Category: Jockey News
17-08-2008
Serena Brotherton’s initiative was rewarded when she steered Alan King’s Aypeeyes to victory at Newbury to take the richest ladies race in the world, the Bathwick Tyres Ladies Derby. Having studied the entries, Serena sent off a fax to the trainer earlier in the week asking if she could be considered for the ride.
In a race where nobody seemed to want to go on and make the running, the closely bunched field did not quicken until they hit the home straight. Always going well within himself and wearing a visor for the first time, Aypeeyes held off The King And I ridden by Claire Allen to win by 1 1/2 lengths with Hayley Moore and Guardian of Truth 1/2 a length away in 3rd and Katherine Hobbs holding 4th on Oldrik.
The series, extended for the first time this year to include 8 races in all, continues with 2 races left to be held at Salisbury on 29th August and 1st October before returning to Newbury for the finale on 25th October, when the winning series rider will collect her prize of a holiday worth £1,500 kindly donated by Wayne and Sarah Clifford of Bathwick Tyres. This Derby victory takes Serena Brotherton into the lead with 20 points, whilst Gemma Gracey-Davison and Amy Ryan have 17 points each and Emily Jones has 15 points. The complete table appears within the Tables section of this website.
Pictured above are winning connections – trainer Alan King, Aypeeyes’s lass, Serena Brotherton, Sarah Clifford of Bathwick Tyres and trainer’s wife Rachel King.
04-08-2008
AMY RYAN, who won the opening lady amateur riders’ handicap 12 months ago at Carlisle, maintained her 100 per cent record with a repeat performance on Emirate Isle owned and bred by John Wade. Amy produced the Chris Grant-trained four-year-old with a strong late run to get the better of favourite Emperor’s Well by a neck. “I’m thrilled,” said Amy, who was riding her 12th winner in her career to date and her third of this season. “I thought he had a chance of winning and he’s done it well in the end.” Chris Grant was full of praise for the winning rider, who had won the corresponding race last year on the David Nicholls-trained Kabis Amigos. “Amy has given him a good ride,” said Grant. The stewards took a close look at the race and suspended Amy for careless riding and Jacqueline Coward, rider of the runner-up, for using her whip with excessive frequency. Both bans span two days and will be served on days to be notified. Amy went on to saddle 2 winners for her trainer father Kevin, making a unique treble for her on the night .
18-07-2008
Click here for large photos: gemmawinsnorway2008.jpg 
Both of our Fegentri riders, Gemma Gracey-Davison and Danny Cook, are riding out of their skins and have won their last two races for Great Britain to gain valuable points and take them into the top three in their respective battles for the Fegentri Championships! Gemma won the ladies Flat race in Norway which gave her 20 points and took her into 2nd place for the ladies title. 10 days later at Stratford-upon-Avon on 13th July Danny won the men’s Fegentri hurdle race kindly sponsored by the Birmingham Mail, giving him 15 points and taking him into 3rd place for the men. Gemma rides in Germany this weekend at Dusseldorf before riding in Sweden on Friday and then Deauville in early August; Danny rides in the water race in Bad Hartburg, Germany next weekend before joining Gemma to ride in Deauville. Whilst there, they will both represent Great Britain in the Fegentri World Cup of Nations, in which Britain currently is unbeaten for 2008 thanks to winning rides from Scott Dobson in Italy and Ben Brisbourne in Germany in the first two legs of this contest. Congratulations to all winning riders! Group photo: Back row: David Turner, Tristan Davidson, Ian Popham, Nick Pearce, Will Biddick, Danny Cook, Donal MacAuley (IRE), Ian Chanin; Middle row: Sandy Murphy (Vice President Fegentri), Sarah Oliver, Gay Kindersley, Susanna Santesson (General Secretary Fegentri); Front row: Paul-Henri de Quatrebarbes (FR), Jeremy Mahot, Mark Wall, Daniel Wirenstal (SWE).
02-07-2008
The AJA annual membership, which runs for a complete 12 months, is subject to an increase of £5 from 1st July 2008 to £75 per annum. This represents fantastic value for money as it includes automatic worldwide insurance for all members against temporary injury whilst riding out or handling a racehorse or point-to-pointer, with incapacity benefit of £100 per week payable after the first 31 days of injury for up to 104 weeks. There is an upper age limit of 70 years of age. Please note that this cover does not include any capital benefits (such as death or permanent disability) but simply offers financial assistance whilst incapacitated.
Amateur jockeys are also insured from weigh out to weigh in on the racecourse against injury, with incapacity benefit of £250 per week payable after the first 28 days of injury for up to 104 weeks, together with cover against medical expenses, permanent injury and death, and many other benefits.
Please note that if you are an amateur jockey who point-to-points, you are insured for this against injury from weigh out to weigh in within the fee paid for your point-to-point licence, which is a separate insurance policy from either of the above.
As an amateur jockey you also benefit from the opportunity to attend a Category B course free of charge at either the Northern Racing College, Doncaster or the British Racing School, Newmarket, subject to the criteria set down.
Help and advice on all matters concerning amateur race riding is always available at the AJA, such as medical issues, licences, jockey sponsorship, insurance, appeals and Rules of Racing.
Don’t forget that you can be included in the Riders Directory on this website by contacting the AJA. This is a useful directory for trainers looking for amateur jockeys so advertise your skills!
As an AJA member, you are automatically a member of FEGENTRI, the international organisation which co-ordinates amateur races worldwide. You must have ridden at least 5 winners to participate as well as be comfortable with doing 9 stone for ladies and 10 stone for gentlemen. Other occasional opportunities also exist for you to represent Great Britain.
