Category: Jockey News
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!
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.
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CHRIS BOREHAM
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Chris rides out for David Arbuthnot and has ridden in point-to-points for 8 years. In his professional capacity he is also helping to raise funds at today’s charity lunch by acting as auctioneer.
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RICHARD BUCKFIELD
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A keen polo player, Richard rode in his first charity race at Goodwood last year and now hopes to improve on that performance. He rides out regularly for Gary Moore.
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CAROLINE FLEMING
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Caroline rides out for Nicky Henderson and is Sponsorship Executive at Newbury Racecourse. Caroline makes her debut riding in public today.
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AMBER GRIFFITHS
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Amber has worked in racing since she was 15 and currently works for Tim Vaughan. This is her debut ride on the racecourse.
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SARAH KNIGHT
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Sarah is attached to Andy Haynes’s yard and previously held an amateur jockey’s licence when working for Charles Cyzer.
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LEON NURSE
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This is Leon’s 12th charity race in which he will be attempting to retain his title having won this race last year.
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JASON PACKHOUSE
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Jason has ridden in over 25 point-to-points and held a conditional licence when attached to Roger Curtis’s yard. He now works for Andy Haynes.
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DAVID PLUNKETT
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David, better known as Trigger, is having his debut ride in public today. He is Assistant Trainer to Charles Egerton and has worked in racing for 18 years.
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MARK WEEKS
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This is Mark’s debut ride in public. He is Pupil to Alan King and previously Charles Egerton.
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JULIAN WILLIAMS
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Julian has ridden in 3 point-to-points and is Assistant Trainer to Mick Easterby.
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23-05-2009
The light may have been fading when Oliver Greenall and Danny Cook received their champagne from AJA Vice President Dr Philip Pritchard at Stratford this evening but the two stars of this year’s National Hunt amateur season have bright futures to look forward to. Having turned conditional only 3 weeks ago, our NH Champion amateur runner-up (and current Fegentri World Champion runner-up) Danny Cook has already clocked up 5 wins as a professional, the latest being last night at Stratford.
Meanwhile, Oliver’s winning streak has been unstoppable and he also enjoyed a winner last night in the Novice Hunter Chase on Dennis the Legend. This brought his winning tally for the season to 30, a fantastic total and a huge achievement considering that Oliver never set out to win the Championship this season, but has picked up from where his elder brother Thomas left off.
(Interestingly, Thomas achieved the same amount of winners to claim his first NH Championship in 2004/5 and took the championship last season with 25 wins. Having concentrated this season on point-to-pointing, Thomas is currently leading that national championship with Dave Mansell in close pursuit and currently only 4 wins behind him.)
Our lady NH champion amateur jockey for this season, Lucy Horner, is currently sidelined with concussion and was therefore unable to collect her champagne in person, as was Rose Dobbin, reigning champion amateur lady jockey and this year’s runner up who has now retired from the saddle to enjoy turning her attention to training.
Many congratulations to our fantastic champions Oliver and Lucy, their runners up Danny and Rose, and all our members who have enjoyed riding winners this season. It was also excellent to see Jacqueline Coward at Stratford, who is making a slow but excellent and steady recovery from her head injury sustained at Wetherby back in the spring. Jacqueline has her shoulder operated on next week, as does Dickie Barrett. Good luck to all our members who are awaiting surgery or getting over injuries of which there seem to have been more than usual this season – get well soon and we all wish you a speed return to the saddle!
21-05-2009
Lucy Horner has had a great season totalling 11 jump wins so far and being currently 5 clear of her nearest rival, reigning champion Rose Dobbin, Lucy’s championship looks safe. There could be a battle on for the runner-up slot and Saturday evening’s fixture at Stratford will determine the final placings.
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Miss Lucy Horner
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11
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Mrs Rose Dobbin
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6
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Miss Gina Andrews
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5
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Miss Rachael Green
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4
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Miss Nina Carberry
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2
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Miss Lucy Gardner
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2
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Miss Gemma Gracey-Davison
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2
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Mrs Lucy Jones
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2
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Miss Zoe Lilly
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2
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Miss Charlotte Tizzard
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2
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Miss Isabel Tompsett
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2
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Oliver Greenall can also relax a little, with an impressive season behind him totalling 29 wins to date and is so far ahead of his nearest rival that no one can worry him. This is a tremendous achievement after his nasty Cheltenham injury and follows Oliver’s previous season’s record breaking point-to-point feat. Danny Cook remains well clear of the remaining winning jockeys this season to secure himself the runner-up slot.
