The Curragh announces winners of The Curragh 2020 Awards
The annual awards ceremony took place online on Thursday 26th November
The categories which were open to public vote included the Leading Riding Performance, the Leading Training Performance and the Horse of the Season.
The winners include:
Special Achievement Award - John Oxx
The Curragh Riding Performance - Winner Colin Keane, Siskin, Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas
The Curragh Training Performance - Kieran Cotter, A Step Too Far
The Curragh Horse of the Season - Magical
The Curragh & TRM Best Turned Out End of Season Draw for €1000 - Jaci Paz De Oliveira, DK Weld, Ciel D'Afrique, 06/11/20
Watch back the awards ceremony
The annual awards ceremony took place online on Thursday 26th November. The categories which were open to public vote included the Leading Riding Performance, the Leading Training Performance and the Horse of the Season.
The Curragh Training Performance - Kieran Cotter, A Step Too Far
Kieran Cotter’s handling of A Step Too Far was one of the stories of the season. Joining the awards ceremony via video link, an overwhelmed Cotter thanked everyone who was part of the four-year-old’s remarkable journey this season with six handicap race wins in a row.
“I’m hugely honoured and flattered…But this award is not for me – it is for everyone here in Clonanny.”
“A Step Too Far has been a shining light on what has been a bleak year with Covid and for us it has been nothing but one long happy journey.”
The Curragh Riding Performance - Winner Colin Keane, Siskin, Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas
“Siskin is a horse that I’ll remember for a long time, giving me my first domestic Group 1 winner as a 2 year old and then to go on and give myself and my boss our first classic winner.”
The Curragh Horse of the Season – Magical – Paul Smith, Owners’ Representative
Magical won two Group 1’s at The Curragh this season including the Tattersalls Gold Cup and Alwasmiyah Pretty Polly Stakes.
‘She has always shown to be tough, genuine, beautiful action and a great mind’
“The plan is to race her next month in Hong Kong.”
The Curragh Special Achievement Award - John Oxx
John Oxx, Curragh trainer of many equine greats like the brilliant Sea The Stars, Sinndar and Alamshar was awarded the Curragh Special Achievement Award for his contribution to Irish racing.
“The Curragh is close to my heart” “No place is dearer to my heart than The Curragh is.”
The Curragh & TRM Best Turned Out End of Season Draw for €1000 - Jaci Paz De Oliveira, DK Weld, Ciel D'Afrique, 06/11/20
Congratulations to Jaci Paz De Oliveira, winner of the Best Turned Out prize of €1000. The TRM ‘Best Turned Out Winners Draw’ is an initiative with TRM and The Curragh which commenced in 2019 to Champion stable staff throughout the season. Every winner of a Best Turned Out prize gained entry into a draw to be in with a chance of winning €1,000 at the end of the season and each winner also received a TRM-Curragh gilet and baseball cap. The ‘BTO’ award is a fantastic way to reward the grooms for their hard work and effort in not only getting their Horse to the races but turning them out beautifully too.
The nominees include:
The Curragh Riding Performance
Adam Farragher, A Step Too Far, Heffernan Tyres Joe McGrath Handicap
Billy Lee, Sonaiyla, Manguard Plus Summer Fillies Handicap
Chris Hayes, Aloha Star, Airlie Stud Stakes
Colin Keane, Siskin, Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas
Mark Gallagher, Allora Yeats, Sky Bet Handicap
Seamus Heffernan, Santiago, Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby
Shane Foley, Not Now Zeb, Into Kildare We Care In Kildare Handicap
The Curragh Training Performance
Aidan O’Brien, Magical
DK Weld, Search for a Song
Ger Lyons, Siskin / Even So
Jessica Harrington, Lucky Vega / Cayenne Pepper
Johnny Murtagh, Sonnyboyliston
John McConnell, A Case of You
Ken Condon, Law of Indices/Romanised
Kieran Cotter, A Step Too Far
Noel Meade, Elysium/ Helvic Dream
Paddy Twomey, Sonaiyla
The Curragh Horse of the Season
Even So, Juddmonte Irish Oaks
High Definition, Smurfit Beresford Stakes
Lucky Vega, Keeneland Phoenix Stakes and 2nd in GAIN Railway Stakes
Magical, Tattersalls Gold Cup and Alwasmiyah Pretty Polly Stakes
Peaceful, Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas
Pretty Gorgeous, A.R.M Holding Debutante Stakes and 2nd in Moyglare Stud Stakes
Santiago, Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby
Search for A Song, Comer Group Irish St Leger and 3rd in Tattersalls Gold Cup
Siskin, Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas
Thunder Moon, Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes
2019 Winners
The Curragh Riding Performance - Billy Lee
The Curragh Training Performance - Denis Hogan
Curragh Horse of the Season - Magical
Special achievement award - Donnacha O’Brien