The voting is now open for this year’s HWPA Derby Awards. Voting is open to members of the HWPA only, who can cast their votes between now and noon on Sunday 7th November.

They should vote for one nominee in each category, with the winner the person who has the most votes by the closing date.

The email for voting is: hwpavoting@gmail.com

Awards will be presented at the Derby Awards Lunch, kindly sponsored by HKJC, Coral and Vertem, at the Lancaster Hotel in London on Monday 6th December.

The submitted articles in the written awards can be read, along with the judges’ citations, at hwpa.org

The shortlists for the Awards which are voted upon are as follows (a * denotes previous winner of each award:

Writer of the year – for the Clive Graham Trophy 

David Jennings (Racing Post)
David impressed with his ability to put his interview subjects at ease, a skill that was rewarded with candour from the O’Leary brothers and Frances Crowley. This ensured his pieces were interesting, entertaining and accessible.

Jack Keene (The Sun)
Jack earned praise for his punchy, concise and honest style, which meets the demands of writing for a tabloid audience without losing any of the weight of the big topics he has tackled. His first-person piece on gambling addiction was a particularly strong example of this.

Lee Mottershead (Racing Post) *
Lee scored highly on all fronts, with his three submissions displaying versatility, a well-crafted writing style and an impressive command of his subject matter. His Shergar piece was highly commended for its fresh approach to a familiar story.

Richard Forristal (Racing Post)
Richard addressed some of the big issues of the year with a sure-footedness that made his submissions essential reading over the year for anyone with an interest in the sport, off the track as well as on it. The judges were particularly impressed with his robust handling of the sensitive issue of Gordon Elliott’s return.

Reporter of the Year – John Oaksey Trophy

Bill Barber (Racing Post)

Chris Cook (Racing Post) *

David Jennings (Racing Post)

Peter Scargill (Racing Post)

Broadcaster of the Year

Jamie Lynch (Sky Sports Racing)

John Hunt (BBC Radio 5Live, Sky Sports Racing, course commentator) *

Ken Pitterson (William Hill Radio, ITV)

Lydia Hislop (Racing TV) *

Nick Luck (Racing TV) *

Rishi Persad (ITV, Racing TV)

Stewart Machin (Racing TV, course commentator)

Flat trainer of the Year

Andrew Balding

Charlie Appleby

John* and Thady Gosden

Tim Easterby

Flat jockey of the Year

David Probert

Hollie Doyle *

Oisin Murphy *

William Buick

National Hunt trainer of the Year

Dan Skelton

Fergal O’Brien

Henry de Bromhead

Paul Nicholls *

National Hunt Jockey of the Year

Brian Hughes *

David Bass

Harry Skelton

Rachael Blackmore

Owner of the Year

Emma Banks

Jeff Smith *

Kenny Alexander

Kirsten Rausing

The Awards for Specialist Writer and Emerging Talent are decided by the panel of judges. The shortlists in these two awards is as follows:

Specialist Writer of the Year

Alan Sweetman (Racing Post)

Ian Carnaby (freelance)

Keith Melrose (Racing Post)

Kevin Blake (Attheraces) *

Emerging Talent Award – Alan Lee Trophy

Adam Houghton (Timeform)

Brian Sheerin (Racing Post)

James Stevens (Racing Post)

Jess Stafford (Racing TV)

Maddy Playle (Racing Post)

Tim Williams (ITV)