The Gavin Cromwell-trained Only By Night and Seán Flanagan clear the final fence to win at Cork on Sunday. Photo: Patrick McCann/Racing Post
Wexford People
Multiple Grade 1 and Cheltenham Festival winning jockey J.J. Slevin was announced as the Horse Racing Ireland Ride of the Year winner at the annual Horse Racing Ireland awards in Dublin yesterday evening.
A public vote alone determined the winner of the award and J.J. grabbed the headlines once again for his effort on the Joseph O’Brien-trained Nurburgring in the Guinness Galway Hurdle at the Galway Festival during the summer.
Davy Russell and Fran Berry nominated six rides and J.J. came out on top in an online poll of over 4,200 votes.
On the back of another fine year, Aidan O’Brien took the Flat award. With City Of Troy and Kyprios among his star performers, Aidan was crowned champion trainer in Ireland for the 27th time and was celebrated as the champion trainer in Britain for the seventh time in his most remarkable career.
City Of Troy gave him a record extending tenth success in the Epsom Derby and Auguste Rodin became his 400th Group 1 or Grade 1 winner with his victory at Royal Ascot. A juvenile double saw Aidan emerge as the joint-winning most trainer at the Breeders’ Cup with 20 winners.
Meanwhile, Tiernan Power Roche and Philip Rothwell continued their fine run when Duffys Hodey landed the two-mile-three-furlong handicap hurdle at Clonmel on Tuesday of last week. The Fairwood Racing Syndicate-owned 11/4 favourite justified those odds by an easy seven-and-a-half lengths.
Paul Nolan and Seán Flanagan teamed up to win the concluding two-mile-one-furlong beginners’ chase on that card with Kiltealy Park. Owned by the Browne Bros Partnership, the 11/2 chance won by a short head.
Colm Murphy sent out 16/1 chance Goraibhmaithagat to win the two-mile maiden hurdle at Navan on Saturday. Ridden by Simon Torrens, the JP McManus-owned outsider won by two-lengths.
Seán Flanagan won the Grade 2 Mares two-mile chase at Cork on Sunday aboard Only By Night. Trained by Gavin Cromwell, the 2/1 chance led two out, staying on strongly to win by three-and-three-quarter lengths from the Henry de Bromhead-trained 7/4 favourite Nara.