A magnificently crafted ode to another glorious year of racing

It's always one of my favourite days of the year when the doorbell rings and it's the latest edition of the Racing Post Annual being delivered.

Now in its 12th year, the annual has become a staple of my winter reading and, no doubt, the Christmas stockings of many big racing fans. I'm happy to report that this year's offering, expertly pulled together as always by editor Nick Pulford, is another gem.

Indeed, it is so good that it presents something of a dilemma. I'm supposed to pick out one of the articles to run as an extract in the Racing Post. I can't remember finding it so hard to choose and you'll understand when you have your own copy. I'm certainly spoilt for choice.

The shortlist is currently three. Influenced slightly by the time of year, all three wonderful articles relate to jump racing.

In the order in which they are presented in the annual, the first is Pulford's own article on the wonderful battle between Shishkin and Energumene in the Clarence House Chase at Ascot, a race that became "an instant classic" in the words of the author.

Pulford paints a magnificent picture of the whole day at Ascot and, before that, from the cynicism that the confrontations would even take place, through the angst that goes with the anticipation of such clashes, to the thrill of then witnessing something so rare and special.

Of course, as Pulford says, not all head-to-heads actually materialise. In fact, you can usually rely on one or even both protagonists to underperform. That was what transpired in the race that plays a big part in the second article on my shortlist, yet Bob Olinger's disappointing display merits only a footnote in the story of Galopin Des Champs's heartbreaking final-fence exit in the Turners Novices' Chase at last season's Cheltenham Festival.

There are some marvellous articles in this year's annual, including Rachael Blackmore's Gold Cup glory on A Plus Tard

David Jennings is at the helm of this one and is keen to look forward as well as back. St Patrick's Day 2023 is the date in David's mind, when Galopin Des Champs will have the chance to put his Turners torment behind him when back at Cheltenham for the Gold Cup. David reminds us not just how good he was at the festival but goes back to his extraordinary chase debut – the best of the modern era according to Racing Post Ratings – and the words of his trainer Willie Mullins: "That was just something else."

St Patrick's Day 2022 was one hell of a party at Cheltenham, in particular for one group of owners whose pride and joy is the subject of the third article on the shortlist. Flooring Porter's second successive Stayers' Hurdle win sparked wild scenes of celebration, again brilliantly brought to life by Pulford.

This jumps focus doesn't in any way mean that Flat fans are short-changed. The first three articles in the annual recall a trio of superstars of the summer in Baaeed, Alpinista and Desert Crown, with Lee Mottershead's words on how Baaeed became an all-time great a particular joy to read. All the star names of 2022, including Highfield Princess, Kyprios and Trueshan on the Flat and Constitution Hill, Honeysuckle and A Plus Tard over jumps, are given proper prominence.

Read all about Baaeed's remarkable exploits in this year's annual

But so, too, are the tough reads, remembering the tragic death of Jack de Bromhead and the war in Ukraine, with Jonathan Harding recalling his part in racing's aid mission.

Whether designed to make you smile or make you cry, what every page has in common is that it is beautifully crafted and presented using all the very best racing photos of the year, doing justice to the wonderful words of the Racing Post's finest writers.

The Racing Post Annual 2023 is here! Look back on a star-studded year in this fabulous 208-page book packed with the best stories and pictures. The perfect gift at £19.99. Order from racingpost.com/shop or call 01933 304858 now!