'The entries received have been outstanding' - prizes handed out at young writers' awards ceremony in Newmarket

The Young Writers on Horseracing awards were handed out at the National Horseracing Museum in Newmarket last Friday evening and the overall winner was European Bloodstock News journalist Xander Brett for ‘A Glass Ceiling Is Shattered At Tattersalls’.

The 25-year-old Brett won the 16-25 age group and £500 for his essay on Shirley Anderson-Jolag, who last year became the first female auctioneer to conduct a sale at Tattersalls.

In the 11-15 category, 12-year-old Lottie Corbett from nearby Bottisham Village College won for ‘Nobody Knows For Sure’ about the excitement of buying a foal at Tattersalls, for which she received £250.

Lottie Corbett receives her award from Josie Reed

The prizes were handed out by Josie Reed, one of the trustees of sponsors the Wilmington Trust and the sister of leading jumps trainer Nicky Henderson.

Last year Reed was the driving force behind introducing the replacement for the Martin Wills Awards, which were discontinued in 2017 after 25 years. The scheme was widened from Newmarket to a national catchment this year and finalists came from as far away as Berkshire for the awards evening.

As well as the Racing Post, the judges for the awards were ITV Racing's Oli Bell and Rishi Persad as well as Alison Hayes of the Newmarket Journal.

Christopher Tregoning, honorary trustee of the NHRM, said: “This is the second annual writing prize and the entries we received have been outstanding. It is early days but it has already become an important part of the museum’s policy of encouraging young people to become interested in the excitement and history of horseracing and to develop their journalistic skills.”

Read this next:

Who are the winners of the Irish Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards? Find out here 

Sign up to receive On The Nose, our essential daily newsletter, from the Racing Post. Your unmissable morning feed, direct to your email inbox every morning.