Dubliner Lisa Hogan, one of the stars of Prime Video’s hugely popular series ‘Clarkson’s Farm,’ has been announced as the lead fashion judge for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby Best Dressed Competition on Sunday, 30th of June.
The statuesque 6ft 2” blonde is a former model, actress, and artist, and is now the co-owner and founder of the ‘Diddly Squat Farm Shop’ located in Chadlington, Chipping Norton, in the heart of the west Oxfordshire Cotswold Hills in the UK. Lisa is the partner of Jeremy Clarkson, the well-known broadcaster and media personality who stars in the show, ‘Clarkson’s Farm.’ The series follows Jeremy’s attempts to run a 1,000-acre farm in the countryside, contending with challenging weather, disobedient animals, and unresponsive crops, with Lisa by his side, often knee-high in mud, the series provides an entertaining view into their lives and the day-to-day challenges that farming life presents.
Born and raised in Dublin, and despite not being from a farming background, Lisa has embraced the farming life with enthusiasm and resilience. Now, she will be swapping her muddy wellington boots for her Manolo Blahniks as she steps out on a different type of turf – the hallowed grounds of the Curragh Racecourse – to lead the fashion charge on Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby Day.
“I am really looking forward to a fantastic day of style and glamour,” said Lisa. “The Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh Racecourse is one of the most elegant days of the year, and I am really looking forward to seeing all the wonderful style on the day. Also, literally being on my own turf makes it even more special.”
Lisa will be joined in her search for the Best Dressed on the day by fashion writer Bairbre Power, and Alpana Cidambi and Breeda McLoughlin, representing title sponsor, Dubai Duty Free.
“I will be looking for glamour and elegance, “she continued. “It’s so wonderful to have the chance to see people all dressed up and of course I’m delighted to get off the farm for a while!”
Fellow judge, fashion writer Bairbre Power added, “I love to see individuality on show, and when a person dresses for themselves, their personality really shines through. Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby Day is the most glamorous day of the Irish social calendar, and the competition for ‘Best Dressed’ will be at an all-time high.”
The Best Dressed person on the day will win a fabulous array of prizes courtesy of Dubai Duty Free, including return flights for two to Dubai with five glorious nights in Dubai Duty Free’s own five-star hotel, The Jumeirah Creekside, and €1,000 spending money at the award-winning airport retailer.
Despite living in rural England now, Lisa still maintains strong links with fashion and Ireland and regularly visits friends and family. Her mother is former well-known model, Arlene Underwood, who is now Dr. Hogan and is busy translating medieval latin charters. Educated at Alexandra College in Milltown, Lisa later became a model, artist and actress. She also worked in the city of London in finance, banking and PR. Her list of many achievements includes being cast by John Cleese in 1997’s Fierce Creatures. She is very close to her family and has three sisters, one of whom, Aoibhne does all of the artwork for the Diddly Squat Farm Shop.
The Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby is the feature event of the festival of high-octane racing, where the best horses, jockeys, and trainers in the world compete for derby glory. The festival runs from Friday 28th to Sunday 30th of June, with the Irish Derby itself taking place on Sunday, 30th of June. The Best Dressed Competition is a highly contested affair, and racegoers are encouraged to arrive early to enjoy the day.
Meanwhile on the track itself, the sense of excitement is rising ahead of the 17th Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby Festival. Last year’s winner was the Aidan O’Brien trained ‘Auguste Rodin’ who was first past the post in the confident hands of jockey, Ryan Moore.
The newly appointed, Managing Director of Dubai Duty Free, Ramesh Cidambi will entertain guests on the day in the Dubai Duty Free private suite at the Curragh Racecourse on Derby Day. He will be joined by the recently retired, former CEO and Executive Vice Chairman, Colm McLoughlin who served as the head of Dubai Duty Free for over four decades.
The Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby Festival has grown beyond recognition since the airport retailer took on the role of title sponsor in 2008. The centerpiece, the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby has become one of the premier races in the global calendar. The company is also sponsoring five other races on Derby Day and has six of the eight races on the card on Sunday, 30th of June.
Worldwide viewership of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby has been significantly enhanced in recent years as the full day of racing is now part of the Tote World Pool. This is an exciting initiative which was introduced in 2019 whereby global tote operators operate a single pool on several major international race meetings. In agreement with the Hong Kong Jockey Club the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby Day is now a permanent fixture as a Tote World Pool event. Terrestrial TV coverage of the race will include live broadcasts by RTE, Fan Duel and Green Channel broadcasting in Japan while digital and specialist racing platforms including Racing TV will extensively feature the full weekend.
Ramesh Cidambi, Managing Director of Dubai Duty Free said, “Sports sponsorship is part of Dubai Duty Free’s marketing strategy and that has been the case for many years as it enables the business to reach a global audience via the media exposure that goes with the various sporting events the company is involved with. We are looking forward to a great day of racing and entertainment at The Curragh, one of the world’s most iconic racecourses and home to all five of the Irish Classics.”.
