Category: Jockey News

Ladies Flat Championship hots up

28-10-2017

The end of the Flat season is always an interesting time for reflection and celebration of our amateur championships, but the build-up of the current season’s ladies campaign is proving to be unusually gripping this year right to the wire!

Redcar’s divided ladies’ race last week saw Serena Brotherton take the first division aboard RESTIVE for Iain Jardine which took her to top of the tables alongside Joanna Mason, both on 5 wins each. Having shared this championship 2 seasons ago when both ladies ended the season with 6 wins, will this be repeated? Not necessarily whilst they have so many talented top riders on their heels and now with just 2 races to go!

The second division of the afternoon at Redcar was won by a short head by 16 year old Ella Mccain on Richard Fahey’s INGLEBY SPRING to deny Emily Bullock in a photo finish with Joanna Mason 3rd. This was Ella’s 2nd win of the week, having won the mixed race at Musselburgh just 4 days earlier on her father’s TAWSEEF, and elevated her to runner-up slot alongside Carol Bartley, both now on 4 wins, with Abbie Mccain and Jessica Cooley on 3.

Yesterday’s mixed race at Doncaster was eagerly anticipated by most of this cast and it was Ian Williams’ TOMAHAWK KID who provided Abbie Mccain with her 4th winner of the season to join sister Ella and Carol Bartley in the runner-up slot for the championship!

The story continues in the last at Newbury this afternoon where the final ladies race of the season takes place (Serena, Ella, Jo and Jess all have rides) but we have to wait until the last mixed race of the season at Nottingham next Wednesday 1st November before finally celebrating our 2017 Lady Flat Championship!

Good luck all!

Jay Kendrick rides for UK in China

28-10-2017

Huge thanks to Kit Wu of Wuhan Jockey Club for inviting us to send a representative from the UK to ride in China this week in their International Invitational race.

Well done to Jay Kendrick for being selected to represent Great Britain and doing an excellent job for us in this ambassadorial role. James is amateur jockey to Roger Charlton at Beckhampton and has enjoyed a winner under Rules as well as an Arabian win.

James thoroughly enjoyed taking part in yesterday’s race and, although his horse was a little too slow to be placed, this was a great and unique experience for him and we really appreciate the kind hospitality of our friends in China.

Zac Baker wins Welsh Champion Hurdle with THE NEW ONE

21-10-2017

Huge congrats to leading amateur Zac Baker on a great victory today when winning the Ladbrokes Welsh Champion Hurdle at Ffos Las with The New One for boss Nigel Twiston Davies!

A great achievement and a top ride!

Fred Tett scores again in France

20-10-2017

Well done to Freddie Tett who survived what can only be described as absolute carnage including a slipping saddle when riding in the cross country race at Nuilly sur Vicoin in France and enjoying victory earlier this month!

The video tells the story and this was a first victory for a UK gentleman rider over this demanding course.

A previous visit to Nuilly sur Vicoin took place in 2007 thanks to the kind invitation of Jeremy Mahot when Polly Gundry became the first lady jump jockey to ride around and complete the course and Clairey Bonner went on to win there that weekend. Dickie Barrett and Alex Merriam also took part and the memories of their negotiations over the river still remain fresh!

Congratulations Fred!

https://www.facebook.com/Francesire/videos/1848654361828716/

Ladies Flat Championship hots up at Redcar

20-10-2017

Untitled 5 13.03.56 A bonus for the girls today in the form of an additional race with this afternoon’s ladies race at Redcar divided. This adds to the season’s dramatic battle for the ladies Flat championship with this season’s Arabian champion lady jockey Jo Mason currently leading the ladies on 5 wins which include successes at both York (Queen Mother’s Cup) and Epsom (Ladies Derby) with her mother’s TAPIS LIBRE trained by cousin Jacqueline Coward.

