The 12th of 15 races of the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak 2016 Ladies World Championship Series took place at Hippodrome Wellington, Ostend, Belgium on Monday 15th August. International lady jockeys represented 10 different countries: 🇧🇪Belgium, 🇩🇰Denmark, 🇩🇪Germany, 🇬🇧Great Britain, 🇮🇪Ireland,🇮🇹Italy, 🇳🇴Norway, 🇴🇲Oman, 🇵🇱Poland and 🇪🇸Spain.
We are immensely proud that Catherine Walton riding for Great Britain enjoyed a winner in only her first ever Arabian race! Riding MESSI for Belgian owner-trainer Vido Keersmaekers, Catherine’s horse responded to her strong driving to lead inside the final furlong and stay on well, winning by 3/4 of a length. Catherine’s career highlight up until this point had been winning the Ladies Open Hunterchase at Cheltenham in 2014 with Ockey De Neuilliac! Following her success she said “I was looking forward to this ride and I just tried my best.” By coincidence, this same race was won by amateur jockey Page Fuller on MESSI’s full brother in 2015!
Many thanks to Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, for another great race enjoyed by lady jockeys from all over the world. Catherine now looks forward to riding in the ladies finale in Abu Dhabi on 13th November alongside her compatriot Alice Mills, ex-amateur and now professional jockey, who won in Bahrain earlier this year. Well done Catherine!
Ladies Derby held at Newbury has become something of a speciality for our multiple champion lady rider Serena Brotherton with success in this race being enjoyed by her for the 6th time on Saturday 13th August.
8 runners and lady riders went to post for the Betfred Ladies Derby with Serena riding for Alan King aboard COSMEAPOLITAN who started 10/11 favourite. The partnership were always in touch and made smooth headway to lead two furlongs from home and win easily by 10 lengths from Becky Smith and SAMTU for Marjorie Fife 2nd with Hayley Moore 3rd aboard WHINGING WILLIE for her father Gary.
Winning trainer Alan King said “Cosmeapolitan didn’t handle Goodwood at all on his latest start but has been in good form since. Serena was on the phone as soon as the entries came out and, as soon as she said she would ride him, I knew that we would come here. He is going to go up a fair bit for this but hopefully he can win again and he jumps extremely well, so I do think that he will make a lovely juvenile hurdler as well.”
Congratulations to Serena and winning connections on this victory which significantly gave Serena her 5th win of the season to re-join Joanna Mason at the top of the season’s battle for the Ladies Flat Championship. Joanna had just edged into the lead only 2 days earlier with her win at Beverley and so it looks like we may have a game of cat-and-mouse (as last year) between these two top lady riders. However, all is far from over this season as Amie Waugh with 3 wins so far has them in her sights, whilst Becky Smith and Catherine Walton are on 2 wins apiece. Good luck all!
The 5th of the 8 races in the BETFAIR NOVICE AMATEUR JOCKEYS SERIES was the final race of the afternoon at Nottingham on Friday 12th August with Jockey Coach Tim Reed as always in attendance to conduct the coursewalk prior to the race. 9 jockeys went to post.
A strong pace was set by Katy Lyons maintaining her partnership with last year’s winner Mick Channon’s HIGHLIFE DANCER together with Abbie Mccain and QATEA cutting out the running. Matt Ennis chased this leading pair until closing from 3 furlongs out to take up the lead 2 furlongs from home. However at this stage under very strong driving the gallant HIGHLIFE DANCER and Katy Lyons rallied to lead again inside the final furlong and hold on to win by 3/4 of a length.
Congratulations to Katy and to all winning connections. This series is all about teaching inexperienced novice Flat jockeys and unfortunately there was a sting in the tail for Katy. As a result of her excessive use of the whip Katy picked up a lengthy ban.
Huge thanks as always to our generous sponsors Betfair for these great race riding experiences for our novice amateur flat jockeys under the watchful eye of their Jockey Coach. The series now moves on to Carlisle on Wednesday where the opening race there sees 12 runners.
