Derby Awards

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I like Greg Wood alot and think he deserves this award. Nick Luck on the other hand....how did Mick Channon win the "International Trainer Award"?

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By Tony Elves 3:56PM 7 DEC 2009
GREG WOOD of the Guardian was on Monday named Racing Journalist of the Year at the annual Derby Awards lunch, supported by Boylesports.com, at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London.
The trophy was voted for by the 300-plus members of the Horserace Writers' and Photographers' Association, after an independent judging panel had reduced the 20 entries down to a shortlist of four, which featured the Racing Post's Steve Dennis and David Ashforth, the reigning title-holder, and the Independent's Chris McGrath.
Nick Luck took the title of Broadcaster of the Year for the third yearrunning, while freelance Alan Crowhurst was named as Photographer of the Year, an award for which the Post's David Dew was shortlisted.

Paul Nicholls is awarded National Hunt Trainer of the Year for the fifth consecutive year, with Tony McCoy wresting the title of National Hunt Jockey of the Year back from Ruby Walsh.
The remarkable year enjoyed by the Sea The Stars team saw John Oxx named Flat Trainer of the Year, Michael Kinane Flat Jockey of the Year and Christopher Tsui Owner of the Year.

In recognition of his 40-year training career, which has featured more than 3,000 winners, Barry Hills received the George Ennor Trophy for Outstanding Achievement in front of an audience that included his wife, Penny, and his five sons, John, Michael, Richard, Charles and George.
Journalist of the Year Greg Wood
Photographer of the Year Alan Crowhurst
Broadcaster of the Year Nick Luck
National Hunt Jockey of the Year Tony McCoy
National Hunt Trainer of the Year Paul Nicholls
Flat Jockey of the Year Michael Kinane
Flat Trainer of the Year John Oxx
Owner of the Year Christopher Tsui
International Trainer of the Year Mick Channon
George Ennor Trophy for Outstanding Achievement Barry Hills
Stable Staff of the Year Pat Kavanagh and Dave Bradley
 
"Owner of the Year" sounds an odd category.
Unless, of course, through their ownership they've contributed to racing ...
Sure, a great horse, but what did Mr Tsui actually do -- apart from doing the owning, that is; not a great deal of effort involved in that!
 
mrussell said:
"Owner of the Year" sounds an odd category.
Unless, of course, through their ownership they've contributed to racing ...
Sure, a great horse, but what did Mr Tsui actually do -- apart from doing the owning, that is; not a great deal of effort involved in that!
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dunno, being clever enough to have that much money and put it into horseracing probably deserves as much of an award as anything else. He should get another award for being so young... apart from these couple of things I've got nothing against him though...
 
I have

He retired a great horse in his prime so that he could make some money he simply has no need for . He deprived a sport which is short of heros of one of the few horses (talking flat here) that could have elevated the profile

There is nothing at all to admire about his actions
 
Thought it all looked very meaningless, predictable and safe. Nick Luck's won this prize before, hasn't he - 'Broadcaster of the Year'? Well, he was a fair choice, given the bunch of Class 6 handicappers he might have been competing against, let's face it.
 
Not sure why anyone would not agree with Luck's award (though these things are a bit silly)

Hes a cracking good broadcaster
 
But not up against any real competition, was my point, clive. And he don't 'arf go on a bit! To be honest, I've found Matt Chapman's visits to stables and discussions with trainers to be very interesting. He's not the manic maniac portrayed in the booth on ATR - measured, engaging, and capable of asking sensible questions which elicit sensible, fulsome answers. I can't see what the Derbys are meant to do, other than to salute the obvious.
 
Nothing wrong with Nick Luck, I'd have it between him, Balding and Hislop but the latter is an acquired taste.

F*ck knows how Kinane won jockey of the year, he's just been lucky to sit on one horse all year. He's borderline inept at other times.
 
Hislop suffers from verbal diarrhoea - I've no doubt that she is a font of knowledge (although comes up short, as do many commentators, on actually knowing how a horse should be put together, and doesn't seem to know anything about pedigrees), but she will go on and ON, especially when coupled with Steve Mellish. I'm sure they're paid by the word, because boy, are they windy! I think Claire does the best job of speaking just about enough to get a point across, and asking sensible questions of interviewees. Nick Luck has frequently asked questions, been given the answers, and then talked on oblivious to having been answered.

I've no idea why Lesley Graham wasn't given the prize - after all, surely no-one asks more searching questions, such as "How did that feel?" and "How does that feel?" or the more insightful "That has to feel marvellous." I defy anyone not to feel better informed.
 
krizon said:
I've no idea why Lesley Graham wasn't given the prize - after all, surely no-one asks more searching questions, such as "How did that feel?" and "How does that feel?" or the more insightful "That has to feel marvellous." I defy anyone not to feel better informed.
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That's disrespectful towards Rishi Persad, to be quite frank.
 
I apologise for my gross oversight, tracks. Do let me try to make amends. Rishi has brought a much-needed element of eager, almost puppy-like, enthusiasm to the screen, entirely unencumbered by the constraints of knowledge or first-hand experience. If only we could have more youngish presenters like him - unfettered by any received wisdom or past connections, they engender the sort of accessibility to the sport which 'Racing for Change' had in mind with its remit to jolly up racing.

There are far too many earnest, middle-aged presenters waffling on about form and statistics, as if any of that matters to a fun day out. Nice clothes (and who made them), designer shoes, the reasonable price of the Bolly at Ascot, the Double Trigger menu at Glorious Goodwood. Those are the insights we crave and, thank goodness, we have our champion in Mr Persad!
 
