HWPA: Guardians of Racing's Decline

The HWPA Derby Awards shortlist has trotted in, and with it comes another round of self-congratulation for British racing’s finest journalists, broadcasters, and photographers. On 2nd December, they’ll gather at the Royal Lancaster in London, toasting each other for “excellence” in a sport that they’re supposedly holding to account – or would be, if only they could tear themselves away from the smoked salmon and claret long enough to ask an awkward question. But of course, asking awkward questions is hardly the modus operandi of the HWPA, the UK’s only official body representing race writers and photographers. Instead, they’re here to celebrate a quieter, safer form of journalism – the kind that keeps everyone feeling rather warm and fuzzy, leaving the troublesome business of scrutiny for someone else.

For all the pageantry, these awards are still stuck in a genteel past, where investigative journalism was something that happened to other industries. No Best Racing Website, no Best Online Columnist, and certainly no recognition for digital journalism – despite the fact that punters, fans, and even the casual viewer are getting their racing fix online, where the sport’s real stories are increasingly unfolding. Instead, the HWPA clings nostalgically to the legacy of Brough Scott, Peter O’Sullevan, and Richard Baerlein, legends who wrote with fearless clarity. Today’s roster, however, rarely dares stray from the BHA-approved narrative – and why would they? The awards themselves are generously sponsored by Coral, who, alongside the Hong Kong Jockey Club and WorldPool, are delighted to celebrate journalists who keep their work comfortably free of criticism for betting industry practices. Nothing quite says “objective reporting” like being funded by the bookies.

Bookmaker Sponsorship: Criticism, Exiled

The irony, of course, is delicious. Coral – one of the very forces shaping the sport’s landscape – is putting on the show for the very reporters who are supposed to be watchdogs of the industry. Perhaps in any other field, this arrangement would raise some eyebrows, but in racing it’s tradition, a time-honoured dance where journalists and bookmakers waltz around the actual issues, ensuring that horse racing coverage remains as polished, pleasant, and inoffensive as a BBC garden show.

Would Coral gladly sponsor awards for the “Most Relentless BHA Critic” or the “Best Exposé on Betting’s Dark Side”? Unlikely. No, these awards are reserved for categories like Racing Writer of the Year, Broadcaster of the Year, and Photographer of the Year, which in this context mean “those who’ve mastered the art of saying exactly enough, but not too much.” So on the shortlist, we find the likes of Lee Mottershead, Jonathan Harding, and Nick Luck, well-practiced figures in delivering racing news in palatable portions that never once disturb the serenity of the punter-bookie ecosystem. Nick Luck, the eternal gentleman of racing media, is up for Broadcaster of the Year yet again, proving that smooth delivery can, indeed, make even the most underwhelming race seem like an epic.

Photographer of the Year: A Lens on Racing’s Prettier Side

Then there’s Photographer of the Year, with Edward Whitaker, who’s eyeing his tenth award. While we can appreciate a beautifully captured racehorse, one wonders if the HWPA might ever think to honour photographers who show racing’s tougher side – the punters who’ve lost it all, the stables struggling to keep up, the pressures of equine overwork. Instead, it’s back to misty sunrises and heartwarming victory shots. Alan Crowhurst, Bill Selwyn, and Patrick McCann round out the category, each of them a talented professional who dutifully avoids any angle that might reveal the cracks beneath the sport’s polished surface.

The HWPA, as the only organisation advocating for race writers and photographers, could be encouraging its members to highlight the complexities of the sport: the BHA’s less-than-transparent decision-making, the cosy ties with betting firms, the gambling concerns. Instead, they’d rather frame the sport as pure spectacle, unbothered by the murkier realities. In other words, it’s a bit like calling a dog walker a lion tamer.

No Digital Categories? The Internet – Racing’s Invisible Venue

In a sport increasingly fuelled by digital conversations, you’d think the HWPA might create an award for Best Racing Website or Best Online Columnist to acknowledge the shift. But no, they remain blissfully loyal to the world of print. While punters and racing fans follow racing news on Twitter and online blogs, the HWPA has stuck stubbornly to a more nostalgic line-up, as if refusing to admit the internet even exists. Racing’s media ecosystem has evolved, yet here we are, watching the HWPA hand out awards as though racing coverage stopped in the 1990s, back when journalists like O’Sullevan and Baerlein brought genuine insight and candour to their readers.

From YouTube channels to podcasts, there’s an entire digital ecosystem of racing commentary, analysis, and even investigative journalism that’s bringing new, dynamic value to the sport. These platforms – hosted by everyone from former jockeys to passionate amateurs – offer lively, unfiltered perspectives that often cut through the polish of traditional racing coverage. Whether it’s a well-researched breakdown of a particular race or an unflinching discussion about betting’s darker side, these voices add a layer of richness, authenticity, and accessibility to racing that the old guard would do well to acknowledge.

And where’s the modern-day equivalent of those voices? Nowhere on this list, which instead serves up safe, predictable selections from the Racing Post, the industry’s own answer to Fleet Street’s more deferential years. By neglecting to honour any online writers or digital journalists, the HWPA effectively consigns racing’s future to the same roster of print stalwarts. And for the emerging talent that does make the shortlist, the lesson is clear: if you want a seat at the Derby Awards table, you’d best learn to play nice with the industry you’re supposed to cover.Try look at Attheraces website offers much information than a tepid Racing Post site but you wont find nominees from there.

The HWPA: Guardians of Racing’s (Managed) Decline

One has to admire the tenacity with which the HWPA clings to its traditions, even as racing itself faces what one might call “managed decline.” The sport’s old guard has always preferred to gloss over uncomfortable truths, and the HWPA has dutifully followed suit. Today’s racing media might aim for the same grandeur as O’Sullevan, but their approach is closer to that of an amiable publicist than a true journalist. The HWPA has unwittingly become not a force for accountability, but a keeper of racing’s rose-tinted view, where journalists praise each other for coverage that’s as tame as it is reassuring.

So, here’s to another year of polite smiles, raised glasses, and satisfied sponsors, as racing’s true future plays out online, with digital writers and independent bloggers tracking the sport’s real stories. Until the HWPA can acknowledge the internet and embrace journalism that genuinely engages with the complexities of modern racing, the Derby Awards will remain a charming relic – a celebration of an industry that once thrived on integrity but now floats in its own pleasant, antiquated bubble.