Athlone jockey shortlisted for Ride of the Year award

Athlone jockey Rory Cleary is one of six jockeys shortlisted for the prestigious Ride of the Year Award by Horse Racing Ireland.

The winner will be chosen by public vote. Voting is open on the Horse Racing Ireland website here until 5pm Friday, December 3.

Cleary is nominated for his ride on Mac Swiney in the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas.

Fran Berry and Davy Russell discuss Rory's nomination here:

He faces competition from Darragh O'Keeffe, Hugh Morgan, Colin Keane, Ricky Doyle and Chris Hayes.

All the nominees' rides can be seen here

Cleary is also shortlisted in the Flat Achievement Award category, one of seven, in the prestigious awards for landing the biggest success of his career when winning the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas on the Jim Bolger-trained Mac Swiney at the Curragh in May.

It was a first Classic and Group 1 success for one of the most popular jockeys and his success was widely acclaimed, especially by his weighroom colleagues who clapped the Athlone-born rider back into the winners’ enclosure on a most memorable day.

In a seven-strong shortlist, Cleary faces competition from Ado McGuinness for his Group 1 win in the Prix de l’Abbaye; Ben Coen who was just 19 years of age when partnering Sonnyboyliston to success in the Irish St Leger; Edward Lynam who won the Group 1 Flying Five Stakes with Romantic Proposal; Jim and Jackie Bolger for their Classic and Group 1 success with Poetic Flare and Mac Swiney; Noel Meade who enjoyed a first Group 1 success with Helvic Dream and Paddy Twomey who maintained a fine strike-rate throughout the year.

The winners will be announced at the HRI Awards virtual ceremony on December 15, available to view free-to-air on Racing TV and also at hri.ie.