WILLIE Mullins, Laura Joy and Patrick McCann were the three Irish winners at this week’s Horseracing Writers and Photographers Association ‘Derby Awards’ ceremony in London.

A year ago Patrick Mullins won the Racing Writer of the Year Award at this event and he was nominated once again for that prize this year. However that trophy went to Lee Mottershead but Patrick was still called to the stage to accept the Trainer of the Year Award on behalf of his father, Willie.

Patrick McCann, the Racing Post’s Irish-based photographer, is actually from Coventry but has been a part of the Irish racing scene for at least 10 years now and was a highly deserving winner of the Photographer of the Year Award.

Laura Joy is managing editor at European Bloodstock News and won the Specialist Writer of the Year Award.

Ash Symonds, a frequent contributor to The Irish Field, won the inaugural Content Award and other winners included Jack Keene (The Sun), freelance photographer Debbie Burt, author Michael Tanner, Vicki Gibbins (LAB Racing), jockey Sean Bowen and trainer George Scott.

As noted in this week’s Big Interview, Nick Luck won the Broadcaster of the Year Award for the 10th time. Nick was also MC for the event and had been led to believe that the award was destined for someone else until Oli Bell revealed that Nick had in fact won it again.

Earlier in the ceremony, a video clip was shown of Nick presenting the George Ennor Lifetime Achievement Award to J.A. McGrath at the Melbourne Cup.

Nick revealed afterwards that both he and Lee Mottershead had forgotten to bring the award to Australia, which resulted in a frantic dash around Melbourne to find a silversmith and an engraver.

“Eventually I had to go to a cooking wholesale shop where I purchased for the princely sum of A$12 a tray for mint imperials at a curry house,” Nick told over 500 laughing guests. “It then cost $120 to have it engraved. Matt Hill [Flemington race caller] found a $14 crystal decanter for Jim as well, so he got three trophies in the end.”