Honeysuckle, Constitution Hill and Mac Tottie among NH Breeders' Awards winners

The National Hunt breeding and racing community convened at the Hilton Garden Inn in Doncaster on Monday evening for a celebration of the best of British bloodstock at the TBA’s eighth annual NH Breeders’ Awards.

Nick Luck hosted the Goffs UK-sponsored event, which saw the presentation of 14 awards recognising the success of horses, breeders, stallion managers and agents.

Exceptional racemare Honeysuckle dominated the hurdler categories, taking both the Midnight Legend Trophy (Leading Hurdler Mare) and Yorton Stud Trophy (Leading Hurdler), for breeder Dr Geoffrey Guy and the team at The Glanvilles Stud.

The eight-year-old’s flawless season of wins at the top level, which included a second victory in the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, cemented her affections and stature with the judging panel.

The prestigious Queen Mother’s Silver Salver was presented to bloodstock agent Aiden Murphy for his outstanding contribution to the industry.

A successful breeder, his horses include the Swinton Handicap Hurdle winner Copperless and the half-siblings Copper Kay and Which One Is Which, who were first and second in a Listed mares’ bumper at Cheltenham.

As an agent Murphy has been associated with the likes of 2016 Grand National hero Rule The World, and Grade 1 winners Blazing Bailey, Captain Chris and Cue Card, among others.

He said: "It's great fun and you've just got to keep at it. Tomorrow's another day."

His keenness to help son Olly in his training endeavours was obvious, and he added: "We've got to find the Menorahs for him now. I need him to have those Grade 1 horses."

Murphy also expressed his admiration for the TBA's Elite NH Mares' Incentive Scheme, saying: "It has made a huge difference."

Aiden Murphy: deserving winner of the Queen Mother’s Silver SalverCredit: Peter Mooney

Owner-breeders won five of the categories, including the Eric Gillie Ltd Trophy Special Award, which went to Steve and Jackie Fleetham for Mac Tottie.

A product of the TBA/Levy Board’s first Elite NH Mares’ Scheme, the son of Midnight Legend finished his season with a comfortable win in the Grade 3 Topham Handicap Chase at Aintree.

Jackie Fleetham said: "Tot Of The Knar [dam of Mac Tottie] was an amazing horse for us, and we put everything into it, we watch racing every day and are obsessed with it."

Her husband added of breeding: "You don't do it to make money, you do it to lose money!" He also revealed that Mac Tottie's sister, Mo Tottie, had foaled for the first time earlier that evening.

Edwardstone capped a fairytale season for owner-breeders Robert Abrey and Ian Thurtle with success in the Leading Novice Chaser category. The Overbury Stud Trophy was presented to the Thurtle family in recognition of the eight-year-old’s five victories, which included two at the highest level.

Ian Thurtle said: "We're neighbours with Robert, great friends and point-to-pointed together."

His early thoughts about last season's Arkle winner were let out of the bag - "when Edwardstone was about two, Ian said, 'If that horse is a racehorse, I'll eat my hat'" - but he took the reminder in his stride and added: "He was a strong foal, and we foaled him with [daughter] Alice."

Edwardstone: didn't exactly impress joint-breeder Ian Thurtle as a youngster but he is delighted to have been proved wrong!Credit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Tim Frost’s family collected the Shade Oak Stud Trophy (Leading Chaser), for his homebred Sam Brown. The Anthony Honeyball trained ten-year-old finished his season with a win in a Grade 3 handicap chase at Aintree in April.

Snow Leopardess was victorious in the Leading Chaser Mare category thanks to a hat-trick of wins in the 2021-22 season, which included a Grade 3 triumph in the Becher Handicap Chase.

Marietta Fox-Pitt collected the Highflyer Bloodstock Trophy for her remarkable mare, who had returned to the racecourse after foaling a filly.

She said: "She tries hard, loves her racing and makes us all happy. She'll race next season, then we'll breed from her."

Snow Leopardess: Grand National fences, having a foal - you try me, I'll do it!Credit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

The Dudgeon Cup, sponsored by Alne Park Stud, was presented to Alex Hales for It Doesn’t Matter, who was elected the 2022 NH Broodmare of the Year. She is the dam of Millers Bank, who provided owner-breeder Hales with a memorable first Grade 1 victory as a trainer in the Manifesto Novices’ Chase at Aintree in April.

