Colin Keane in contention for HRI award next month

Crowned champion jockey on Monday, Colin Keane is a nominee in the Horse Racing Ireland Awards announced today.

Also nominated are Ger Lyons, Gordon Elliott and Kildare-based Meath man Johnny Murtagh.

Keane could also be in the running for the 'ride-of-the-year' award after his display at the Curragh on Siskin in the 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh in June.

A total of 34 nominations have been made for the 2020 HRI Awards which will be presented at a virtual awards ceremony early next month.

“2020 has been a difficult year for so many but racing can be extremely proud of the how the industry has faced up to the challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic," commented HRI CEO Brian Kavanagh.

"Despite the challenges of the year, it remains important to honour the many tremendous achievements that show our industry in such a good light, both at home and abroad, and I congratulate all those nominated.”

Trainers Willie Mullins, Gordon Elliott and Henry De Bromhead and jockeys Rachael Blackmore and Paul Townend are the five nominated in the National Hunt Award category.

There are also five nominees for the Flat Award: Ger Lyons, Johnny Murtagh, Aidan O’Brien, Joseph O'Brien and champion jockey Colin Keane.

There are six nominees for the Flat Achievement Award: Kieran Cotter for his handling of six-time handicap winner A Step Too Far; Donnacha O'Brien for his Classic and Group 1 success in his first season as a trainer; Dermot Weld for his Classic/Group 1 double at ParisLongchamp and the Curragh in September; Tony Mullins for his success at home and abroad with

Princess Zoe; Emmet McNamara who landed the biggest win of his career in the Epsom Derby on Serpentine and Seamie Heffernan who cemented his position as one of the most successful Irish jockeys of all time with a host of top-level successes in 2020.

The four nominees for the National Hunt Achievement Award are: Eugene and Maxine O’Sullivan for their win with It Came To Pass at the Cheltenham Festival.

Patrick Mullins who counted Grade 1 winners Sharjah and Faugheen among his haul as he was crowned champion amateur for a record 12th time.

Charles Byrnes who won the Ladbrokes Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival for the third year running.

Darragh O'Keeffe who set a record of 45 winners when taking the 2019/2020 conditional jockeys’ championship.

The Point-to-Point category is made up of Colin Bowe, Barry O’Neill, Mark O’Hare and Rob James while the nominees for the Emerging Talent Award are all jockeys: Group 1 heroes Joey Sheridan and Shane Crosse; the champion apprentice for 2020, Gavin Ryan; Dylan Browne McMonagle who has effortlessly established himself as one of the leading apprentice riders and conditional jockey Sean O'Keeffe who is riding high in the National Hunt jockeys’ championship and who rode out his claim when winning the Cork Grand National on Sunday.

The five nominations for Horse of the Year are dual Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Al Boum Photo, his fellow National Hunt stars Envoi Allen and Honeysuckle, dual Classic winner Love and the multiple Group 1 winner Magical.

Seven category winners will be decided by a ballot of the Irish racing media – Horse of the Year, National Hunt Award, National Hunt Achievement Award, Flat Award, Flat Achievement Award, Point-to-Point Award and the Emerging Talent Award which was presented for the first time last year.