'The 18th-century pioneers created the whole landscape of the sport'

17th Earl of Derby 1865-1948
Breeder
The modern Thoroughbred as we know it would not exist without the stallions and broodmares bred and owned by the 17th Earl of Derby. Phalaris, Pharos, Colorado, Fairway, Hyperion, Alycidon and many others spread the influence of Stanley Stud around the world, and made the uncrowned 'King of Lancashire' even more important as a breeder than Federico Tesio, Aga Khan III, Bull Hancock, Eddie Taylor and John Magnier.

Sir Charles Bunbury 1740-1821
Administrator
This baronet dominated the Jockey Club for four decades, turned it into a nationwide governing body, and helped to replace races in 4m heats with single, shorter races like the Derby – he famously lost the toss of a coin with Lord Derby to have it named after himself – and bred the great Highflyer. The 18th-century pioneers created the whole landscape of the sport, whereas modern administrators can only tinker with the details.

John Schapiro 1914-2002
International pioneer
The man who did most to promote international racing was John Schapiro through the Washington DC International, the race he inaugurated in 1952. The owner-manager of Laurel Park racecourse in Maryland attracted champions from around the world to his 1m4f invitational turf event, pushing back for ever the horizons for top-class horses. Regular international competition would have happened without Schapiro, but he hastened its advent.