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Mr Oliver Greenall
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29
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* Danny Cook
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18
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Mr Donal Devereux
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11
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Mr Ian Popham
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9
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Mr Will Biddick
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7
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* Peter Toole
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6
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Mr Alan Berry
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6
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Mr Richard Burton
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5
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Mr Dean Coleman
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5
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Mr Jimmy Derham
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5
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Mr Harry Challoner
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4
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Mr Barry Connell
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4
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Mr Andrew Kinirons
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4
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Mr Brian Toomey
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4
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Mr Paul Tolman
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3
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Mr Sam Waley-Cohen
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3
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Many congratulations to everyone who has ridden a winner this season and especially to our new champions, Oliver and Lucy!
21-05-2009
Today saw not only the finale of the Ladies Home-Tek Hurdle Series at Wetherby with the series winner being rising amateur star Gina Andrews but also current champion lady amateur Rose Dobbin ride her 100th and final winner under Rules. Rose announced her retirement following this spare ride (replacing this season’s soon-to-crowned amateur lady NH champion Lucy Horner who is currently sidelined with concussion).
Rose’s tally of 100 winners includes point-to-points and she hopes to have one more ride in a point-to-point at Hexham later this month, and then retire from the saddle to concentrate on her training career.
Rose said “I rode my first winner here at Wetherby on Ho Pang Yau in 2004. I’ve had lots of great moments since then, notably beating the boys to become the leading amateur last year, two winners at Cheltenham and also a second at the Festival, and winning the Lanzarote on Rayshan.”
Many congratulations to Gina on winning this series and many thanks to Jamie Lennox and Home-Tek International for their generous sponsorship. The top lady jockeys in the Home-Tek Hurdle Series 2009 are:
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HOME-TEK 2009 FINAL TABLE
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1st
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2nd
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3rd
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4th
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5th
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6th
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Unplaced
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TOTAL
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(8 points)
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(6 points)
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(5 points)
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(4 points)
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(3 points)
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(2 points)
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(1 point)
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Miss Georgina Andrews
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2
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–
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–
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1
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–
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1
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–
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22
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Miss Gemelle Gracey-Davison
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–
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3
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–
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–
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–
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–
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1
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19
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Miss Isabel Tompsett
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1
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–
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1
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–
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–
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1
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–
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15
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Miss Lucy Horner
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1
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–
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–
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1
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–
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–
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1
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13
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Miss Faye Bramley
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–
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1
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–
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1
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–
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–
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–
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10
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Carey Williamson
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–
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1
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–
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–
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–
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–
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3
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9
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Mrs Rose Dobbin
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1
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–
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–
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–
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–
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–
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–
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8
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01-05-2009
Members of the AJA are invited to attend the AGM which will be held on Monday 8th June at Weatherbys at 11.30 am. Please advise if you are able to attend in order that catering can be arranged for you.
NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF
THE AMATEUR JOCKEYS ASSOCIATIONOF GREAT BRITAIN LIMITED (‘THE AJA’)
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the 2009 Annual General meeting of the AJA will be held on Monday 8th June at 11.30 am at Weatherbys, Sanders Road, Wellingborough, Northants. NN8 4BX when the following ordinary business will be considered:
- to receive apologies for absence
- to consider and if thought fit to approve and confirm the Minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting and to authorise the President to sign them
- to receive and consider the report of the directors
- to receive and consider the report of the Chief Executive
- to receive and consider and if thought fit to pass a resolution adopting the accounts for twelve months ending 31 December 2008. The accounts are now completed and copies will be available at the AGM. Alternatively, on receipt of a stamped addressed envelope, copies will be sent to members on written request
- to consider and if thought fit to pass a resolution electing directors.
(a) The following director retires at the Annual General Meeting in accordance with Regulations 26.1 and 26.2 and offers himself for re-election:
Nick Gaselee (nominated by Gay Kindersley and seconded by Ian Balding)
Should any other person wish to stand for election as a director he or she is referred to the provisions of regulation 27
7 to re-appoint Dr L A Cotterill as auditors and to authorise the directors to fix their remuneration
Dated: 1st May 2009
By order of the board
……………………………………..
