14-05-2018
Whilst the professional jump jockeys’ new 2018/19 season is now well underway, of course our own amateur jumps season does not end until Stratford’s evening meeting on Friday 8th June. That is exactly 25 days away and in case you are wondering why I am counting, that is because our jump championships have rarely been so exciting and seen so much competitiveness at the top of the tables!
Zac Baker has been leading the gentlemen for much of the season with an early lead taken last summer and keeping his place for several months. However, with the onset of the Hunterchase season several fellow weighing room colleagues have been stacking up behind him in recent weeks and Lorcan Williams went one ahead last week to lead the tables with 11 winners, leaving Zac and Alex Edwards on 10 and David Maxwell on 8.
Last Tuesday the AJA hurdle at Ludlow saw Zac rejoin Lorcan in pole position on 11 wins, with Lorcan announcing his intention to turn conditional before the end of the season. However, the new BHA system whereby any Category B holder has now to complete a 2nd week at either the Northern Racing College or British Racing School before turning pro has meant that Lorcan will have to remain amateur until he is able to complete this course in the near future.
Congratulations to Zac on a great ride at Ludlow for his boss Nigel Twiston-Davies on EQUUS MILLAR in the Amateur Jockeys Association Handicap Hurdle, tracking the leaders and going 2nd 2 out to lead in the last 100 yards and win cosily by just over a couple of lengths from James King, with Alex Ferguson 3rd. 
🏆
👏
👌
🎉
Good luck to all the lads for the rest of the season, with a fascinating battle for the championship in store! 
Picture credits: AJA
20-03-2018
The recent return of the Beast from the East saw a couple of runners withdrawn from 14 runners declared for today’s finale of our All-Weather season at Lingfield. Nevertheless the race proved to be an excellent and conclusive end to the season, just 11 days before the professionals’ Championships Finals on Good Friday.
With current leading amateur Serena Brotherton on 32 points and Simon Walker on 27, both were well ahead of their nearest rival Harriett Lees (13 points) with Jessica Cooley and Bruce Lynn on 10. However, with the possibility of Simon drawing level with Serena should he have won today, nothing was certain.
Always handy aboard Stuart Williams’ RELEVANT, Serena led from about 4 furlongs out and went clear to win comfortably by 9 lengths from Simon Walker and HALLINGHAM with Hugh Nugent 3rd. This decisive win stamped Serena’s authority on the season with a total of 7 wins and fellow multiple champion Simon Walker claimed the runner-up position with 4 wins to his credit.
Very many congratulations to our new All-Weather Champion and to runner-up Simon Walker, both familiar figures on the podium at the end of every season. What a record they share!
Many congratulations also to all our other winning jockeys this season: Harriett Lees, Jessica Cooley, Bruce Lynn. Abbie Mccain, Alex Ferguson, Jonny Flook, Brodie Hampson, Hannah Knowles, Lisa O’Neill and Richard Patrick. Well done all!
2006/7 Runner-up Simon Walker
2007/8 Champion Simon Walker
2008/9 Champion Simon Walker
2009/10 Champion Serena Brotherton
2010/11 Runner-up Simon Walker
2011/12 Champion Simon Walker
Runner-up Serena Brotherton
2012/13 Champion Simon Walker
Runner-up Serena Brotherton
2013/14 Joint Champion Serena Brotherton
Joint Champion Simon Walker
2014/15 Champion Simon Walker
2015/16 Champion Simon Walker
Runner-up Serena Brotherton
2016/17 Champion Simon Walker
Runner-up Serena Brotherton
2017/18 Champion Serena Brotherton
Picture credits: AJA
10-03-2018
Our military races are an integral part of our calendar and never seem to disappoint, with extraordinary stories often emerging. Surely nobody can forget in recent years the emotional victories of Brodie Hampson and then of Guy Disney with back-to-back victories in last and this year’s Royal Artillery Gold Cup.
