Category: Jockey News
22-05-2010
As if the thought of Jedward is not enough, with a post-racing concert being held at Carlisle Racecourse on 25th July featuring X-Factor stars from the 2009 series, lady jockeys can look forward to the inaugural running of THE STOBART LADY AMATEUR RIDERS NORTHERN DERBY which will be the feature race of the day with £15,000 prize money on offer! The race (rating band 71-90) will be run over a mile and a half and the winning rider will receive a special prize of a Pequignet watch, the specialist watchmakers based in France.
The AJA are enormously grateful to the Carlisle Racecourse Executive for the launching of this new initiative with the raceday also featuring many other family attractions. Lady jockeys will also be able to enjoy Carlisle’s new Weighing Room facility which will by this time be newly opened.
We look forward to a great day’s racing which we hope will feature in our racing calendar for many years to come.
22-05-2010
CIARAN HARRIS enjoyed a 20/1 winning ride for his family (and the second winner of his career) in the first of the 2010 Bollinger Champagne Challenge Series at York’s Spring Meeting this afternoon.
In a thrilling finish he managed to pass the post half a length in front on Sedgwick with MILES SESTON second on favourite Mr Freddy and JOSH MOORE 8 lengths back in 3rd on Red Kestrel. Winning owner Wilf Hobson was not at the Knavesmire and so the trophy was collected by his daughter, Mrs Debbie Harris, wife of the successful trainer and mother of the winning jockey. The proud family took home a bottle of Bollinger champagne with Ciaran taking home a magnum.
York now looks forward to seeing the lady amateur jockeys in action in The Queen Mother’s Cup on Saturday 12th June when they host the 40th Macmillan Charity day.
The first race of Newbury’s evening meeting was a mixed amateur race with 12 runners which produced another good finish.
Congratulations go to PATRICK MILLMAN on his father’s Mustajed who stayed on well from a furlong out to win comfortably just over a length in front of VICKY FAHEY and Bajan Pride with BEN MORRIS on Rock Relief a further 2 1/2 lengths back in third.
Many congratulations to all of today’s winning connections.
20-05-2010
How heartening to see that out of all the fields today at Wetherby (the total number of runners in each race being 6, 7, 5, 5, 14, 6, 5), the pro/am ladies hurdle has the strongest support with 14 runners, 13 of whom are amateurs with Gemma Gracey-Davison (our Fegentri representative in 2008 and fresh from her splendid winning ride on Monday at Towcester) being the sole representative of professional jockeys.Sunday’s ladies hurdle at Market Rasen is for amateurs only and has 23 entries.
This race provides a great opportunity for lady amateurs holding a Category A jump licence to gain experience on the racecourse and build up the necessary criteria (15 completed rides under Rules or 20 placed (1st, 2nd or 3rd) point-to-point rides or a combination of the two) towards gaining their Category B licences.
All amateur jump jockeys holding a Category A licence who attend and pass the Category B course at either the British Racing School or the Northern Racing College should be aware that the issue of their Category B licence is not automatic as this criteria of completed/placed rides must be strictly adhered to.
18-05-2010
Ian Chanin‘s experience (above) in last year’s Swedish Grand National has to qualify as one of the best Fegentri photographs ever taken!
HARRY CHALLONER and RUTH JEFFERSON are enjoying representing Great Britain this season as our respective gentleman and lady amateur rider in the FEGENTRI series and up until yesterday they had been lucky enough to have escaped any disruption caused by the volcanic ash.
Ruth (pictured above 7th from left in Doha) was stranded in Zurich yesterday but returns home this morning having ridden into 3rd place at Frauenfeld which puts her in 3rd place overall in this year’s ladies’ ranking for the Fegentri World Championship. Ruth has enjoyed rides so far in Siracusa, Doha (together with Zoe Lilly pictured above 4th left), Mannheim, Dusseldorf, Rome, Mon-Ghlin and Frauenfeld. She travels next to Norway on 10th June and on to Philadelphia the next day.
Meanwhile Harry retains 4th place in the gentlemen’s ranking, which is a considerable achievement considering that he missed out on rides in both Belgium and Spain this week through no invitation. He won by 18 lengths riding against professionals on MY FIRST CHESTNUT in Mannheim on 25th April for Germany’s champion trainer Christian von der Recke (outside the Fegentri series). Harry has enjoyed rides in Cagnes-sur-Mer, Fairyhouse and Mannheim so far and hopes to ride in Auteuil at the end of May before joining Ruth in Norway on 10th June.
The Union Jack colours were worn in Pisa by Oliver Murphy at the end of March. (Unfortunately Wendy Gibson’s ride was a non-runner).
The Union Jack will be worn by Lucy Alexander and Rob Kirk in Maisons-Laffitte this weekend in the second race of the World Cup of Nations series when Paris host an inaugural FWCN race there.
