Sizing John, Winter and Capri among nominations for Horse of the Year

Sizing John, winner of the Irish Gold Cup, Cheltenham Gold Cup and Punchestown Gold Cup, dual Classic winner Capri, and four-time Group 1 winner Winter are among six nominations in the Horse of the Year category for the Horse Racing Ireland awards.

The shortlists were announced on Friday, with the annual awards presented at Leopardstown on December 5.

Also nominated for the award are Europe's all-time leading prize-money earner Highland Reel, Irish Grand National winner Our Duke, and Un De Sceaux, who landed three Grade 1 events last season.

Jessica Harrington, trainer of Sizing John and Our Duke, is nominated in the National Hunt category along with champion trainer Willie Mullins, Gordon Elliott, Henry de Bromhead and jockeys Robbie Power and Ruby Walsh.

Aidan O'Brien, who has set a world record for Group 1 wins in a calendar year, champion jockey Colin Keane, Seamie Heffernan, champion apprentice Oisin Orr and trainer Ger Lyons are the nominees for the Flat award.

The Point-to-Point award shortlist consists of Barry O'Neill, Jamie Codd, Denis Murphy, Liz Lalor and Colin Bowe.

Voting for the above awards will involve members of the Irish Racing media, while voting on the Outstanding Achievement Award will also be open to the public.

Nominated for the Outstanding Achievement category are Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Joseph O'Brien, Derby-winning jockey Padraig Beggy, champion conditional rider Racheal Blackmore, amateur rider Lisa O'Neill, jockey Jack Kennedy and trainer Pat Kelly.

Public voting for this award will begin at 9am on Tuesday on www.goracing.ie, or can be done via forms available from HRI.

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