Top awards for Leopardstown Christmas Festival

A NEW initiative for the upcoming Leopardstown Christmas Festival has ben revealed with the Leading Trainer & Jockey Awards across the four days.

The format will be familiar to regular racegoers and will keep people updated on who is having the most winners across the week.

The successful winning trainer and jockey will receive a trophy recognising their achievements and a gift and motor insurance provided by O’Driscoll O’Neil Insurance Brokers but the real attraction will be the honour of winning the award.

The jockey and trainer table will be updated after each race and the leading jockey will wear an armband and the public will see the table throughout the four days.

Announcing the award, O’Driscoll O’Neil Insurance Broker Director Tim O’Driscoll said: “We are delighted to be a part of the Leading Trainer & Jockey Award. I have been a lifelong fan of racing and was lucky enough to have my first ever Leopardstown winner here at last year’s festival. O’Driscoll O’Neill have sponsored some of Ireland’s best-known jockeys for a long number of years and this association made sense for our brand given our existing sponsorship.”

Pat Keogh, the Chief Executive of Leopardstown Racecourse, added: “We are delighted to have secured the partnership of Tim and all the team at O’Driscoll O’Neil Insurance Brokers and we are delighted with the response from the trainers and jockeys. It is a nice addition to The Christmas Festival and adds another piece of spice to the four days. We are very grateful to O’Driscoll O’Neill for this great partnership.”

Sean Flanagan, leading jockey, has had a long-standing relationship with O’Driscoll O’Neill Insurance Brokers.

“Given the difficult job jockeys do, we appreciate initiatives like this which recognise those at the very top of our game,” he said. “But we also know that racing supporters like Tim O’Driscoll have long been committed to our game and the lads in the weigh room are very happy to get behind this and compete for that leading jockey armband each day.

“I can’t wait for the festival.”