year Award and topping the poll was Fethard, Co Tipperary apprentice Amy Jo Hayes for her front-running display on Redstone Well in the nine-furlong Irish Stallion Farms EBF Nasrullah Handicap at Leopardstown in July.

One of the nominees for that award was Paul Townend for his never-say-die performance on Irish Grand National winner I Am Maximus. Townend did not leave the ceremony empty-handed as he received the National Hunt Award following a terrific season which saw him deliver on the biggest stages time and time again. He was the leading rider at Cheltenham for a third time before being crowned Irish champion jockey for the sixth time with a tally of 107 winners, the fourth occasion that he’s reached three figures for a domestic season.

Ballinrobe was named Racecourse of the Year, an award it won previously in 2013, the first year it was presented. This year, the findings of a thorough online industry survey, to which almost 1,500 people - both racegoers and industry professionals - responded, was used to determine the nominees for this award. Having topped a number of the survey’s categories, Ballinrobe emerged as the clear winner.

ONE of the most memorable moments of the evening was when Wesley Joyce was announced winner of the Flat Achievement Award.

The 20-year-old completed a truly remarkable comeback when returning to race-riding in the latter half of the 2023 flat season after suffering serious injury at the 2022 Galway Festival.

He was on the sidelines for over a year and returned to the racecourse in early August, riding two winners before the month’s end and finishing the season with 11 winners from just 98 rides.

Joyce, who was due to undergo surgery yesterday to improve his voice, whispered his appreciation for all those who helped him get back in the saddle, notably Dr Richard Downey, Dr Jennifer Pugh, trainers Johnny Murtagh and Michael Mulvany, and his many friends in the weighroom.

Niall McCullagh spoke highly of Joyce’s special horsemanship skills but, before the “lovable rogue” could get carried away with all the praise, Murtagh bounded on to stage to remind Joyce there was plenty of hard work ahead. “There is only one champion in our yard and that’s Jamie Powell, the champion apprentice. That’s the target for Wesley in 2024, if he behaves himself between now and next March!

“You have to keep Wesley on his toes. He’s very talented. He’s got drive and determination. The first day he came back to the yard and I legged him up, I could tell by the way he landed in the saddle that he still had the ‘bottle’ for it. You need bottle for this game and he has it.”

Barry O’Neill is the Point-to-Point Award winner after a thoroughly dominant season. A total of 64 winners in the pointing fields saw the Wexford man crowned champion rider for the seventh straight year as he rode almost double the number of winners of any other rider.

With the assistance of Colin Bowe and David Christie in particular, the Wexford rider could boast a 33% strike rate for the season, his highest to-date across 18 seasons of race-riding, and his growing list of regional titles was further enhanced by the addition of the eastern and northern awards in 2023. O’Neill revealed he is enjoying his racing more than ever these days, as he is cheered on most weekends by by his wife Bridget and their three young sons, Danny, Charlie and Billy.

Award winners

Contribution to the Industry: Jessica Harrington

Irish Racing Hero Award: Davy Russell

Horse of the Year: Auguste Rodin

Emerging Talent: John Gleeson

National Hunt Award: Paul Townend

National Hunt Achievement: John Kiely

Point-to-Point Award: Barry O’Neill

Flat Award: Aidan O’Brien

Flat Achievement Award: Wesley Joyce

Ride of the Year winner: Amy Jo Hayes

Racecourse of the Year: Ballinrobe