WORLD champion athletes Sonia O’Sullivan and Derval O’Rourke, Olympic gold medallist Kellie Harrington, Taoiseach Micheál Martin and legendary trainer Gai Waterhouse were among those to pay tribute to Rachael Blackmore in Dublin on Monday evening, as the retired jump jockey was honoured with a Contribution to the Industry Award from Horse Racing Ireland [HRI].
The award was the highlight of a glitzy evening in the Mansion House on Dawson Street, which saw success for Willie or Patrick Mullins in three of the 10 awards categories.
It was no surprise that HRI chose to honour Blackmore so quickly following her retirement from the weighroom. It is indisputable that the groundbreaking jump jockey raised the entire profile of Irish racing in the public consciousness through her big race success, particularly during the Covid years when the nation was in need of good news stories.
In her citation, HRI chief executive Suzanne Eade said: “It is hard to conceive of someone who has made such a profound impact on the sport so quickly. It is one thing to have the nerve skill, balance and judgment to win so many races, so many of the big races, but it is another to do it with the grace and humility and inspire others, especially beyond to try and emulate you to do the same.
“This is someone who made headlines around the globe when successful in probably the most famous race in the world. It was front page stuff everywhere, the kind of blanket attention that racing craves but so seldom receives.
“And what an ambassador we have had - gifted but grounded and self-effacing, the product of hard work combined with a huge talent for getting the very best out of her horses.
“This was a career packed with historical firsts, the first female to win the Grand National aboard Minella Times, breaking a mere 182-year gender barrier at Aintree, the first female leading jockey at Cheltenham with six wins in 2021, the first female jockey to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2022, 18 winners at the Cheltenham festival, 575 professional wins, 33 at grade one with over 4,500 rides.”
Video messages
There were video messages recorded by Katie Walsh, Shark Hanlon, Brian Hayes, Henry de Bromhead and fellow Tipperary woman and Olympian Sharlene Mawdesley. Paralympian Ellen Keane was another special guest seated at Blackmore’s star-studded table.
Common themes were Blackmore’s competitiveness, tactical awareness, and her status as a role model. But de Bromhead also recalled how supportive Blackmore had been to him and his family following the loss of Jack de Bromhead in 2022.
“She was very good to Jack when he was starting out,” he said. “She’d help him schooling and give him loads of advice when he was heading off pony racing. She even brought him into Willie’s one morning to ride out, which he just loved.
“I’ll never forget, the day after Jack’s accident, I was in the yard at seven or eight o’clock, obviously pretty distraught and next thing there was Rachael, down to see us. She’s always there for all of us.”
Given a standing ovation as she walked to the stage to accept her award, Blackmore seemed a little overwhelmed by the outpouring of appreciation for her. She told MC Jane Mangan: “Seeing a room full of people like this standing up is humbling.”
“I suppose, when you’re in it yourself, you’re doing it for yourself selfishly. I wanted to ride those winners for myself but now I really get to see the knock-on effect that it had.
“I was in a very privileged position to get to ride the horses I did. Things like this really make it sink in.
“Sonia O’Sullivan was one of the first sporting icons I would have looked up to. In school they rolled in a TV so we could watch her races. The fact that she’s here tonight is phenomenal.”
CONSIDERING Aidan O’Brien had 26 Group/Grade 1 winners this year, it felt odd to hear him say on Monday night that he is “in awe” of Willie Mullins but there’s no doubt he meant it. The feeling is probably mutual – the achievements of both these trainers continues to defy belief.
This year’s HRI Awards was arguably dominated by Mullins who is champion jumps trainer in both Ireland and Britain, as is O’Brien on the flat.
However, while we have become accustomed to O’Brien winning British classics and major international prizes, Mullins pulled off two particularly astonishing feats in 2025: he saddled the first three finishers in the Grand National and he won the Breeders’ Cup Turf with a failed hurdler.
Accepting his National Hunt Award, Mullins acknowledged that these two results meant more to him than any others this year.
The Mullins-trained Galopin Des Champs may not have retained his Cheltenham Gold Cup title but he did win three other Grade 1 chases last season and that was enough to see him share the Horse of the Year Award with stable companion Ethical Diamond, the aforementioned Breeders’ Cup hero.
Galopin Des Champs is owned by Greg and Audrey Turley, while Ethical Diamond is owned by the HOS Syndicate, put together by Andrew and Margaret Heffernan for their grandchildren.
To cap it all, Patrick Mullins won the National Hunt Achievement Award in recognition of his Grand National success aboard Nick Rockett. A fantastic day for the family, even by their standards.
Asked to pick out his highlights of the year, Willie told MC Jane Mangan: “I’m choosing Patrick winning the National, and I thought Del Mar [Breeders’ Cup] was just something out of the ordinary. When you’re favourite for races, it’s just relief when they win. But you enjoy the stuff that you don’t expect, and that was something else.”
“Incredible privilege”
Aidan O’Brien added: “It’s an incredible privilege to be sitting here with him. He’s done it day in, day out, National Hunt, and then onto the flat as well. To take that horse [Ethical Diamond] to America and to do what he did after winning the Ebor was just unbelievable.
“It makes it very exciting for everybody. It shows that any kind of horse, filly or gelding can compete, but the key is to compete. It’s important that the wins gets shared out and that’s what makes it special for every owner buying a horse.
“We’re in awe of Willie and Jackie every day.”
Patrick Mullins recently rode his 900th winner and, at just 35 years of age, he has every chance of reaching 1,000 winners before he retires.
