TOM Lacy won the Ballylinch Stud Small Breeder of the Year Award but in truth this award was as much a salute to everything the 87-year-old Co Offaly man has achieved in the sport, as a jockey, trainer and mentor too.

Based in the village of Rhode, Tom rode 50 winners on the flat but is best remembered as the jockey of Height O’Fashion, the Paddy Mullins-trained mare who was unlucky enough to bump into both Arkle and Flyingbolt in the 1960s.

As a trainer, Tom had hundreds of winners, including homebred Ingabelle who won the Phoenix Sprint Stakes at the Phoenix Park before being sold to John O’Connor of Ballylinch Stud.

Now focusing on breeding, Tom bought the Lope De Vega mare Vida Amorosa for very small money in 2017 and her first two foals (both by Mehmas) have been the speedy Gubbass and Persian Force.

A Group 2 winner last year, Persian Force finished second in two Group 1 races, second in the Coventry, third in the Middle Park, and fourth at the Breeders’ Cup in Keeneland, where Tom’s son Tony is vice-president of sales.

Tony and his brother Barry, who works alongside his father at Ballygeashill Stud, have inherited their father’s work ethic. Tom and his wife Peg helped to get Pat Smullen started as a jockey, assisting the future champion rider to become champion apprentice twice.

Next Generation

Co Limerick’s Michéal Conaghan won the Weatherbys Next Generation Award. He bought Goffs Land Rover Bumper winner Absolute Notions as a foal and, after failing to sell him as a store, took the bold move to put the horse in training with Gordon Elliott. Two days after the horse won at Punchestown last April he was sold for €370,000.

Michéal is also involved in the flat side of the business, and had a great year at the sales under both codes, so it will be interesting to see what he does next.

Facile Vega puts his reputation on the line at Leopardstown this weekend but he has already won the Young National Hunt Horse of the Year Award for his breeders, Sean Deane and Ger O’Brien of the Hammer & Trowel Syndicate.

It was appropriate that this award was sponsored by the Irish National Stud, where Facile Vega’s dam Quevega is based.

Jonathan remembered

The late Jonathan Fitzpatrick was remembered when his family took to the stage to receive the Novice Hurdler Award for Sir Gerhard. This dual Cheltenham winner was bred in Kilkenny by Jonathan who was just 23 when he died in a car accident in 2017.

Ken Parkhill is no stranger to receiving gongs at this evening. The Castletown Quarry Stud owner is the third generation of his family to breed thoroughbreds and his latest star, Bob Olinger, traces back to Sharpaway, a mare Ken’s father Marshall bought for just 700gns in 1975. Bob Olinger won the Rathbarry Stud Novice Chaser Award.

Co Galway breeder Sean Murphy was beaming as usual when he leapt to the stage to collect the Tattersalls Ireland Hurdler of the Year Award for Flooring Porter, the dual Stayers’ Hurdle winner.

Shishkin’s breeders Clive Bennett and his late wife Eileen were represented by Carolyn Bennett and Lucy Smith, daughter of Terry Biddlecombe. They picked up the Declan Landy-sponsored Chaser of the Year Award as footage of the unforgettable 2022 Clarence House Chase was played.

Aga Khan success

The Aga Khan Studs celebrated 100 years in existence last year and it turned out to be an excellent season for the organisation with Vadeni winning the Prix du Jockey Club and the Eclipse Stakes. In Ireland, Tahiyra won the Moyglare Stud Stakes and won the Two-Year-Old Filly Award, sponsored by Darley.

Princess Zahra Aga Khan made the trip especially to receive the award, and was accompanied by her mother, Princess Salimah Aga Khan, who was celebrating her birthday.

Another who travelled a long distance to be at the awards was Eva Maria Bucher Haefner. The Moyglare Stud owner was the only person to win two awards: Homeless Songs won the Three-Year-Old Filly Award (sponsored by Arqana) and Kyprios was named Stayer of the Year, sponsored by Coolmore.

A year ago Ben Sangster made his first visit to the awards night to pick up the Two-Year-Old Colt Award for Luxembourg and he was delighted to be asked back again this year to accept the Sean Barrett Bloodstock Three-Year-Old Colt Award for the same horse, winner of the Irish Champion Stakes.

The aforementioned Tony Lacy of Keeneland was called upon to present the Keeneland Two-Year-Old Colt Award to Tim Hyde Snr. Tim and his son and namesake bred champion juvenile Little Big Bear at their Camas Park Stud and Summerhill operations in Cashel.