Irish Racing Yearbook features interview with top Kildare trainer

The Irish Racing Yearbook 2026, which includes an interview with Kildare jockey turned trainer Johnny Murtagh - will be officially launched at Punchestown Racecourse on Tuesday, December 9.

This year’s edition includes a feature interview with Patrick Mullins, last year’s winner of the award and the amateur jockey who captured the Grand National in April. Mullins, assistant trainer to his father Willie, speaks about Aintree, his ambitions, and what publishers describe as “the relentless appetite of the boss of Closutton.”

Mullins will also attend the official launch at Punchestown.

A regular contributor to the Yearbook, Mullins also pens a piece on Seán Flanagan, “the man with the pilot’s licence and the valeting business that rode Marine Nationale to win the Champion Chase in March.”

Rachael Blackmore grants her first in-depth interview since her retirement in May to editor Daragh Ó Conchúir, discussing the reasoning behind her decision, how much she misses race riding, and her current views on the role of gender in the sport.

Alan O’Sullivan speaks about the influence of his late brother Michael after his death in February, while Johnny Murtagh tells  of his ambition to match his success as a jockey in his training career, and of his belief in promoting racing’s positive stories.

Paul Townend discusses achieving the rare calendar-year Grand Slam—Cheltenham Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle, Grand National and King George - while acknowledging while noting that results a year later “were a reminder to enjoy the highs when they come.”

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Other contributors include Gold Cup winner Gavin Cromwell, Derby-winning jockey Wayne Lordan, Group 1-winning trainer Joe Murphy and his son Joseph, and figures such as Pat Doyle, Dylan Browne McMonagle, Billy Loughnane, Sam Ewing, Danny Gilligan, Robson Aguiar, Cian Collins, Gary Carroll, Jody Townend, Richie McLernon, Nicola Burns, Declan Queally, Eoin McCarthy, Andy Slattery, Eric McNamara, Toni Quail, Barry Stone and Pat Downes of Aga Khan Studs.

Marking major anniversaries in 2026, the Yearbook reflects on Imperial Call’s Cheltenham Gold Cup victory 30 years ago and Galileo’s Derby Double 25 years on. It also pays tribute to those lost during the year, including Michael O’Sullivan, Kevin Prendergast, Edward O’Grady and Mikey O’Connor, and features coverage of international achievements by Willie Mullins, Aidan O’Brien, Gordon Elliott and Henry de Bromhead.

Regular sections on sales, stallion analysis and horses to follow return, alongside an expanded breeding section and additional digital content on G1. Fans will again find GO RACING vouchers—worth over €3,000 in free racecourse admission—offered in partnership with Irish racecourses.

Irish Racing Yearbook 2026 (€49.50/£42.50) is available now in bookshops and newsagents, and can be ordered online or by phone.