Champion amateur 17 times already, he received his National Hunt Achievement Award from Ted Walsh as guests watched a video of Jackie Mullins recounting how her son had been captivated by the Grand National at a young age.
We saw photos of Patrick as a child, walking Aintree with his dad, paying his respects at Red Rum’s grave, and heard how he escaped from boarding school to see Hedgehunter give the family their first win in the race in 2005.
For him to ride the winner of the race 20 years later, on a horse trained by his father, made it a fairytale moment, and something which Ted Walsh could identify with.
“He’s a credit to our sport. He’s a credit to his parents,” Walsh said. “Patrick is a gentleman, on or off the horse but he’s as tough as nails.”
Ruby Walsh highlighted Patrick’s commitment to maintaining his weight and fitness. “Look at his size. To do the weights that he does shows the dedication he has. I suppose I admired him many years ago when he made smithereens of his collarbone and he was back riding five or six days later. That was the day I knew he was a real jockey.”
POSSIBLY the biggest cheer of the evening was given to trainer Joe Murphy, winner of the Flat Achievement Award for his Coronation Stakes success with Cercene.
Based in Fethard where he trains just 30 horses, Murphy bought the Royal Ascot winner for €50,000 as a yearling. It’s a story that gives everyone hope that they can compete in the best races with a reasonable budget.
“Everytime you buy a yearling you come home thinking you’re going to win the Moyglare or the National Stakes,” said Murphy. “And by Christmas you have it won! Then when the first gallop comes you might be going for an auction maiden in Bellewstown!”
Murphy has trained plenty of stakes horses over the past two years, including Ardbrae Lady, Only Mine, Gustavus Weston and Lord Massusus, but it was Cercene who gave him his first Group 1 winner when outbattling subsequent Group 1 winner Zarigana in the Coronation Stakes.
Lifetime’s work
Recalling the events of that Friday, Murphy said: “For the first two minutes, I had to pinch myself to believe that we’d won, because there’s so much work gone into it over a lifetime.
“I’ve always believed that every yard has a chance if the horse is good enough. It’s wonderful because the conversations in every parish around us is either hurling or horses or maybe a coursing dog or a greyhound.
“And that’s the great thing about racing. It has always been the story of bringing people and horses together and keeps them all very happy.”
Gary Carroll, who rode the filly at Ascot, and racehorse investor John Fleming led the tributes to Murphy, along with Willie Browne.
Dylan Browne McMonagle collected the Flat Award on his way to Hong Kong to ride Al Riffa in the Vase on Sunday.
The champion jockey acknowledged the role Joseph O’Brien has played in his career and replayed how it felt to ride Ethical Diamond to win the Breeders’ Cup Turf.
Apprentice jockey Nicola Burns picked up the Emerging Talent Award. In the past 12 months the 17-year-old daughter of trainer Robbie Burns has ridden a total of 29 winners, lost her 7lb claim, and passed both her Leaving Cert and driving test.
Seamie Heffernan described her as “very natural, strong and tough.” He added: “She’d remind you of Rachael [Blackmore] in that she smiles and is polite but you wouldn’t get a blade of grass between you and her on the track.”
Ger Lyons said: “She’s very hard-working, and she’s always in good form. In races she’s very quiet and doesn’t overcomplicate things, and she’s gotten very strong and very dedicated as well. She’s improving the whole time.”
Point-to-Point Award
Sam Curling won the Point-to-Point Award, primarily for saddling Wonderwall to win the Hunter Chase at Cheltenham. Based in Cashel, Co Tipperary, he also trained 34 point-to-point winners last season and he produced Marine Nationale before selling him privately unraced to Barry Connell. Davy Russell described Curling as having “a very special talent” to be able to get the best out of his older horses while handling the younger ones with great care.
ONLY two HRI award winners are decided by members of the public and they include the Ride of the Year Award which was won by Alan O’Sullivan for his Galway Festival win aboard Filey Bay in the amateur flat handicap.
It was a 20-runner race and O’Sullivan had to be patient on the well-backed 7/1 shot, waiting for a gap to appear on the inside before dashing clear.
“It’s a difficult race to get a ride in,” he said. “As we were leaving the weighroom Derek O’Connor said to me ‘I’d love to be riding your fella’ and that gave me the confidence I needed.
“I didn’t really get instructions from Emmet [Mullins]. He just said ‘get a bit of cover’ and that was it. The race went swimmingly. I got the gaps everywhere but I had the horse to take them. It was brilliant training, in fairness.”
Racecourse Award
Punchestown staged an unforgettable week of racing in the spring and won the Racecourse of the Year Award. Chief executive Conor O’Neill gave credit to the entire team and to the racegoers who bring the buzz, but he also acknowledged that five days of sunshine played a big part in it too.
“To get five days of sunshine in a row is something we never thought possible,” he said.
“But we always say it’s the people who make Punchestown and without the support of everybody in this room – owners, trainers, jockeys, HRI, IHRB – it wouldn’t be possible for us to do what we do.”
Contribution to the Industry: RACHAEL BLACKMORE
Racecourse of the Year: PUNCHESTOWN
Flat: DYLAN BROWNE McMONAGLE
National Hunt: WILLIE MULLINS
Flat Achievement: JOSEPH MURPHY
National Hunt Achievement: PATRICK MULLINS
Emerging Talent: NICOLA BURNS
Point-to-Point: SAM CURLING
Ride of the Year: ALAN O’SULLIVAN (Filey Bay at Galway)
Horse of the Year: GALOPIN DES CHAMPS & ETHICAL DIAMOND