The shortlisted nominees have today been announced ahead of the 2018 Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Awards.
The panel of 12 judges have overseen 256 applications and narrowed them down to just ten finalists in each of the six categories.
The next stage of judging will now begin with judges speaking directly to all candidates who have made it onto the shortlist.
The judges will consider those conversations alongside the written nominations before narrowing the candidates down to just three finalists per category.
The final stage of judging will take place in London on the day of the awards ceremony, Monday 19 February 2018.
Finalists will be interviewed face-to-face by the judges who will then decide the winners and runners-up for each category.
The results will be revealed later that evening at the awards ceremony at the Jumeirah Carlton Tower hotel in Knightsbridge by ITV Racing’s Ed Chamberlin.
Brough Scott, Chairman of the judging panel, said:
“This is always a very difficult but humbling task. Year on year we are faced with countless examples of dedication and hard work, by the stud and stable staff who underpin the racing and breeding industries.
“On behalf of the judging panel, I would like to thank everyone who took the time to nominate, and send my commiserations to those who were not successful in making it to the next stage of the process.
“We now have the unenviable task of condensing our shortlist of ten down to three in each category, and I wish all those still in the running for the 2018 awards the very best of luck.“
The shortlist nominees are listed below:
Notes to editors:
1. The awards are sponsored by Godolphin and run by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) in association with the Racing Post. The categories are:
- Leadership Award
- Dedication Award
- Rider/Groom Award
- Stud Staff
- Rory MacDonald Community Award
- David Nicholson Newcomer Award (for those who have entered racing within the last three years)
- Employee of The Year
2. The ‘Rory MacDonald Community Award’ acknowledges those who support the stud and stable staff or have made an outstanding contribution to benefit the wider racing community. The Awards provide an opportunity for the racing industry to highlight and thank the hard work put in by stud and stable staff across the country, and this award in particular acknowledges people who have had a positive impact on their community.
3. The winner of each of the first four categories will receive a prize of £5,000 with an additional £5,000 also being awarded to the winner’s yard or stud. Two runners-up in each of these categories will win £2,000 each, with the same amount going to their yard or stud.
4. The winner of the Rory MacDonald Community Award will receive £5,000, with the same going to a charity of their choice. The two runners-up will receive £2,000, with the same going to a charity of their choice.
5. The winner of the David Nicholson Newcomer Award will receive £2,000, with the same amount going to their yard or stud, while two runners-up will receive £1,000 each, with the same amount for their yard. There is an additional prize for the winner of the David Nicholson Newcomer Award, which includes return flights, a five day educational tour of Dubai together with five nights’ accommodation.
6. The Awards will also recognise an Employee of the Year, who will be selected from the winners of the first four categories. That winner will receive an additional prize of £15,000, with the same amount going to their yard or stud.