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The Derby Awards are mostly about George Ennor's legacy and the outstanding achievement award to Barry Hills was easily the highlight of the day among the usual glib stuff. The entire Hills family took to the stage and got a tremendously warm reception as Barry was honoured. He's looking terribly frail right now - more so than I'd realised.

Mick Channon (hugely successful in Turkey, I'll have you know) accepted his award with the words "We wouldn't have received this award if we hadn't stopped Youmzain in the Arc!"
 
clivex said:
I have

He retired a great horse in his prime so that he could make some money he simply has no need for . He deprived a sport which is short of heros of one of the few horses (talking flat here) that could have elevated the profile

There is nothing at all to admire about his actions
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Without owners you wouldn’t have horse racing at all, so it’s a little perverse to view an owner retiring a horse to stud as depriving anyone of anything.

With things as they stand it is inevitable that such horses are retired when such huge returns on huge investment is at stake. No one is rich enough to ignore the sort of money we are talking about here.

If we don’t want 3-y-os to be retired we should make it that they compete with older horses on an equal basis. Then true champions would emerge later in their careers.

As it is all of the very good stallion prospects will be retired at the end of their 3yo old careers. It is pointless to blame the owner. Why not congratulate him for making the colt available to us in the first place and not put his money into something else.
 
No one is rich enough to ignore the sort of money we are talking about here
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Are you an accountant or something? What a dismal mind set!

Of course they are "rich enough". What does he NEED it for FFS?

Hes hit the jackpot once. Been bloody lucky

In the US there is a tradition of philanthropy. You know. giving something back? Somehow billionaires over there seem to find such sums "easy to ignore".

Its a pathetic reflection of both the sport and its owners that they would rather stare at a bank statement than watch a horse run and that so many seem to find that somehow admirable


It is pointless to blame the owner. Why not congratulate him for making the colt available to us in the first place and not put his money into something else.
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You are surely having a laugh here....
 
On the subject of the Derby Awards, would anyone like to price up the chances of Lord Derby sending a yearling each to James Fanshawe and John Gosden next season?
 
clivex said:
Are you an accountant or something? What a dismal mind set!

Of course they are "rich enough". What does he NEED it for FFS?

Hes hit the jackpot once. Been bloody lucky

In the US there is a tradition of philanthropy. You know. giving something back? Somehow billionaires over there seem to find such sums "easy to ignore".

Its a pathetic reflection of both the sport and its owners that they would rather stare at a bank statement than watch a horse run and that so many seem to find that somehow admirable




You are surely having a laugh here....
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...this is very naive clivex. I don't like the situation any more than you do, but unless you change the basis of the way the thoroughbred industry (and Flat racing in particular) is set up it will continue.

Owners cannot be expected to be philanthropists serving our entertainment. It is nevertheless fortunate that some people are willing to invest into a game they are likely to lose at, otherwise we wouldn't have the level of competition that we do.
 
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It should be pretty obvious that the Tsui family are looking to and hoping for Sea The Stars to transform their breeding operation and safeguard its future for many years, if not decades, if not longer.

One might legitimately see an onus on the big owner-breeders like Coolmore, Sheikh Mohammed or the Aga Khan to keep their best horses in training. But when you've already got so much good bloodstock producing away at home, it's a lot easier to take the risk of something catastrophic happening to your latest superstar.

The Tsui's don't have that luxury; and they've already seen their priceless foundation mare die suddenly earlier in the year. I don't begrudge their decision for a second.
 
I dont understand why you dont get it Steve

They can do what they like, but ask me to admire it..... no

Its extremely rich (and lucky) people ensuring they get richer. I am far from being left wing but there comes apoint when the obsession with accumulation of money for the sake of it is pure greed and rather sad given that the alternative is the excitment of testing a great horse through another series of challenges

Its not "naive" Its called sport
 
For once I agree with Clive.

By all means let him retire the horse to stud. But we shouldn't be awarding him for this, and certainly not awarding him as a great owner by virtue of him owning the best horse. Had he owned the best horse and resisted the temptation to retire him, then we can talk turkey.

Surely there are some owners who have done something meaninful for the sport?
 
Learning that Jeremy Kyle smokes ruined the whole day for me, after all the grief he gives countless boozers and druggies each and every morning you'd have thought he'd lead by example! No one has mentioned them but I thought Alan Crowhurst's photographs were stunning. Once again it was an excellent Derby Awards and the Boylesports funded happy hour in the Mitre afterwards exceptional value considering hour many hours it actually lasted!
 
Euronymous said:
Maybe he should buy a crappy football team and then give talentless c*nts like James Beattie 40K a week.
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I won't stand for this...

James Beattie kept us up last season with his goal haul. Also, Peter Coates is far too shrewd to get involved with racehorse ownership! :p
 
clivex said:
In the US there is a tradition of philanthropy. You know. giving something back? Somehow billionaires over there seem to find such sums "easy to ignore".
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This is nothing short of xenophobic nonsense Clive.

There are plenty of US owners who have ducked challenges when it has come to races, Tsui did not. The fact that Tsui comes from "over there" is completely irrelevant.

As others have pointed out, they lost a mare and risking the superstar stallion was a huge risk. He proved everything he needed to on the track and I would have loved him to stay in training more than anyone but I can totally understand the decision.
 
Euronymous said:
Maybe he should buy a crappy football team and then give talentless c*nts like James Beattie 40K a week.
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Not for much longer if reports are anything to go by:

BBC 5 live's Dan Roan reported: "I've been told by sources very close to the player that contrary to reports James Beattie has most definitely not apologised to Tony Pulis, nor does he feel the need to following a bust-up between the pair at the Emirates on Saturday.
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"Furthermore his future at Stoke is now
in the balance and there is, I'm told, every chance he has played his last game for the club".
 
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