ITBA Western Awards a chance to 'celebrate the people in this region and the horses behind it'

The West of Ireland produced the country's first medal of this year's Olympics when Sligo's Mona McSharry swam to bronze in Paris on Monday night and on Wednesday it was the turn of the thoroughbred breeders along Ireland's western shores to take their turn in the spotlight as the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders Association (ITBA) celebrated their annual awards at the Galway Races.

Almost 300 people came together at Ballybrit for a special lunch honouring the achievements of their friends and neighbours and it was the exploits of Moss Tucker and Corbetts Cross that earned their respective breeders the titles of Flat and National Hunt breeder of the year.

Ken Condon's Group 1 Flying Five Stakes winner Moss Tucker was bred by Irish rugby legend Donal Spring, who was the number eight on the storied Munster team that defeated the All-Blacks at Thomond Park in 1978. Capped seven times by Ireland, the forward remains involved in the ownership of Moss Tucker as a member of the Charlie Bit Me Syndicate and the six-year-old son of Excelebration is named after two of Spring's Munster team-mates; Moss Keane and Colm Tucker.

Spring bred Moss Tucker out of the Pastoral Pursuits mare Rare Symphony and he has won nine of his 33 starts, including the Group 3 Phoenix Sprint Stakes and a trio of Listed contests.

The National Hunt chaser award also had a connection to sport as Gerry Murphy was rewarded for the Cheltenham Festival success of Corbetts Cross with the National Hunt breeder trophy.

Murphy, from Ballymacward in east Galway, lined out for the county's hurlers at Croke Park on occasions and is also a well-known and successful breeder of Irish sport horses and Connemara ponies. At last year's ceremony he won the Small Breeder of the Year prize thanks to the victory of the Emmet Mullins-trained gelding in the Grade 2 Johnstown Novice Hurdle.

Ita Sheridan (ITBA) Pat Rabbitt (centre), breeder of Maxxum, and Maurice Moloney of Coolmore with the award for National Hunt hurdlerCredit: ITBA/Hannah Marks

The son of Gamut, who stands not far from the racecourse at Rosshill Farm, is the only runner out of Annagh Hill Lady and has twice won in Grade 2 company. He was also runner-up in the Grade 1 Neville Hotels Novice Chase and third in Aintree's Bowl last season and provided a poignant success for the Mullins family at Cheltenham when winning the first running of the National Hunt Chase since it was renamed in honour of the late first lady of Irish racing, Maureen Mullins.

Murphy's successor as recipient of the small breeder prize also hails from Galway in owner-breeder Paul Mullins, while the National Hunt hurdler prize was also kept in Galway.

Pat Rabbitt, a tractor dealership owner from Athenry, is the breeder of Listed handicap hurdle winner Maxxum, who carries Rabbitt's silks, which are inspired by the maroon and white of Galway.

The seven-year-old son of Westerner is trained by Gordon Elliott for Rabbitt and is the younger full-brother of the Grade 3-placed Magnium. They are out of Anshan Bay, who hails from the family of the brilliant Limestone Lad.

This year's point-to-point prize was given to Michael Coughlan, and Liam and Eric Mulryan were named owner-breeders of the year.

Tuam jockey Rossa Ryan was recognised for his successes on Shaquille in the July Cup and Bluestocking in the Pretty Polly Stakes, while John Flannelly, the manager of Ballinrobe racecourse, was given the contribution to industry prize.

ITBA chairperson Cathy Grassick remarked: ‘It is great to be back at Galway this year to celebrate the success of Western breeders. The awards are a wonderful opportunity to showcase our industry and today we celebrate the people in this region and the horses behind it."

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