The elite of Ireland’s racing industry were out in force at L’Officina restaurant in Kildare Village to celebrate The Curragh Annual Racing Awards 2011 yesterday evening. The Tipperary Crystal awards ceremony celebrated the leading training and riding performance at The Curragh Racecourse in 2011. Each month during the season members of the racing media nominated the leading training and riding performance. All of the winners gathered to find out who took the overall prize in each category with jockey Joseph O’Brien (Roderic O’Connor in the Abu Dhabi Irish 2000 Guineas) and trainer Vincent Ward (Fictional Account winning The Irish Field St Leger Trial Stakes) scooping the top prizes of the overall leading riding and training performances of the year.
Curragh Racecourse Commercial Manager Evan Arkwright commented, “The awards have given a great focus throughout our racing season and we are very grateful to Tipperary Crystal for their ongoing support of the racecourse, while I would also like to commend the press for their assistance by selecting such deserving winners each month”
The Curragh Tipperary Crystal Leading Riding and Training Performance Monthly Winners
Month Jockey Trainer Selected by
May Joseph O’Brien Aidan O’Brien Brian O’Connor of the Irish Times
Teamed up to win Abu Dhabi Irish 2000 Guineas with Roderic O’Connor
June Gary Carroll Jessica Harrington Mark Costello of The Irish Field
Gary rode Invincible Ash to land the Woodies DIY Sapphire Stakes and Jessica saddled three winners over Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby Festival
July Martha Pisarek Tracey Collins Niall Cronin of the Evening Herald
Martha won Thalgo Ladies Derby and Tracey trained Across the Rhine to win the Minstrel Stakes
August Fran Berry Vincent Ward Gary O’Brien of At The Races
Teamed up to win The Irish Field St Leger trial with Fictional Account beating Fame and Glory
Sept Johnny Murtagh Patrick Prendergast Tony O’Hehir of the Racing Post
& Eddie Ahern
Eddie and Johnny dead heated in The Irish Field St Leger on Duncan and Jukebox Jury, Patrick trained Coral Wave to win Flame of Tara Stakes and CL Weld Park Stakes
OVERALL WINNERS: JOSEPH O’BRIEN AND VINCENT WARD