Alastair Down was crowned
Racing Writer of the Year for an unprecedented third time today (Monday,
December 3) at the 46th annual Horserace Writers & Photographers
Association Derby Awards Lunch, held in London and supported by
Boylesports.com, Spinal Research and the Spinal Injuries Association.
His first Clive Graham
Trophy for being Racing Writer of the Year came in 1996 when he was with The
Sporting Life and the second in 1999 for contributions to the Racing Post, for
which he still works.
Down triumphed ahead of
his stablemates Lee Mottershead, the winner last year, and Peter Thomas, plus
freelancer Lissa Oliver.
Edward Whitaker, another
Racing Post stalwart, collected his fifth Photographer of the Year Award,
another record after success in 1999, 2002, 2003 and 2006. His winning
portfolio of photos meant he saw off Louise Pollard, Tracy Roberts and George
Selwyn who were also nominated.
Two new awards have been
introduced this year, the John Oaksey Trophy for Racing Reporter of the Year
and the Picture of the Year Award.
Chris Cook of The Guardian
won the inaugural Racing Reporter of the Year Award, with another journalist
from The Guardian, Greg Wood, Racing Writer of the Year in 2009, the Racing
Post's Jon Lees and The Daily Telegraph's Marcus Armytage the three other
contenders.
A photo of John Smith's
Grand National winner Neptune Collonges and trainer's daughter Megan Nicholls
enabled Tracy Roberts to capture her first Picture of the Year Award at the
Derby Awards, with the judges also considering distinctive images from Bill
Selwyn, George Selwyn and Edward Whitaker.
The Peter O'Sullevan
Trophy for Broadcaster of the Year is a relatively recent accolade and the
first winner, Clare Balding in 2004, repeated the feat in 2012, with Mike
Cattermole, Graham Cunningham and the four-time scorer Nick Luck runners-up.
In other changes this year
to the Derby Awards, the separate National Hunt and Flat Awards for Trainer of
the Year and Jockey of the Year were done away with and an amalgamated Trainer
of the Year and Jockey of the Year emerged.
This meant that the
trainer's award was between Sir Henry Cecil, John Gosden, Paul Nicholls and
Aidan O'Brien, with the first-named emerging triumphant for his flawless
handling of the peerless Frankel. No other trainer can match Sir Henry's eight
Trainer of the Year Awards at the Derby Awards.
The nominees for the
riders' award also came from both the National Hunt and Flat worlds, with
William Buick, Richard Hughes, Graham Lee and Tony McCoy put forward for
consideration.
Hughes enjoyed a memorable
year, becoming champion Flat jockey for the first time, and this swayed
the voters who made him Jockey of the Year for the second time, following on
from his 2002 Derby Award for Flat Jockey of the Year.
The Owner of the Year was
Prince Khalid Abdulla for the third time in succession and fourth overall.
Frankel must have given immense pleasure to his owner/breeder who gained more
votes than Anthony Knott, Lady Rothschild and Derrick Smith.
The President's Award went
to BBC Racing, with the broadcaster sadly exiting from the sport at the end of
the year after decades of coverage.
The George Ennor Trophy
for Outstanding Achievement also marked the end of an era, with John Dunlop
retiring from training after many years at the helm of Castle Stables near
Arundel.
The International Trainer
of the Year, sponsored by the International Racing Bureau, was Newmarket-based
Marco Botti.
The 46th annual Horserace
Writers & Photographers Association Derby Awards Lunch took place at the
Lancaster London this afternoon (Monday, December 3) and was supported by
Boylesports.com, Spinal Research and the Spinal Injuries Association.
Details of the 2012 Derby
Awards
International Trainer of
the Year - Marco Botti (presented by Adrian Beaumont to Aimee Hockley-Righton)
Picture of the Year -
Tracy Roberts (presented by Paul Roy)
John Oaksey Trophy for
Racing Reporter of the Year - Chris Cook (presented by Lady Oaksey)
Owner of the Year - Prince
Khalid Abdulla (presented by Lee Mottershead to Lord Grimthorpe)
George Ennor Trophy for
Outstanding Achievement - John Dunlop (presented by Dan Abbott)
Jockey of the Year -
Richard Hughes (presented by Claire Lomas to Lizzie Hughes)
President's Award - BBC
Racing
(presented by Steven Cargill to Sir Peter O'Sullevan, J A McGrath, Jimmy
Lindley, John Hanmer, Richard Pitman, John De Moraville, Gerry Morrison, Carl
Hicks & Angus Loughran)
Trainer of the Year; Sir
Henry Cecil
(presented by Leon Blanche to Lady Jane Cecil)
Peter O'Sullevan Trophy
for Broadcaster of the Year - Clare Balding (presented by Sir Peter O'Sullevan to Andrew
Balding)
Photographer of the Year -
Edward Whitaker (presented by Alan Reilly)
Clive Graham Trophy for
Racing Writer of the Year - Alastair Down (presented by Lord Derby)
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