Sara Moore
Company Secretary
A member entitled to attend and vote at the meeting is entitled to appoint a proxy to attend and vote in his stead. A proxy need not be a member of the company.
28-04-2009
Having represented Great Britain and become Fegentri World Champion Runner-Up last year, Danny Cook has enjoyed pole position most of this jump season in the amateur tables. That was before Oliver Greenall warmed to the task and they have played a game of cat and mouse streets ahead of their rivals, being the only two gentlemen jockeys to earn double figures this season. Two weeks ago Danny was on 18 wins and Oliver 17. That was before a fantastic fortnight for Oliver during which Danny had to sit out a 12 day ban (following the Huntingdon wrong course incident) and watch from the sidelines as Oliver (pictured below) has ridden 6 winners including Amicelli at Cheltenham and a double at Perth which included Laertes in the Highlands National.
Unable to call upon the horsepower of his fellow jockey to give a sustained battle to the line, Danny (pictured below) has decided to turn professional before the end of the season and takes out his professional licence today. We wish him good luck in his professional capacity. It is excellent to see the amateur route provide a schooling ground for such a talented and promising jockey.
Meanwhile, with Oliver’s nearest rival now being Donal Devereux on 9 winners, it looks likely that we should all be offering many congratulations to Oliver on his tremendous achievement, especially considering the nasty injury he sustained recently at Cheltenham when bruising his spleen. The champions will be presented with their usual magnums of champagne at Stratford on Saturday 23rd May. Lucy Horner currently leads the ladies on 11 winners, her nearest rivals being Georgina Andrews and Rose Dobbin on 5.
21-04-2009
The AJA were delighted to kick start this year’s flat season for amateur jockeys with races at Doncaster on Sunday 29th March for gentlemen jockeys and on Saturday 18th April for the ladies.
With KING’S RANSOM (Trevor Woodside) taking a very long lead from early on, DIRECTOR’S CHAIR (Ross Birkett) was always up with the leading bunch and was ready to pounce when KING’S RANSOM started to come back to the field. DIRECTOR’S CHAIR responded to his jockey’s driving and dug deep to hold on from the late challenge of runner up TOP SEED with KING’S RANSOM back in third.
This was an important win for Ross as it was his 5th win under Rules and therefore qualifies him to enjoy riding abroad in Fegentri races, which was also enjoyed a few years ago by his mother, trainer Julia Feilden.
By coincidence, the result of the ladies 7f race on Saturday was also of significance for the winning rider Wendy Gibson. SMARTY SOCKS came off the pace and kept on well on the firmish ground to lead inside the final furlong and make an interesting day for his owner who was also in the middle of moving house! This also gave Wendy her 5th win in her career and both Ross and Wendy will now represent Great Britain in Baden-Baden, Germany, on 16th May in the Fegentri World Cup of Nations when they will wear the unique Union Jack silks. Many congratulations to them both!
07-04-2009
Get well soon to Andrew Kinirons who unfortunately sustained a broken leg in the novice chase at Market Rasen on Sunday when only one horse safely negotiated the first fence safely and was gifted the race, finishing alone from the 4 runner field. Andrew was operated on yesterday in Lincoln and we all wish him a good recovery.
The previous weekend Andrew (based with Sue Smith) together with Ruth Jefferson represented Great Britain in Pisa in the Fegentri World Cup of Nations where they finished 4th and 6th respectively.
02-04-2009
Thomas Greenall followed in his father’s footsteps today and enjoyed the most prestigious of his career wins at his family’s local course when winning the Foxhunters at Aintree. A field of 29 went to post and, with no fallers at the first, Strong Weld and Brooklyn Breeze took them along at a strong gallop on the lively ground. With 20 horses completing, nine of the runners were still there with a chance at the penultimate fence.
Richard Barber’s 11 year old Trust Fund had crept into contention to lead two out and responded gamely to Thomas Greenall’s niggling to stave off the late challenge of Claire Allen and last year’s winner Christy Beamish, who finished four lengths away a gallant second.