The lead-up to Cheltenham obviously dominated all racing news in the week leading up to it but there are always plenty of stories out there and none more remarkable than the comeback ride out of retirement of Sally Randell which preceded Billy Aprahamian’s magnificent victory later in the afternoon of the Grand Military Gold Cup.
Specifically targeting her regular ride at home, 14 year-year-old RATIFY trained by partner Fergal O’Brien, Sally dusted off her boots and to her joy all went exactly to plan – to win the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Memorial Amateur Riders’ Handicap Hurdle at the Military meeting at Sandown on 9th March!
Leading early on, Sally only had to shake her horse up from 2 out for him to respond to her urgings and take up the lead on the flat and go on to win gamely by over a length.
“That was fantastic” she said. “He’s the only reason I came back to ride. Five years ago was the last time I rode in this race and I won it. My grandad died that morning and I said I just wanted to ride in it one more time and there was nothing I wanted to ride until Ratify came along. I knew if I dropped my reins he could win it for me. There’s not many I’d have been confident enough to ride but I knew if I just sat there he could win it for me. It was worth coming out of retirement, I was screaming at him after the last and it’s just so special. I won my last chase – I thought there’s no way that can happen twice. That’s it, I promise, you won’t see me riding again.”
Many congratulations to Sally and to all winning connections. Sally immediately re-hung up her boots after her victory and now belongs to a very rare club , ending her riding career with winning rides both over hurdles and fences! What an achievement!
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🏆
👏
08-03-2018
By kind arrangement with Cheltenham Racecourse the following has been arranged for any Amateur Jockey riding at Cheltenham Festival:
Former jockey and BHA Coach Carl Llewellyn will be offering a Course Walk at the Cheltenham Festival prior to racing each day. The initiative mirrors that of the previously established course walks at Aintree. The majority of amateurs riding at Cheltenham are invariably experienced and many are previous course winners but those jockeys with inexperience of Cheltenham are encouraged to try and attend the walk.
Please meet Carl in the Weighing Room from 11:30 am.
Good luck to all amateur jockeys riding at Cheltenham!
08-03-2018
Many congratulations to Lincolnshire’s successful point-to-point jockey Tom Strawson who enjoyed his first winner under Rules at Catterick with DUHALLOW TORNADO for Chris Pimlott.
07-03-2018
Plans for this summer’s lady jockeys’ pro/am Silk Series have been announced with added fixtures taking the total to 13 races to include races from non-Arena racecourses Goodwood, Hamilton, Musselburgh and York.
Ex-amateur apprentice Megan Nicholls won the 2017 Tufnell Trophy and this year the point-based series offers a total of £150,000 in prize-money, with the £20,000 finale programmed to take place at the St Leger meeting.
Our favourite race from last year has to be Newcastle’s with amateurs monopolising the first three places: triple champion lady rider Carol Bartley won aboard Archipelago for Iain Jardine with Ella McCain 2nd (Sikandar) and Carly Scott 3rd (Royal Reserve).
Good luck ladies! We look forward to a great summer ahead.
| RACECOURSE |
|
DATE |
|
AFT/EVE |
|
Distance |
|
Prize Money |
|
| Musselburgh |
|
02-Jun-18 |
|
Day |
|
1m 6f |
|
£10,000 |
|
| Chepstow |
|
13-Jul-18 |
|
Eve |
|
6f |
|
£10,000 |
|
| Great Yarmouth |
|
18-Jul-18 |
|
Eve |
|
6f |
|
£10,000 |
|
| Lingfield Park |
|
21-Jul-18 |
|
Eve |
|
5f |
|
£10,000 |
|
| York |
|
27-Jul-18 |
|
Eve |
|
1m 1f |
|
£15,000 |
|
| Newcastle |
|
28-Jul-18 |
|
Day |
|
1m 2f |
|
£11,000 |
|
| Royal Windsor |
|
30-Jul-18 |
|
Eve |
|
6f |
|
£10,000 |
|
| Hamilton Park |
|
04-Aug-18 |
|
Eve |
|
6f |
|
£12,000 |
|
| Brighton |
|
09-Aug-18 |
|
Day |
|
7f |
|
£10,000 |
|
| Bath |
|
18-Aug-18 |
|
Eve |
|
1m 3f |
|
£10,000 |
|
| Goodwood |
|
26-Aug-18 |
|
Day |
|
tbc |
|
£12,000 |
|
| Wolverhampton |
|
01-Sep-18 |
|
Day |
|
1m 1f |
|
£10,000 |
|
| Doncaster |
|
13-Sep-18 |
|
Day |
|
6f |
|
£20,000 |
05-03-2018
Whilst most of us have been coping with The Beast from the East and Storm Emma for the past few days and deprived of racing here, its good to see some of our amateur jockeys enjoying race riding in warmer climes!