He said: "It's fairly foolish to be a trainer, but to breed as well, it's double that! Aintree was amazing but the whole thing feels like beginner's luck and we'll just enjoy the 15 minutes of fame."

Sally Noott collected the Peel Bloodstock Trophy for Leading Novice Hurdler as breeder of Constitution Hill. The exciting five-year-old, who is unbeaten under rules, has recorded back-to-back Grade 1 wins in 2022 including a stunning success in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Noott said: "He's what every breeder dreams of, and it's incredible for a small breeder like me. I'm very lucky and have been guided well."

Asked by Luck if the rising star had stood out as a youngster, Noott replied to the contrary, saying: "He was a pleasure to have but was a very quiet foal; you just don't know how they are going to turn out."

Constitution Hill's dam Queen Of The Stage will be sold online by Goffs on Tuesday, carrying a full-sibling to the Cheltenham Festival winner, and Noott said simply: "It will be bittersweet but the good ones pay for the not-so-good ones."

Constitution Hill: 'very quiet foal' whose dam is being sold next week carrying a full-siblingCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

The Mickley Stud Trophy (Leading Novice Hurdler Mare) was awarded to the late Elle Est Belle, whose racecourse career was capped with a pair of Listed successes.

Her owner Ian Lawrence collected the award on behalf of breeder Rita Vaughan, their Dan Skelton-trained mare having sadly suffered a fatal injury in the Mersey Novices' Hurdle at Aintree last month.

Her passing was obviously still raw for Lawrence and wife Suzanne, and he said: "We were gutted, and we're still gutted now. We thought she was the nuts and weren't expecting that, Dan had the next three years planned out and we were going to breed from her.

"Sue and I were racing virgins, but it hasn't put us off. It was a bit of a blow though, and we miss her like hell."

Elle Est Belle, whose owner Ian Lawrence spoke movingly about the award-winning mareCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Hullnback, a five-year-old son of Schiaparelli, won the Elusive Bloodstock Trophy as Leading National Hunt Flat Horse for breeder Joanna Daniell, while Lily Du Berlais was awarded the Batsford Stud Trophy (Leading National Hunt Flat Mare), for breeder John Lightfoot.

The Horse & Hound Cup was the first stallion award presented, and the trophy for leading active British-based sire in terms of individual chase winners went to Overbury Stud’s Simon Sweeting for Schiaparelli, who has taken on the mantle from the great Kayf Tara.

Sweeting said: "This horse has never had the opportunities that Kayf Tara had, he's a great favourite in the yard and I'm just very pleased for the horse."

For the second year in a row Nathaniel won the Whitbread Silver Salver as leading active British-based stallion in terms of National Hunt prize-money. Newsells Park Stud’s Julian Dollar was presented with the award by TBA trustee Kate Sigsworth.

Dollar was teased by Luck about Nathaniel's prowess in the jumps arena, and Dollar admitted: "I spent £25,000 marketing this horse as a Flat stallion!"

Nathaniel is sire of this year's unbeaten Cazoo Derby favourite Desert Crown, and Dollar added: "He's an amazing Flat stallion, and he's a pretty good National Hunt stallion too."

Nathaniel: doing the business on the Flat and over jumpsCredit: Edward Whitaker

TBA National Hunt Committee chairman Bryan Mayoh said: "I was delighted that, once more, the TBA National Hunt Breeders’ Awards dinner proved a fantastic success, with over 160 guests attending, including award nominees, breeders, trainers and leading industry figures.

"Most importantly, though, it was fun, as we heard stories from the winning breeders of how the British-bred stars of the 2021-22 season were produced, including established champions such as the great Honeysuckle and the remarkable Snow Leopardess, as well as stars of the future in the incredibly promising Constitution Hill and the super-consistent Edwardstone.

“The audience was also delighted to honour the principal non-equine winner, Aiden Murphy, who was presented with the Queen Mother's Silver Salver for his outstanding contribution to British National Hunt breeding.

"His successes include both GB-breds purchased as a bloodstock agent, the Grand National winner Rule The World and the dual multiple Grade 1-winning chaser Cue Card amongst them, and as a breeder - where his achievements include Poppy Kay, Copperless and the trainer Olly Murphy!"

Mayoh added: “National Hunt breeding represents a love affair for most of its participants, in which we try to make our dreams of breeding an outstanding champion come true. As ever, it was enthralling to hear those that have succeeded in this endeavour interviewed by our superb host, Nick Luck, so fuelling our own dreams for another year.”

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