ALL participating jockeys are expected to attend the coursewalk which takes places 90 minutes before the race, as always meeting the Jockey Coach on the Weighing Room steps. Fail to prepare or prepare to fail! If you choose not to attend the coursewalk then you are not taking your participation in these races seriously enough! Professional jockeys can regularly be seen walking the course before their rides – you never know what you may learn about the ground and your Jockey Coach is there for YOU. All jockeys should always be as fully prepared as possible before undertaking a race ride so that you can do justice to your horse and yourself, never mind the owner and trainer kind enough to support you!
Catterick Ladies Evening on 12th August opened with the Haughty Hats Amateur Riders Handicap with 9 runners going to post including Sir Mark Prescott’s 11/10 hot favourite CLIFF FACE ridden by Serena Brotherton.
As the race developed, Cliff Face took it up inside the final furlong only to be headed late on by NEUF DES COEURS and Bruce Lynn who came from last to first! Neuf Des Couers kept on to win by a length and a quarter, with Cliff Face 2nd and Molly King winning the battle for 3rd with SHIRATAKI getting the better of Harriet Dukes (neck) and Hugo Hunt (neck 5th).
Many congratulations to Hawick’s 16 year old Bruce with his 2nd career success (2 wins in a week) from a total of only 3 rides for Iain Jardine. He is certainly making a name for himself. Congratulations to all winning connections.
The 4th of the 8 races in the BETFAIR NOVICE AMATEUR JOCKEYS SERIES was the final race of the afternoon at Royal Windsor on Sunday 7th August under the watchful eye of Jockey Coach Tim Reed with 9 jockeys going to post.
Charlotte Greenway had enjoyed success here just 6 days earlier when she won aboard JERSEY JEWEL for Tom Dascombe in the Sky Bet Amateur Riders Handicap, winning that night by 1 3/4 lengths from Katy Lyons 2nd with Abbie Mccain 3rd. The same partnership lined up favourite on Sunday but unfortunately there was drama early on in the race when they were squeezed for room after passing the bend just over a furlong from the start and Charlotte was unseated.
Meanwhile Molly King on Peter Hiatt’s SHIRATAKI was always travelling well, tracking the leaders from 5 furlongs out to lead inside the final couple of furlongs and Molly drove her horse out to win by 1 1/2 lengths from Katy Lyons on MISS TIGER LILY with James King and CHANTECLER 3rd. Thankfully Charlotte was unscathed from her fall although bruised and shaken.
Many thanks to our sponsors BETFAIR for another race which has given invaluable race riding experience to amateur jockeys and many congratulations to Molly on a fine victory! The series now moves to NOTTINGHAM for the 5th race in the series tomorrow with 10 runners declared.
All jockeys Abbie Mccain Matt Brown Katy Lyons Matt Ennis Jason Doe Misha Voikhansky Dawn Scott James Kendrick Tom Broughton are asked to meet Jockey Coach Tim Reed outside the Weighing Room at 3:45 pm for the coursewalk. This is not compulsory but jockeys are expected to attend.
Good luck jockeys!
Saturday kept ladies jockeys busy with of course not only the Shergar Cup at Ascot confined to professionals and the Pro-Am Betfred at Haydock but also the QTS Investors in Young People Pro-Am Ladies Handicap at Ayr.
Congratulations to Amie Waugh (still fresh from her win at Carlisle last Monday) on producing a driving finish from TED’S BROTHER for Richard Guest at Ayr to win by a neck from apprentice Anna Hesketh and DRINKS FOR LOSERS with Serena Brotherton 3rd on DOLPHIN ROCK. This was Amy’s 3rd win from only 8 rides on the Flat this season and she now has ridden 2 winners from 2 rides at Ayr. Amie has also already enjoyed 3 winners over jumps this season. Go Amie!
Many congratulations to 16 year old Bruce Lynn from Hawick having only his 2nd ride under Rules and making it a winning one last night with STONEHAM for Iain Jardine at Musselburgh!
Here he is being led in, with (left) champion Simon Walker (fresh from his tenacious Sandown win the previous evening) and (right) champion Carol Bartley (still buzzing after her recent Longines Ascot win).