Our winning most lady champion Serena Brotherton enjoyed representing the UK by becoming our first amateur jockey to ride in South America when riding in Hipodromo de Monterrico, Lima, Peru on 24th February. Her first ride was unplaced but her second ride THUNDERING SAINT finished 3rd from a wide draw stepping up from 5f to a mile. It was an exciting finish!
Serena is the first UK amateur jockey to ride in South America and only the second English jockey to ride in Peru ever, with Lester Piggott being the first and he also finished third! Well done Serena!
Huge thanks to our friends Jochi Meza and Sara Torre for their fantastic hospitality and kindness in making this extraordinary experience possible.
05-03-2018
Antonia Peck defied the elements and managed to make it to the airport to ride for the UK in Houston Texas on Saturday 3 March in the HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship. The severe weather disrupted travel plans for many of the Euroopean ladies and another bad weather front in the US itself stopped their lady rider from taking part with flights grounded on the East Coast.
Many congratulations to Antonia who enjoyed a fantastic trip and finished 3rd with Sweden’s Tina Henriksson victorious on UPTOWN SANDY GIRL denying Cindy Klinkenberg in a close finish.
Thanks as always to Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, for these great opportunities for our lady riders which are hugely appreciated by us all.
21-02-2018
Ludlow Race Course has got to be the favourite UK racecourse of Mark Galligan who followed up his January 1st career winner there with the 2nd win of his career today on Goohar in The Prince of Wales Challenge Trophy Amateur Riders’ Handicap Chase.
This valuable 3 mile chase produced a thrilling photo finish from 6 runners with Mark and Goohar bravely staying on to deny Lorcan Williams and Captain Buck’s by a neck.
Ludlow welcomed BHA Chief Executive Nick Rust who kindly assisted with the winning presentations.
Many congratulations to winning connections on a memorable day with this being the first leg of a double for local trainer Henry Daly 🏆🏆🎉👏
Picture credits: AJA
17-02-2018
Captain Guy Disney enjoyed another fairytale at Sandown yesterday when partnering last year’s victorious Rathlin Rose in the Royal Artillery Gold Cup to repeat an emotional victory.
Producing his horse with perfect timing, Guy patiently waited until the last before urging the 10-year-old up the hill to win comfortably.
Following his win, Guy said “I think when you’re on a horse like this who jumps, travels and has been round the course and distance, it’s lovely. Look at his run in the Welsh National – he’s very good. It’s very nice to ride a horse like that. I saw Roddi Greene in the week – I’ve had a few bad falls this year – and I was just trying to calm things down a little bit. There’s more time than you think and you don’t have to rush.
“You can’t bottle the feeling of winning this race – I didn’t want to rest on my laurels from last year – and I’m chuffed for David [Pipe] and Fergus Wilson.
Regarding the connections between horse and servicemen, Disney added: “I think if you look back, there used to be such a connection between the horses and military. It’s not a real job for us – the majority of riders have been in Iraq, Afghanistan or Bosnia – and it’s great that the big trainers run horses in this race. It’s a real priviledge to take part.”
Huge congratulations to Guy on making history by recording the first back-to-back win of this wonderful race.
