Reigning Champion Jockey Richard Hughes will be presenting the trophies today [Monday March 4th 2013] at the Godolphin Stud and Stable Awards ceremony, taking place at the Jumeriah Carlton Tower Hotel in Knightsbridge.
Hughes, who is arriving back in Britain today following a spell riding in Dubai, will join presenter Clare Balding on the stage in front of an audience that will include leading industry representatives as well as the finalists, their colleagues and family.
Winners will be announced in the categories of High Achiever, Rider/Groom, Stud Staff, Dedication to Racing, David Nicholson Newcomer Award and the inaugural Administration Staff Award. In each of the first five categories, the judges have worked hard to narrow down to a shortlist of three finalists, from which the winner will be chosen. The winner of the Administration Award has already been decided but will also be announced at the ceremony.
The winner of each of the first four categories will receive £5,000, with runners-up to receive £2,000. The winner of the Administration Staff Award, for which there is only one finalist, will also receive £5,000. The winner of the David Nicholson Newcomer Award will receive £2,000, while the two runners-up will receive £1,000.
It is not just the finalists that will be rewarded as a result of their achievements, however. In each category the amount of money won by both the winners and the runners-up will be matched and awarded to their respective yards, to be shared amongst employees, recognising and acknowledging the hard work and dedication of their colleagues.
The Employee of the Year 2013, who is selected from the winners of the first four of the abovenamed categories, will also be announced at the ceremony. The Employee of the Year will receive an additional £15,000, likewise the same amount will be awarded to their yard.
The Awards, generously sponsored by Godolphin and run by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) with support from the Racing Post, are now in their ninth year and continue to attract strong support as they seek to recognise and reward the hard work and dedication of stud and stable staff around the country.
The finalists for The Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Awards 2013 are as follows:
| NOMINEE | EMPLOYER | |
| DAVID NICHOLSON NEWCOMER AWARD | ||
| Laura Hamilton-Smith | Andrew Black | |
| Holly Harper | Rose Dobbin | |
| Jack Teal | Malcolm Jefferson | |
| STUD STAFF AWARD | ||
| Cheryl Cory | Goldford Stud | |
| Kevin Gossage | Aislabie Stud | |
| Gill Murphy | Stowell Hill Stud | |
| RIDER / GROOM AWARD | ||
| Paul Burns | Brian Meehan | |
| Caroline Hovington | Ed Walker | |
| Seamus O’Gorman | Godolphin – Saeed bin Suroor | |
| HIGH ACHIEVER AWARD | ||
| Anthony Cromby | Sir Michael Stoute | |
| Dominique Dainton-McElroy | Donald McCain | |
| Robin Trevor-Jones | Ed Dunlop | |
| DEDICATION TO RACING AWARD | ||
| Brian ‘Jock’ Bennett | Mark Johnston | |
| Gerry McCormack | John Gosden | |
| Steve Raymont | Roger Charlton | |
