Tom O’Ryan returns to where he began life in the saddle to win charity race at Doncaster on 1st August

01-08-2009

Longines provide timely sparkle for Vicki Fahey on 25th July at Ascot

25-07-2009

The husband and wife team of Richard and Vicki Fahey claimed the opener on Ascot’s big late July Saturday card with easy winner CASTLES IN THE AIR.

The Longines Handicap is one of the major ladies’ races of the year and it was smooth sailing for Vicki to land the third winner of her career as she cruised into the lead at the furlong marker and surged four and a half lengths clear.

Golden Desert, the 5-1 favourite and mount of Katie Walsh, was second.  “Amazingly it all went to plan” said the jockey.  “I spoke to Jim McGrath (owner) this morning and he just said ride him as you find him. That’s my third winner, and the second since I was married. I said to Richard if I win this and the ladies’ race at York, I’ll retire!”

Vicki is enjoying a fine season.  She rode her first winner at Brighton 6 years ago, and since then she has had her daughter Niamh.  Vicki rode her second winner at Beverley in early July when THE LAST ALZAO scored in determined style to justify her position as favourite.  (Vicki pictured below giving her husband’s charge ROSE BLOSSOM a welcome drink after her victory at Hamilton earlier this season.)

CLAIRE ALLEN rides FIRST FLAT WINNER in FEGENTRI in SWEDEN

24-07-2009

Not to be outdone by her Fegentri male counterpart Ian Chanin, who rode his first Flat winner in Norway at the beginning of this month, our British amateur lady jockey Claire Allen has now ridden her first Flat winner under Rules in Sweden today!   Many congratulations to Claire!  A great achievement – this Fegentri season is certainly proving to be exciting for Great Britain!Claire Allen receiving her winning trophy from Nathalie Belinguier, President Fegentri, and Hans Engblom, President of Amatorryttarkluben (ARK), the Swedish Amateur Jockeys Association.

Nottingham Ladies Night welcomes Fegentri ladies for the first time on a sultry July evening

04-07-2009

Ladies Night at Nottingham on 4th July provided a great stage for a thrilling Fegentri ladies flat race with the finish fought out by GB representative Claire Allen and Germany’s Nadine Gratz, with Nadine getting the upper hand as the post drew close to win by a neck.

The British team, made up of this year’s GB Fegentri representative Claire Allen as well as Serena Brotherton, Alyson Deniel and Lorraine Ellison, rode against Fegentri lady jockeys representing France, Germany, Ireland, Norway, The Netherlands and Switzerland in a field of 10 runners.  Ireland was third with Clare MacMahon and all the lady jockeys agreed that Nottingham is a great course with a crowd who gave them a wonderful welcome.

Left to right:  (Sarah Oliver), Melanie Plat (France), Alyson Deniel, Serena Brotherton, Claire Allen (Great Britain), Nadine Gratz (Germany), Emily Jones, Paula Wolters-Flierman (Netherlands), Lorraine Ellison, Catherine Burri (Switzerland) and Cathrine Engebretsen (Norway).

Fegentri gives IAN CHANIN first Flat winner of his career in Norway

02-07-2009

A delighted Ian Chanin, our Fegentri gentleman representative for Great Britain this year, experienced a first when riding the winner of the gentlemen’s Flat race in Norway today.More familiar to the point-to-point winner’s enclosure with over 60 wins so far in his career, Ian has not only had to acquaint himself with the starting stalls but also adjust to a shorter riding style to get the most from his rides. Many congratulations to him!

LEADING LADY FLAT JOCKEY INJURED AT LEICESTER

26-06-2009

Current leading lady flat jockey Wendy Gibson, heading the amateur tables on 3 wins already this season including the Ladies Derby at Ripon (photoed above on DIMASHQ), is being treated for injuries to her back, liver and ribs in Leicester Royal Infirmary following a dramatic fall at Leicester on Thursday night, 25th June.

Soon after the starting stalls opened, NOMOREBLONDES appeared to stumble and as the mare dropped her head, her jockey was thrown onto the firm ground where she was also subjected to a kicking.  Racing was delayed for half an hour whilst two doctors accompanied Wendy to hospital.

Peter Midgley, the trainer who has supplied Wendy with her winning rides so far this season, remains hopeful that she will make a swift recovery so that she can aim for a tilt at this year’s Ladies Amateur Flat Championship.  Hopes for Wendy to be released from hospital this weekend have not come to fruition as she took a kick directly on her stomach and has severe bruising.

Wendy enjoyed representing Great Britain in Baden-Baden earlier this summer and also rode a winner in Malaysia last year.  We all wish her well again very soon and look forward to seeing her hopefully back in the saddle before too long.

Newton Abbot host Anglo/Irish Ladies Hurdle Challenge 2009

23-06-2009

The evening of 23rd June gave Hannah Grissell compensation for having broken her wrist back in November 2008 in a fall in the Irish leg of the Limerick/Newton Abbot lady jump jockeys hurdle challenge.  Thankfully Hannah has better memories of the return match at Newton Abbot when she enjoyed victory aboard HAREEM for the English team (made up of Georgina Andrews, Jenny Carr, Hannah Grissell, Lucy Jones, Isabel Tompsett and Clare Wills) and trainer Martin Keighley.

KATIE COOPER ENJOYS CHAMPAGNE YORK!

13-06-2009

KATIE COOPER enjoyed a champagne moment when winning the first race of her career by bringing Mull Of Dubai with a sweeping late run to land the Queen Mother’s Cup today at York.  Katie is trainer’s secretary to Tom Tate and was having only her 9th ride under Rules.  As tradition dictates, Katie receives her weight in champagne as part of her winning prize thanks to the generosity of Pol Roger.

Serena Brotherton rode a perfectly timed race on Gifted Leader to hit the front 2 furlongs from home but was denied victory by three-quarters of a length, with Hillview Boy and Carol Bartley back in third, having tried to steal a march on their rivals and staying on well to finish four lengths behind the second.

Katie said “My first winner and not a bad day to do it on. I just kept him out the back and then he came through.  I knew they would go quick and it played into my hands.”

ISABEL MAKES IT 3 WINS IN 4 DAYS

13-06-2009

There is no stopping in-form lady jump jockey Isabel Tompsett!  At Newton Abbot’s meeting on 4th June she narrowly missed riding a treble, winning firstly the Maiden Hurdle on AYPEEYES, who bolted up for his new stable having been bought out of a seller after winning for Alan King at Bath.  Isabel also took the next race, the lady riders’ selling hurdle, on Evan Williams’ CELEBRITY CALL, always going well and winning by a huge margin.  Second in her final ride of the day, Isabel gained compensation on her next visit to the course only 4 days later on 8th June by winning decisively on OLIVINO.  Many congratulations to Isabel!

Annual June SIA charity raceday hosted at Newbury

11-06-2009

 Over £30,000 was raised from the SIA charity race day lunch held at Newbury Racecourse on 11th June in addition to thousands of pounds being raised in sponsorship by the 10 jockeys who valiantly took part.  Picture above, the jockeys line up following their presentations – from left to right:  Chris Boreham, David Plunkett, Sarah Knight, Amber Griffiths, Jason Packhouse, Gay Kindersley, Sarah Oliver,  Richard Buckfield, Leon Nurse, Julian Williams, Caroline Fleming and winning jockey Mark Weeks.  Many thanks go to all those who took part as well as Bollinger Champagne for their support together with many others who made this day such a success.