Well done Bruce! 🏇💨
The Slug and Lettuce Gentleman Amateur race took place on Thursday 4th August at Sandown, where Simon Walker executed the most tenacious of rides aboard Sir Mark Prescott’s PALISADE to win comfortably by 3 1/4 lengths despite some traffic problems 3 furlongs from home. This was Simon’s 6th winner of the season and he currently leads the championship tables with his old adversary Ross Birkett his nearest rival on 3 wins.
Many thanks to Carlisle Racecourse for another memorable Ultimate Ladies Night held on Monday 1st August. The evening opened with the Lady Amateur Invitation Race run this year in memory of Germany apprentice Sandra Eichenhofer who tragically lost her life following a racing accident in Brazil last October. We welcomed Sabine Effgen of Verband Deutscher Amateur-Rennreiter e.V. who had travelled over from Cologne to join us.
Just 6 runners went to post with Spain’s Diana Lopez Leret unfortunately drawn a non-runner, leaving Austria: Manuela Slamanig, Belgium: Sara Vermeersch, Germany: Lilli Marie Engels, Ireland: Kate Harrington, USA: Bethany Baumgardner and UK: Joanna Lucy Mason.
Bethany Baumgardner led the field on the keen OUTLAW TORN until the final furlong when a battle ensued between TED’S BROTHER (Joanna Mason) and ENNY MAC (Sara Vermeersch) with Belgium just holding on to win by a head. Clearly delighted, trainer John Wainwright said “He was given an excellent ride and he’s shown he’s still got a bit left.”
Many congratulations to 21 year old student Sara Vermeersch representing Belgium. She timed her late run to perfection on the 14-1 outsider and said “I didn’t have the best horse on paper but he kept on going all the way and it was an amazing feeling to get there.” (By coincidence, a similar result was enjoyed by Sara in California in July where she also beat Jo by the smallest of margins in a photofinish!) To make the evening even more special, it was great that Sara’s grandparents and her twin sister had travelled over from Belgium and were able to enjoy her victory. Sandra would have been proud.
More surprises lay ahead for the evening after the opening success for Belgium in the Ladies International Invitation at Carlisle Ultimate Ladies Night on Monday. With the following 6 races being pro-am, a keen eye was kept on how the amateurs would perform against their professionals and we were not to be disappointed. In fact the final tally was 3-3 with our members Amie Waugh, Becky Smith and Harriet Dukes all riding winners. Huge congratulations ladies!
First amateur success was Amie aboard Patrick Holmes’s SWISS LAIT, who won the pro-am opener over 1m1f at the incredible price of 33/1. Having missed the break, the winning combination managed to pick up well in the straight and take advantage of a gap opening up to go on and score by 1 1/2 lengths. Amateurs Harriet Dukes (WARFARE) and Joanna Lucy Mason (FERNANDO TORRES) filled 2nd and 3rd places respectively.
Becky Smith was the next amateur to shine, with Marjorie Fife’s COURIER winning the 6f sprint, making all and then being pushed out to the line. The unseating of Vicky Victoria Barr by MITCHUM as they exited the stalls may have helped with the loose horse giving a lead, but the winning partnership held on well to win by 1 3/4 lengths, with Emily Easterby 3rd for her father with KENNY THE CAPTAIN. Becky said “We kept it straightforward and Courier stayed well. She’s game and deserved to get a win.”
The final amateur win of the evening was Harriet Dukes aboard OBBOORR for Tim Fitzgerald in the 1m 3f Handicap. Harriet held up her ride until making headway 2 furlongs from home when she started to make her move, taking up the lead from a furlong out. It was here that Emily Easterby aboard DUKE OF YORKSHIRE looked to be the danger but was ultimately denied victory by a head in a battle to the line.
Well done ladies – all winning jockeys now qualify for the chance to be awarded the £20,000 development fund if riding the winner of Saturday’s Haydock BetFred Handicap pro-am ladies race. Sadly the only amateur ladies riding there are ineligible (Jo Mason, Emily Easterby and Laura Wilson) but professional ladies riding there who won on Monday night are ex-amateur Emma Sayer and also Rachel Richardson. We wish them all good luck.
Many congratulations to Tommie O’Brien who won the bumper today in Galway on POORMANS HILL for trainer John Neilan.
Tommie was overcome with emotion after his great achievement and trended on social media when caught on camera wiping away his tears. Well done Tommie on an unforgettable success.