Breathing down Jo’s neck are both past multiple lady champions Carol Bartley and Serena Brotherton currently sharing runner-up slot with 4 wins each. Carol’s highest profile win this season was the Silk Series win against lady professionals at Newcastle with Ian Jardine’s ARCHIPELIGO as well as success at Newbury of the Betfred Ladies Derby with William Haggas’s MAM’SELLE.

Waiting in the wings on 3 wins each are Abbie McCain, who has enjoyed a great season and is this year’s Betfair Novice Rider Series winner, and Jessica Cooley who enjoyed early season prominence in the tables.

We wish them all good luck with Newbury hosting the final ladies race of the season next Saturday, but with the current positions so tight, the mixed races at Doncaster on 27th October and Nottingham on 1st November could play a significant part in the final result of this championship. Go girls!

Military riders excel in Merano

27-09-2017

21768261_10155872416206318_8070285155276539436_n Our military amateur riders are an integral part of our membership and the names of Erica Bridge and Guy Disney should be familiar to everyone after their many exploits and successes at our annual Sandown military meetings.

Both jockeys took to a different stage at the weekend when riding in Merano (Erica currently stationed in Italy) and congratulations to Erica on a valiant 4th place with Guy 7th.

Here is the official press release:
Two British military amateur riders rode in a 3300m Fegentri organised race over natural hedges at Merano in the South Tirol region of Italy yesterday (Sat 23 Sep). Captain Guy Disney flew in to partner Sareerah, a 4 year old filly trained by A. Bianco. Lieutenant Colonel Erica Bridge, already based in northern Italy due to her husband’s NATO posting, rode Dalton, a 5 year old gelding trained by Ilenia Nero and ridden in the famous colours of the double Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Ribot.

The participation of the military riders was made possible due to the assistance of Merano racecourse and Major Domenico D’Alò. D’Alò is an Italian Signals officer who rode in the 2017 Grand Military Gold Cup and won the Annington Homes Queen Mother Memorial Hurdle Race for Nicky Henderson on Silverhowe at Sandown Park in March.

Some of the best amateur riders in Europe were amongst the 12 in the line up, including the eventual winner on Relco Sud Ovest, Barbara Guenet, the leading French Lady Amateur rider and Riccardo Belluco, the leading Italian Amateur, who has already notched up 20 wins in the series so far this season with over €72.000 in prize money.

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Merano has to be one of the most stunning racecourses around, surrounded by the Dolomites, with vineyards and Tyrolean villages nestled high up in the mountains. 3300m ‘siepi’ course is in a tight figure of 8, which demanded a fairly high standard of horsemanship and spatial awareness to negotiate the turns at speed. With one faller and a flying plank of wood from the base of one of the fences, it was not a race devoid of excitement.

D’Alò managed to finish 2nd on Albina behind Relco Sud Ovest. Dalton quickened over the last for Bridge to finish well in 4th and Disney, whose instructions were to finish whatever happened, came home 7th.

It was a great experience for the British military riders to race in Italy, particularly at such a big venue and on the first day of the two-day Gran Premio meeting.

Pat Millman enjoys a double at Beverley to take firm grip on men’s title

27-09-2017

A dramatic day at Beverley yesterday with the Brian and Jason Merrington Memorial Handicap over 1m 2f divided. This was welcome news with September historically quiet for amateur flat races.

The first division saw 16 runners take part, with a dramatic exit from leading lady Jo Mason when Richard Gusts’s SAKHALIN STAR clipped heels when in touch about 3 furlongs from home and falling. Thankfully Joanna was unscathed and passed the doctor to ride in the second division but it must have been painful for her to see her grandfather’s DECIMA driven clear by Pat Millman inside the final furlong to win by over 4 lengths from Emily Easterby on her father’s INSPECTOR NOSE with Becky Smith and ALMUNTHER 3/4 lengths away 3rd.

This win gave Pat his 5th of the season, 3 clear of his nearest rivals Ben James, Jamie Brace and reigning champion Simon Walker (all on 2 wins each).

