Darren Clarke’s wish to distance private tragedy from the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award was honoured last night as Zara Phillips received the top prize at the NEC in Birmingham.

The world and European three-day event champion followed in the footsteps of her mother, the Princess Royal, who was the winner in 1971, and continued a journey into the mainstream that now includes appearing in a Land Rover advertising campaign in a mud-splattered dress.

Although many have mocked this year’s awards for the paucity of success in football, rugby union and cricket, Phillips is a worthy winner as only the third person to hold both titles concurrently.

“Sometimes it’s hard for people to see what goes into the other sports and it’s nice to have a chance,” she said. With 32.5 per cent of the vote, some 11 per cent ahead of Clarke, her nearest rival, the public agreed.

The bookmakers had made Clarke an odds-on favourite, but he had said that he did not want a sympathy vote after the death of his wife, Heather, in August, and said that Joe Calzaghe, the WBO super- middleweight champion, would be a more deserving recipient. Calzaghe missed out altogether, with Beth Tweddle, the world and European gymnastics gold medal-winner, coming third.

Clarke has not been alone in suffering in 2006. Phillips dedicated the world crown she won in Germany to Sherelle Duke, a friend who had been killed at a horse trials in Brockenhurst, Hampshire, the previous week. “She was a massive support to me and a great friend and I thought I’ll try and get her a gold medal,” she said last night.

“She was the most loyal person in the world to me. Everything I do is for her. It’s dangerous — riding a half-tonne animal around, anything goes wrong and it ends up fatal.”

Phillips added that her status had not been a help to her career, but conceded that it had been useful in promoting her sport. As for Clarke, his personal life continues to be played out in the full glare of the media spotlight. Newspapers yesterday carried reports of his friendship with a family friend who has helped him through his mourning. “I know there will be some people who think we are forming a relationship too soon after Heather’ s passing, but there is no right or wrong in these circumstances,” he said.

On a night of unabashed back-slapping, perspective was also provided by the Helen Rollason Award for courage and achievement. The winner was Paul Hunter, the snooker player who lost his battle against cancer in October. Jimmy White presented the award to Lindsey, Hunter’s widow, who said: “His life may have been cut short but the people who were close to him feel fortunate that they knew him.”

Europe’s Ryder Cup success was also overlooked in the team award, where St Helens were the recipients on the back of their treble-winning season, while Daniel Anderson was named coach of the year. Clarke and Co had been expected to get the award, but BBC Radio 5 Live listeners saw it differently after Saints’ memorable season.

Some will have been surprised by Theo Walcott receiving the Young Sports Personality award, given that his most newsworthy act was warming the England substitutes’ bench at the World Cup in Germany. The NEC audience voted for Roger Federer ahead of Tiger Woods in the overseas personality category.

David Walliams, one half of the Little Britain comic duo, got a special achievement award in recognition of swimming the Channel and raising more than £1 million for Sport Relief, while Boris Becker presented Björn Borg, the winner of 11 grand-slam tennis tournaments, with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

The good news for popular sports is that an England footballer did at least get to present an award, with Owen Hargreaves joining Alan Shearer to honour Val Hanover, of North Shropshire Special Olympics Club, with the Unsung Hero trophy.

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