01-07-2008
mariekingpontywin2008-001.jpg
JOY OF RACING
A beaming Marie King after winning the amateur riders’ handicap at Pontefract yesterday.
Many congratulations to Marie, our Fegentri representative for 2007, on her success. Peter Hiatt and Marie teamed-up to land the 1m2f lady amateur riders’ handicap with Coral Shores, who had one and a quarter lengths to spare over Gala Sunday ridden by Serena Brotherton. Emma Ramstrom, rider of fourth-placed Gulf Coast, was suspended for three days (dates to be notified) for careless riding.
26-06-2008
All amateur jockeys are reminded that Permits to ride expire on 30th June!
Application forms and details of the revised BHA Assessment of concussion protocol have already been sent out from Shaftesbury Avenue to all current amateur jockeys. Forms should be returned immediately to:
Licensing Department, BHA, 151 Shaftesbury Avenue, London WC2H 8AL
Please note that at least 2 weeks should be allowed before your new licence is issued and returned to you!
If you have any queries, please call Laura Monger on 0207 189 3848 or e-mail Laura on lmonger@britishhorseracing.com. If you have difficulties getting through, you can call the AJA and ask for assistance.
21-06-2008
Many congratulations to Alyson Deniel in scoring at Ripon to make it three wins from her last three rides which started at Chester last week, then the Queen Mother’s Cup at York and finally Ripon’s Ladies Derby, which she won in fine style for her guv’nor John Quinn. She also got the Star Performance mention in today’s Racing Post which said: Alyson Deniel, who followed up last week’s successes at Chester and York, in the Queen Mother’s Cup, with a wide-margin success on Master Nimbus in the Ladies’ Derby to make it three wins from her last three rides.
14-06-2008
With last year’s Queen Mother’s Cup abandoned due to waterlogging, never has today’s race been more keenly awaited by lady jockeys throughout the land! Described by Derek Thompson as “one of the most prestigious ladies’ races in the world”, 15 went to post at York today, with Step This Way the only 3 year old in the line up. Never out of the first two, Alyson Deniel sent her filly to the front after passing the 3-furlong marker and she ran on comfortably to win as she pleased for Mark Johnston. Alyson duly weighed in by tradition to collect her own weight in champagne, that being 42 bottles of bubbly. Very many congratulations to Aly on a tremendous week having also won on Tuesday evening at Chester for Mark Brisbourne.
14-06-2008
Click here leon-nurse.JPG to see an action shot of Leon and Ray McGhin as they battle out a thrilling finish!
Many congratulations to Leon Nurse who came to Newbury on 12th June with about 80 supporters to cheer him on in his bid to ride his first winner in the charity race. The race was preceded by Bollinger’s third race in this year’s series, which saw a thrilling finish battled out, with Phil Collington on Julia Feilden’s Night Orbit just getting up to win by a neck from Andrew Balding’s Western Roots ridden by Joshua Moore.
11 runners went to post for the charity race held over a mile and five as the concluding race of the day which had begun with a charity lunch and auction to raise funds for Spinal Injuries. Leon Nurse has raised over £30,000 for charity during the past few years and last rode in this race in 2004.
As the field turned for home it looked as if victory might go to Ray McGhin but Leon Nurse was always prominent on David Arbuthnot’s Glacial Sunset, still travelling well within himself, and Leon was able to kick for home to snatch victory in the closing stages. He returned to the winner’s enclosure to rapturous applause from his many followers. Congratulations to everyone for riding so well and rounding off a tremendous day which raised many thousands of pounds for Spinal Injuries.
25-05-2008
Many congratulations to Nick Scholfield and to Rose Davidson for winning their respective Gentlemens Amateur and Ladies Amateur NH Championships! Having crept up on Thomas Greenall’s lead following Thomas being sidelined with injuries sustained from a fall back in March, Nick began the week with Thomas on 19 wins, and Nick left it until his last day riding as an amateur on the last day of the amateurs’ season before going one better and taking the Championship with 20 wins. In a fairytale beginning to his professional career, Nick then went on to ride a winner at Uttoxeter today in his first paying ride, and we wish him every success for his future as a professional jockey.
Rose Davidson has had an incredible season, an unforgettable week with her engagement announced to long time partner Tony Dobbin and 4 winners in 4 days to make history by becoming the first lady jump jockey ever to exceed the gentlemen and become the most prolific winning amateur jump jockey of the season with 21 wins.
Rose’s penultimate win of the season was the Cadale Ladies Finale at Wetherby, which obviously excluded gentlemen amateur jockeys from participating but counted towards her winning total. The championships have always been, and will always be, decided in two categories, those being one for ladies and one for gentlemen. This is essential whilst male and female races exist, counting towards each respective championship, such races being Towcester’s Volkswagen Touareg Gentleman’s Championship Hunterchase, Stratford’s Jon Pinfold Ladies Hunterchase and numerous ladies’ hurdle races. In any case, the AJA could be accused of double standards if Rose was awarded the title of overall amateur champion when in the past there has never been such a title given to any overall winning champion gentleman. This is therefore not a sexist issue but a historical one as there is no precedent for an overall champion.
Well done to gallant runners up Thomas Greenall and Jacqui Kidd, and well done also to every member who has ridden a winner this season! Many thanks to the many trainers who have supported amateur riders and to the racecourses themselves who have allowed us all to enjoy such a fantastic season.
