'This is more than an awards ceremony, it is a heartfelt thank-you' - hard-earned celebration at York

There has been plenty to celebrate on the Knavesmire of late but this was the night to stand up and shout 'Hallelujah'.

Yes, it was tremendous that the Juddmonte International was last month rated the best race run anywhere in 2024; and it was just as fantastic last week that the City of York Stakes was finally upgraded to Group 1 status. But that is the shiny side of racing, the part the exquisitely attired cognoscenti who flock to the Ebor meeting get to see.

Just as the most beautifully serene swan has legs furiously kicking away unseen under the water, so there is ferociously hard work going on beneath the surface to make sure that action takes place.

There would be no City of York or International or any of the other 10,000-odd races that are run each year without the unseen work at the yard or the stud; the heroic hands-on care and attention every horse receives; muck and nettles – with the emphasis on the muck. It is done by devoted people who would no more question the need to get up early and get down and very dirty every day than they would question their own names.

So it is something really special when the best of them are gathered in the Voltigeur Suite at York and the very best are presented with thoroughbred industry employee awards. As MC Rishi Persad said: “This is more than an awards ceremony, it is a heartfelt thank-you.”

The wholehearted thanks were soon flowing on stage, where prizes were presented by William Buick, the retained jockey of sponsors Godolphin and genuinely delighted to be doing the job.

"It's a great honour," the dual champion said. "Every jockey started off at grassroots level, we've been in the stables and done the job from scratch.

"We know how much goes into it, how much skill you have to learn and the dedication, the long hours. It's tough work but the connection these guys have with the horse is incredible."

The standard of short-listed nominees gets higher every year according to long-time chair of the judging panel Nick Luck, and so do the stories behind them.

Take diminutive Tyla Macfarlane, who has played a huge part in work partner Kalpana's becoming a Group 1 filly despite being herself, in her own words, "a nervous wreck" in her early days at Andrew Balding's yard. Or dedication award winner Jane Smith, who has been at Cadland Stables in Newmarket for more than 50 years – so long that she can remember when one of her jobs was changing the nappies of a baby John Ryan, now the trainer.

Award winner Jane Smith with William Buck (left) and Rishi PersadCredit: Dan Abraham

The 76-year-old said: "It's my life, it's all I've ever wanted to do and I'd like to keep on for a bit longer if I can."

Or Simone Meloni, who started out in showjumping in his native Italy but thought, 'Let's try where the racehorse was born, in England'.

Meloni, who works for Nicky Henderson, said on being crowned overall champion: "I feel really lucky because I know how hard everybody works for their horses. We spend all our day, all our months, all the year for our horses, just for the few minutes of a race. I know everybody is going to spend a lot of their life doing that and I feel really lucky to be here and to win this."

The BHA is not overwhelmed with praise nowadays so it is fully entitled to accept the bouquets for organising these awards. As acting chief executive Brant Dunshea said: "This is a wonderful event for us to celebrate the people that support our industry and effectively put it on.

"We learn about people who are doing incredible, amazing things on a daily basis, looking after our horses and people. It's my favourite night of the year in terms of being able to celebrate the sport."

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