Irish National Hunt Champions crowned at Punchestown

Presentations to the six National Hunt champions were made by Mr Charlie McConalogue, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, on the final day of the 2022/2023 season at Punchestown this afternoon.

There was a familiar look to the podium with five of the winners retaining their crowns with Michael O'Sullivan the only first-time winner as he is honoured as champion conditional.

The champions for the 2022/2023 National Hunt season are:

Champion Owner: JP McManus

Champion Trainer: Willie Mullins

Champion Jockey: Paul Townend

Champion Conditional: Michael O'Sullivan

Champion Amateur: Patrick Mullins

Champion Lady Amateur Rider: Jody Townend

For the 20th time and for the third season running, JP McManus is Champion Owner. Winner of the Horse Racing Ireland Contribution to the Industry Award in December, he landed his biggest racing success of the year as I Am Maximus took the BoyleSports Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse. McManus enjoyed Grade 1 success with Saint Roi at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival and with Gentleman De Mee at the Dublin Racing Festival. Perceval Legallois, Ballybawn Belter and Risk Belle were other notable winners in his famed hooped colours.

JP McManus said: “It’s always an honour to win the champion owner title. Thanks goes to all the trainers, jockeys and fantastic horses who gave my family and I some great days this season.”

Willie Mullins is crowned champion trainer for the 17th time on the back of a record-breaking season. Mullins sent out his 4,000th career winner in January and sets a new record for the number of winners in a National Hunt season (237) having surpassed his previous best of 212, set in the 2017/2018 season, at the Fairyhouse Easter Festival. He supplied JP McManus with his BoyleSports Irish Grand National winner, I Am Maximus, and also enjoyed significant wins in Ireland with the likes of multiple Grade 1 winners State Man, Galopin Des Champs, El Fabiolo and Facile Vega.

Mullins commented: “To win the champion trainer title is the icing on another great season for our team. Galopin Des Champs winning at the Dublin Racing Festival, and I am Maximus winning the Irish Grand National were two personal highlights for me. Winning titles like this wouldn’t be possible without our loyal owners who send us these wonderful horses. It’s a huge team effort at Closutton — our staff go above and beyond in all weathers and keep the show on the road so winning the champion trainer title is a tribute to everyone at home.”

Paul Townend can count his first Irish Grand National success on I Am Maximus among his winners as he is crowned champion jockey for the fifth consecutive season and for the sixth time in all. Townend reached the 100-winner mark for the season with his success on Gaelic Warrior in the Grade 1 Irish Mirror Novice Hurdle at Punchestown on Wednesday, his fourth career century. Other highs for the Midleton jockey included his Grade 1 wins on State Man, Galopin Des Champs and Facile Vega with Energumene, Gaillard Du Mesnil and Ashroe Diamond among his other top-level winners.

Townend said: “I’m in a very privileged position, riding so many superstars for Willie Mullins. We had an unbelievable season, especially on the big days like Christmas, Dublin Racing Festival, the Fairyhouse Easter Festival and at Punchestown this week. It was a great thrill to win such an iconic race like the Irish Grand National and finally get on that special roll of honour with I Am Maximus. Galopin Des Champs winning the Irish Gold Cup and the Cheltenham Gold Cup was exceptional too.”

Michael O'Sullivan began the 2022/2023 season as a 7lbs claiming amateur and he ends the term as champion conditional with three Grade 1 winners to his name. Riding for Barry Connell, he won the Bar One Racing Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse on Marine Nationale and the Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle on Good Land at Leopardstown’s Dublin Racing Festival before partnering the former to a famous success in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. Michael rode his first winner in the professional ranks in mid-September.

The Lombardstown, County Cork, jockey said: “I’ve had a brilliant season. My partnership with Barry Connell and our Grade 1s together were the pinnacle. I can’t forget my first big winner as a professional at the Listowel Festival. I had a double on the day and I won a big handicap for Terence O’Brien (Magnor Glory) and a had winner for Mikey Kennedy (Presenting J) — my local festival for local people. I had a double the following week for Barry Connell in Roscommon, including my first Graded success on board Enniskerry in the Ballymore Group Kilbegnet Novice Chase. The treble at Cork on Easter Sunday was also special.”

For the 15th time, record-breaker Patrick Mullins is crowned champion amateur. His most notable winners on home soil included Echoes In Rain at the Galway festival, Fun Fun Fun in the Grade 2 Coolmore N.H. Sires "Santiago" Irish EBF Mares I.N.H. Flat Race at the Dublin Racing Festival and Predators Gold at this week’s Punchestown festival. Mullins, whose career tally stands at over 750 winners, said: “Winning the champion amateur title means a lot to me and it’s something I never take for granted. I’m in a very lucky position to be riding for my father and his consistency in training winners has certainly been a huge help to my career. Two of my stand-out moments from the season must be winning the Connacht Hotel Handicap on Echoes in Rain at the Galway Festival. I had my first ride in the race in 2006, so I’d been a long time trying to cross the line in front. Winning on Fun Fun Fun at the Dublin Racing Festival was brilliant too — to ride a big winner on a horse that you bred, at a big festival, is very special.”

Jody Townend had another season to remember and she is crowned champion lady amateur rider for the third successive season and her haul includes success on Junta Marvel in the Grade 3 Weatherbys General Stud Book Irish EBF Mares Flat Race at Punchestown on Wednesday. Jody commented: “My season’s highlight has to be winning on Port Rashid and West End Victory at Thurles back in February — it was my first double and I lost my 3lbs claim in the process. Port Rashid, trained by my Dad, made it extra special. He gave me my first winner on the track and my first winners over hurdles and fences too.”

Horse Racing Ireland Chief Executive, Suzanne Eade, said: “My heartiest congratulations go to our champions JP, Willie, Paul, Michael, Patrick and Jody, all wonderful ambassadors for National Hunt racing and for Irish sport. A special mention must go to our three Cork heroes, Paul who gained his first success in the BoyleSports Irish Grand National, Michael who has enjoyed a sensational breakthrough season and to Jody who rode out her claim, a notable achievement for any rider.

“The season has been a great success with big numbers in attendance at our flagship meetings from start to finish. Thanks to a very special and dedicated workforce, the vast majority working behind the scenes in racing yards and stables in every county in the country, the Irish racing and breeding industries continue to go from strength to strength.”