THE NOMINATIONS for the 2016 annual Horse Racing Ireland Awards were announced this week, with 26 stars of the racing industry in the running to win an award. Trainer Enda Bolger from Bruree has been nominated in the point-to-point category.
RTE sports broadcaster Des Cahill will be master of ceremonies for the awards, which take place at Leopardstown Racecourse on Monday December 5th.
Enda Bolger’s On The Fringe has continued to break records at the big spring Festivals, with his popularity easily gauged by the rapturous reception he received following his Champion Hunter Chase success at the Punchestown Festival.
That success followed on from victories at both Cheltenham and Aintree weeks earlier. The Cheltenham-Aintree Foxhunters double within the same year, is an achievement that only three horses in the modern era have ever managed to achieve, with Double Silk the last to do so in 1993. However On The Fringe has bettered that, repeating his achievements of last season when recording a second successive triple crown of the three big spring hunter chases at Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown.
Enda continues to prove his talent for cross country races with his Wish Ye Didn’t taking the Ladies Cup, while Quantitativeeasing provided the Limerick trainer with a thirteenth La Touche success when winning the most prized of the Punchestown cross country races in April.
Over at Cheltenham’s cross country course, there was a clean sweep for Bolger during the season with his Josies Orders winning in the Cotswolds at their November and December meetings before later also being awarded the cross country race at the Cheltenham Festival.
Brian Kavanagh, Chief Executive of HRI said: “Every year, the Horse Racing Ireland Awards give us the opportunity to celebrate the tremendous achievements in the Irish racing industry, both at home and on the world stage. The exceptional reputation of Irish racing and breeding is built on the achievements of the hugely talented people we are so lucky to have and I wish all nominees the very best of luck.”
The Goracing.ie website contains information about the awards and each of the nominees, an image gallery and all the latest news. It will also provide a live stream of the awards on December 5th. Voting is now open for the Outstanding Achievement category.