The AJA look forward to hosting 4 Fegentri races this year in England: Nottingham (3rd July) Ladies Flat; Stratford-upon-Avon (21st August) Mens Hurdle; Royal Windsor (28th August) Mens Flat and Goodwood (29th August) World Cup of Nations. If you would like to represent your country by riding in a Fegentri race and are a member of the AJA, it is a prerequisite for you to have ridden a minimum of 5 winners (preferably all under Rules, although Arab and point-to-point rides help). Please contact the AJA if you would like to add your name to the Fegentri list of potential riders.
For more information on Fegentri please visit www.fegentri.com.
10-05-2010
With the end of the amateur jump season looming as Stratford’s 29th May meeting fast approaches, the gentlemen are led by OLIVER GREENALL, currently on no less than 31 winners so far this season.
After taking a strong lead over the summer following on from taking last season’s championship, Oliver has clocked up an incredible total so far and his nearest rival, Matt Griffiths, is unlikely to be able to threaten him with 11 winners to date.
A race looks likely to be on for the runner-slot, with Alan Berry and Joshua Moore currently breathing down Matt’s neck on 9 winners apiece. As of close of play on Sunday 9th May, the positions are:
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Mr Oliver Greenall
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31
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* Sam Twiston-Davies
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13
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Mr Matt Griffiths
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11
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Mr Alan Berry
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9
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Mr Joshua Moore
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9
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Mr Ryan Mahon
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7
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Mr Harry Challoner
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6
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* Thomas David
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6
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Mr Alistair Findlay
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6
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Mr Richard Burton
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4
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Mr Joshua Hamer
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4
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Mr Robert Henderson
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4
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Mr John Mathias
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4
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Mr James Tudor
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4
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Mr Mark Wall
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4
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Mr Tom Weston
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4
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Meanwhile, for the ladies ISABEL TOMPSETT has held a strong lead for much of the season and is currently on 11 winners. Her closest rival is Gina Andrews on 6. The table for the ladies currently looks like this:
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Miss Isabel Tompsett
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11
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Miss Georgina Andrews
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6
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Miss Jo Buck
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3
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Miss Kelly Bryson
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2
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Miss Rachael Green
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2
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Mrs Val Jackson
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2
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Ms Katie Walsh
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2
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Miss Sarah West
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2
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10-05-2010
Many congratulations to Triple Flat Lady Champion Jockey Carol Bartley and her husband Gary on the birth of their son Archie James on Thursday 6th May at 7:12 pm weighing in at 7 lbs 8 oz. Mother and baby are doing well and we look forward to seeing Archie in the saddle before too long!
28-04-2010
The AJA are delighted to announce the Bollinger Champagne Gentleman Riders Series for 2010 which will consist of a total of 8 races this year as follows:
- 22nd May YORK
- 28th May NEWMARKET
- 10th June NEWBURY
- 23rd June SALISBURY
- 28th June MUSSELBURGH
- 7th Sept GOODWOOD
- 10th Sept CHESTER
- 24th Sept ASCOT (FINAL)
We are most grateful to Simon Leschallas and Bollinger for their steadfast support over many years and look forward to another great series.
17-03-2010
Ferdy Murphy provided Katie Walsh with POKER DE SIVOLA to outstay her close friend and rival Nina Carberry on BECAUSEICOULDNTSEE and win today’s National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham.
After jumping the final fence together, the two girls fought out a thrilling finish with Katie giving her horse a fine strong ride to score and leave her father Ted unusually lost for words whilst live on Channel Four.
Katie too was speechless and overcome with this, the biggest win of her career on what she described as “the best day of her life”.
Brother Ruby added “She works her heart out and I am delighted for her.”
Many congratulations to all connections on a great victory.
14-03-2010
POLLY GUNDRY achieved a personal target when she firstly equalled (on MULLIGAN PET) and then (aboard NED THE POST) broke Alison Dare’s record to claim the most wins ever ridden by a lady point-to-point jockey at Wadebridge today. It was especially satisfying for Polly when both winners were trained by she and her partner Ed Walker.
Polly said “It’s great to get the record, especially when you think of how many good riders there have been over the years. I haven’t set myself any targets. I’ve been lucky enough to win the Aintree Foxhunters and the Horse and Hound Cup, and the other big race I would love to win is the Cheltenham Foxhunters.”
Polly has won the ladies’ point-to-point title 7 times since she began point-to-pointing at the age of 16 in 1992. At the close of play today her winning total stands at 288.
Many congratulations to Polly who is such a great and modest ambassador for our sport.
11-03-2010
With only a few days to go until the start of Cheltenham Festival, a reminder for those of you with booked rides:
The following Complimentary Tickets and Badges will be issued on arrival at the main Club Entrance:
Amateur riders will be issued with a personal badge and one for a guest if required for the day on which they are riding, provided their name is published in the National Press as engaged to ride.
Amateur Riders whose names are not so published may purchase badges from the Club Office and the purchase price will be refunded, if they are subsequently declared to ride on that day, on application to the Clerk of the Course, Mr Simon Claisse, Prestbury Park, Cheltenham, Glos.
Amateur riders who have purchased tickets in advance in excess of their requirements may apply for a refund in writing within 7 days of the meeting.
