Racing Writer of the Year

Clive Graham Trophy

The Racing Writer of the Year award is the oldest prize available for members of the media and has continued to grow in prestige since Quintin Gilbey of the Sporting Chronicle won in the inaugural year, in 1967. The award celebrates the best features, news stories and comment pieces across the industry and is the final award to be given in the ceremony.

In 2022, the Racing Post’s Peter Thomas celebrated his first victory in the category. It was his fifth nomination for the Clive Graham Trophy and he achieved the breakthrough with a portfolio featuring Peter Chapple-Hyam, Colin Tizzard and Milton Harris.

Thomas won in an extremely strong shortlist for 2022 with Lydia Hislop (Sporting Life), Adam Houghton (Sporting Life/Timeform) and Daragh Ó Conchúir (freelance) also nominated.

Clive Graham
The first President of the reconstituted HWA, serving from 1967 to 1973, Clive wrote for the Daily Express and was the BBC’s paddock commentator.

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Peter Thomas

2022 winner

2023 entries

Entries for the 2023 Derby Awards are not open yet.

Entries for this category can be any sort of written work, including comment pieces, features, investigative reports, interviews or opinion pieces. Entrants are required to submit three pieces of work.

 

Previous winners

Year Winner
2022 Peter Thomas (Racing Post)
2021 Lee Mottershead (Racing Post)
2020 David Carr (Racing Post)
2019 Lee Mottershead (Racing Post)
2018 Alastair Down (Racing Post)
2017 Chris McGrath (Racing Post)
2016 Tom Kerr (Racing Post)
2015 Alastair Down (Racing Post)
2014 Alan Lee (The Times)
2013 Chris McGrath (The Independent)
2012 Alastair Down (Racing Post)
2011 Lee Mottershead (Racing Post)
2010 Brough Scott (Racing Post)
2009 Greg Wood (The Guardian)
2008 David Ashforth (Racing Post)
2007 Chris McGrath (The Independent)
2006 Tim Richards (Freelance)
2005 Richard Edmondson (The Independent)
2004 Alan Lee (The Times)
2003 Clare Balding (BBC) & Doug Moscrop (Newcastle Journal)
2002 Tom O’Ryan (Racing Post)
2001 Alan Lee (The Times)
2000 Alan Amies (Raceform)
1999 Alastair Down (Racing Post)
1998 Claude Duval (The Sun)
1997 Rodney Masters (Racing Post)
1996 David Ashforth (Sporting Life)
1995 Richard Evans (The Times)
1994 Alastair Down (Sporting Life)
1993 Paul Haigh (Racing Post)
1992 James A. McGrath (Daily Telegraph)
1991 John Sexton (Express & Star, Wolverhampton)
1990 Tony Morris (Racing Post)
1989 Michael Seely (The Times)
1988 Geoff Lester (Sporting Life)
1987 Peter Goodall (Press Association)
1986 Peter O’Sullevan (BBC)
1985 Jim Stanford (Daily Mail)
1984 John Sharratt (Raceform)
1983 Bill Garland (Press Association)
1982 George Ennor (Sporting Life)
1981 Jonathan Powell (The People)
1980 Michael Seely & Michael Phillips (The Times)
1979 Christopher Poole (Evening Standard)
1978 Tim Richards (Daily Mirror)
1977 Brough Scott (Sunday Times)
1976 Peter Willett (Sporting Chronicle)
1975 Peter Scott (Daily Telegraph)
1974 Tom Cosgrove (London Evening News)
1973 Richard Baerlein (The Guardian/Observer)
1972 Roger Mortimer (Sunday Times)
1971 Clive Graham & Peter O’Sullevan
1970 George Stevens (Birmingham Mail)
1969 Geoffrey Hamlyn (Sporting Life)
1968 John Lawrence (Daily Telegraph)
1967 Quintin Gilbey (Sporting Chronicle)