The 23rd Horse Racing Ireland Awards delivered a stirring celebration of excellence and achievement last night, with Rachael Blackmore receiving the Contribution to the Industry Award only months after she retired from the saddle.

Blackmore, whose career rewrote what was possible for women in National Hunt racing, joined an illustrious roll of previous winners that includes HH the Aga Khan, Jessica Harrington and JP McManus.

Presenting the award, HRI Chief Executive Suzanne Eade said it was “hard to think of someone who made such a profound impact on the sport so quickly,” noting Blackmore’s remarkable haul of 33 Grade 1 victories, 18 Cheltenham Festival wins, and her history-making triumphs in the Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase and, most memorably, the Grand National.

“Many of those moments arrived during Covid and helped brighten the mood of the nation,” added Eade. “They also caught the imagination as Rachael remains a role model, a true trailblazer.”

It proved a landmark night, too, for the Mullins family. The Horse of the Year Award ended in a rare tie, with Willie Mullins’ Galopin Des Champs sharing the honour with Ethical Diamond following the latter’s shock Breeders’ Cup Turf win in California.

It is only the second time the title has been shared, the last occasion coming a decade ago when Faugheen and Don Cossack jointly claimed the accolade.

Mullins senior also lifted the National Hunt Award, while his son Patrick received the National Hunt Achievement Award after his emotional Aintree Grand National victory aboard Nick Rockett.

On the Flat, newly crowned champion jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle took the Flat Award, confirming a breakthrough season for the Donegal rider. Tipperary trainer Joe Murphy was a warmly received winner of the Flat Achievement Award, recognised for Cercene’s Group 1 Coronation Stakes success at Royal Ascot.

Seventeen-year-old Nicola Burns continued her rapid ascent by claiming the Emerging Talent Award, having ridden more than 30 winners since debuting just over a year ago.

The Point-to-Point Award went to Sam Curling following Wonderwall’s Festival Hunter Chase victory at Cheltenham and a personal-best tally at home.

Punchestown was named Racecourse of the Year, earning its title through a combination of public voting, peer recognition from Ireland’s 26 racecourses and assessment by an HRI committee, with sustainability a key focus.

The evening concluded with a poignant moment as amateur rider Alan O’Sullivan received Ride of the Year for his Galway Festival heroics on Filey Bay in the Connacht Hotel Handicap, on a night when his late brother Michael was also remembered. The category was decided by public vote.

HRI Awards 2025 – Winners

  • Contribution to the Industry: Rachael Blackmore

  • Racecourse of the Year: Punchestown Racecourse

  • Flat Award: Dylan Browne McMonagle

  • National Hunt Award: Willie Mullins

  • Flat Achievement Award: Joe Murphy

  • National Hunt Achievement Award: Patrick Mullins

  • Emerging Talent Award: Nicola Burns

  • Point-to-Point Award: Sam Curling

  • Ride of the Year: Alan O’Sullivan (Filey Bay, Galway)

  • Horse of the Year: Galopin Des Champs / Ethical Diamond

 

Image Credit: Horse Racing Ireland

Further Reading for Sport for Business members:

Read our Sport for Business Coverage of Horse Racing

SPORT FOR BUSINESS  Upcoming Events

 

 

BOOK YOUR TICKETS HERE

 

Sport for Business Podcasts

 

MEMBERSHIP AND EVENT,

Horse Racing Ireland, as well as all the leading sporting and business organisations in and around the world of sport, are among the 300+ members of the Sport for Business community.  

This includes all of the leading sports and sponsors, as well as commercial and state agencies, individuals interested in our world, and an increasing number from beyond these shores taking a keen interest in Ireland.  

Find out more about becoming a member today.

Or sign up for our twice-daily bulletins to get a flavour of the material we cover.

Sign up for our News Bulletins here.