To underline his grip on this season’s gentleman’s championship, Pat made it a double on the night by partnering JOHN CAESAR in the second division of 14 runners for Becky Bastiman, driving his horse out to win by a length and a half and deny Bruce Lynn aboard Richard Fahey’s ROYAL COSMIC with Joanna Mason 3/4 length back in 3rd.

Well done Pat on a great evening’s racing and a fantastic season so far! Congratulations too to all winning connections and many thanks to Beverley Racecourse and Sally Iggulden for their continued support of amateur racing this season.

Abbie McCain wins the Betfair Series with Will Milburn runner-up

22-09-2017

What has now become a feature for any amateur jockey who has no more than 3 wins under Rules as of 1st April of the current year is the Betfair Novice Amateur Riders Flat Series, now in its fifth consecutive year thanks to the loyal and generous support of Betfair. This series was instigated to help those amateurs who do not normally get many (if any) race riding opportunities through their lack of experience and/or success. Under the watchful eye of a Jockey Coach the participating jockeys attend a coursewalk prior to racing together with a full de-brief after weighing in and this series is very much seen as a training series for amateur jockeys to equip them for the future. Races have always been carefully selected so as not to encroach on any existing amateur race programming in order that more experienced amateur jockeys would not feel that any sacrifice had to be made on their part.

This year the series began at Wolverhampton for the first time (replacing Windsor) and continued at Catterick, Leicester, Redcar, Thirsk, Nottingham, Carlisle and culminated at Ripon. Jockey coach Tim Reed offered his usual invaluable support, and whilst he was unfortunately and unexpectedly incapacitated we were most grateful to be able to call upon his jockey coach colleagues Kim Tinkler, Alex Greaves and John Bramhill. Many thanks to them all.

Huge congratulations to Abbie McCain on winning the Series after a flying start winning the 1st race in the series at Wolverhampton and following that up with two 2nds and a 3rd to give her a final series score of 16 points. Many congratulations also to runner-up Will Milburn who enjoyed an incredible 2 wins in the series at Catterick and Leicester (the 2nd and 3rd races in the series) but without any placed rides thereafter was unable to catch Abbie.

Others who enjoyed wins were Emily Bullock at Redcar, Ella McCain at Thirsk, Matt Ennis at Nottingham, Lewis Stones at Carlisle and Jessica Cooley at Ripon. Well done to all the winning riders and also to those placed in the series and everyone who took part.

A total of 90 rides were enjoyed by 45 different jockeys across the 8 races which made up the series and we are enormously grateful to all owners, trainers, jockey coaches and racecourses as well as the sponsors BETFAIR for their wonderful support in enabling this great series to take place. Thank you one and all!

Emma Smith-Chaston enjoys 1st career win under Rules at Hamilton

22-09-2017

Nobody ever forgets riding their first winner and it was great to see Yorkshire’s Emma Chaston-Smith do just that (turquoise colours) aboard BREEZOLINI for Ireland’s 🇮🇪Adrian Joyce at Hamilton on 2 September in the Bet toteplacepot At betfred.com Amateur Riders’ Handicap.

Holding her horse up on the outside of the field of 11, they made headway a couple of furlongs from home to lead inside the final furlong and run on strongly to score by 2 lengths from Catherine Walton and KNOCKAMANDY BENDS with Bruce Lynn and JEBEL TARA a head back in third.

Emma is featured in this week’s Irish Field having now moved to Adrian Keatley to further her jockey career. Many congratulations Emma and all the best for many more winners in the future!

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Billy Garritty scores at Chester

19-09-2017

It was good to see our gentlemen amateur riders racing at Chester on Friday. especially as, due to race programming losing a day from last year, we unfortunately lost our ladies race there earlier this year.

Well done to Billy Garritty who enjoyed a great win aboard DARK DEVIL for Richard Fahey. Taking up the lead two furlongs from home, Billy rode his horse out inside the final furlong for Dark Devil to respond gamely and hold on to win by half a length from Jonny Flook aboard MIA CARA for Dave Evans with Fred Tett aboard MR RED CLUBS 5 lengths back in 3rd.

Congratulations Billy!