Grand National hero Morris handed special achievement honour

Mouse Morris was the recipient of the special achievement honour at the 2016 Horse Racing Ireland Awards held at Leopardstown on Monday.

The award, voted for by the media and members of the public, was in recognition of the trainer's achievement in saddling a rare Grand National double last season, when he won the Irish Grand National with Rogue Angel and 12 days later the Grand National at Aintree with Rule The World.

The victories prompted emotional scenes at Fairyhouse and Aintree following the death the previous year of the trainer's son, Christopher, from carbon monoxide poisoning in Argentina.

After receiving his award, Morris told the audience that his son, Jamie, had informed him at Aintree that the trainer's words in the post-race TV interview could not be understood. "My response was that I couldn't understand them either," Morris said.

The other nominees for the award were Adrian Keatley, trainer of Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Jet Setting; John Kiely, trainer of Leopardstown and Punchestown Gold Cup winner Carlingford Lough; David Mullins, rider of Rule The World; Kevin Prendergast, trainer of Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Awtaad; and Joseph and Donnacha O'Brien, who were nominated jointly for their Group 1 success with Intricately in the Moyglare Stud Stakes.