British and Irish racing have never been so entwined - prompting a belated debut

I spent Monday on a flying visit to London to attend the Derby Awards lunch. It was a big day on several counts: my first time on an aeroplane in more than two years; my first time at a major indoor gathering since the start of the pandemic; and it was also my Derby Awards debut having joined the Horserace Writers and Photographers Association this autumn.

So why did I join the HWPA for the first time almost 35 years after my first contribution to the Racing Post? Short answer, I wanted to be eligible for consideration for a Derby Award. But there was a bit more to it. This year, more than at any time in my career, I have been conscious of the symbiotic relationship between British and Irish racing.

Of course it has always been thus, a centuries-old tradition of trade in horses between the two countries, the constant stream of Irish riders and stable staff who have made Britain their base, a history in which the former colonial masters were instrumental in devising many of the enduring structures and customs of Irish racing.