Would Flat racehorse Sea The Stars get your vote in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year (SPOTY) awards?
With six consecutive Group One wins in six months under his belt, the recently retired Sea The Stars has been hailed as a global superstar, making headlines around the world.
And H&H would like to see him win one final trophy as he retires to stud.
Though the BBC awards are really intended for humans, Nijinsky and his connections won the team award in 1970 and Bob Champion and Aldaniti won in 1981, so we believe Sea The Stars should have a similar claim.
Being Irish-born and trained, the horse does not qualify for the main BBC SPOTY (for Brits only), but could be eligible for the overseas personality award.
At the time of going to press, the BBC was not 100% clear on whether a horse would be eligible for the award — so help us to convince those involved that he should.
Unlike the BBC SPOTY, which is decided by public vote on the night of transmission (13 December) from a selection of 10 nominated finalists, the overseas personality award is decided in advance.
A BBC spokesman said 30 top sports editors would each be invited to nominate a favourite and second-favourite candidate for the Overseas Personality of the Year between 2-13 November.
She added that competition would be stiff as Sea The Stars would be likely to go up against sporting heroes like Roger Federer and Usain Bolt.
H&H is therefore urging you to join us in lobbying sports editors to make sure they don’t forget this colossus of the Turf in their nominations.
Lucy Higginson, Editor of H&H, said: “Let’s put Sea the Stars on prime-time TV once more by lobbying the sporting press — and those who compile the SPOTY shortlists — to include this once-in-an-era horse. Let’s face it, he is MUCH faster than Usain Bolt.”
The three-year-old was hailed as one of the greatest racehorses of all time earlier this month after he became the first horse to win the 2000 Guineas, the Derby and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (news, 8 October).
Lobby the papers
To help Sea The Stars win a BBC title, email the following sports desks putting his name forward.
sportletters@sunday-times.co.uk
sport@independent.co.uk
Sport@dailymail.co.uk
letters@thetimes.co.uk
sport@guardian.co.uk
sport@telegraph.co.uk
sport@thetimes.co.uk
This news story was first published in Horse & Hound (22 October, ’09)
