THE AMATEUR JOCKEYS ASSOCIATION OF GREAT BRITAIN

Category: Jockey News

AJA support Cancer Research with Cheltenham Festival charity race

23-02-2012

images3.jpeg Cheltenham Festival’s charity race in aid of Cancer Research has raised over £400,000 over the last 2 years and the £500,000 mark is now well within our grasp with the third running of the race on Thursday 15th March!

This year’s riders – Candida Baker 🙂 Gina Bryce 🙂 Tina Cook 🙂 Shan Cothi 🙂 Niall Cronin 🙂 Niall Hannity 🙂 James Hughes 🙂 Lindsey Hunting 🙂 Jo McCain 🙂 Wendy Normile 🙂 Jelly O’Brien 🙂 and Stuart Parr 🙂 are all frantically gaining full fitness in readiness for the race and at the same time fundraising like crazy at every opportunity.  If you would like to support a particular rider, you can find them on Just Giving; if you would prefer to support the race in general, please visit www.justgiving.com/festival  and any gift however small will really help us reach our goal.  Go on – you know its for a brilliant cause!  AND WE REALLY NEED YOUR HELP! 🙂  Thanks 🙂

Alice Mills enjoys first winner at Ludlow at 100/1

22-02-2012

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Many congratulations to ALICE MILLS on her victory at Ludlow today when riding against professionals in the Henley Hall Gold Cup Handicap Hurdle which she won with ease on Michael Chapman’s TAYARAT.

The partnership made all and sustained their lead to stay on in a thrilling finish and record Alice’s first victory under Rules.  Click here to enjoy the closing stages of the race:http://horses.sportinglife.com/Video/Racing/0,27770,484084_4,00.html

WALKER/BROTHERTON REIGN AGAIN

20-02-2012

images1.jpegThose familiar names SIMON WALKER and SERENA BROTHERTON once again dominated the Amateur All-Weather season which finalised today at Wolverhampton with Simon Walker taking the title for the 4th time in his highly successful career, having previously won it firstly in 05/06 and then in 07/08 and 08/09 as well as being runner-up in every intervening year!

No stranger herself to the winner’s enclosure or to championships, Serena Brotherton was runner-up this time, having won this championship back in 09/10. Many congratulations to all those who won on the All-Weather this season, especially to those who rode their first winners, and most of all to our new champion. 

 

NAME

1st (5 points)

2nd (2 points)

3rd (1 point)

TOTAL

Mr Simon Walker

3

4

23

Miss Serena Brotherton

1

2

3

12

Mr Joe Coffill-Brown

1

1

1

8

Mr Patrick Millman

1

1

7

Miss Hayley Moore

1

1

7

Miss Becky Brisbourne

1

1

6

Mr Aaron James

1

1

6

Mrs Donna Bamonte

1

5

* James Banks

1

5

Miss Chloe Boxall

1

5

Mrs Freya Brewer

1

5

Miss Hayley Davies

1

5

Mr Nico de Boinville

1

5

Miss Nicola Dumelow

1

5

Mr David Dunsdon

1

5

Mr William Easterby

1

5

Miss Chloe Madgin

1

5

Mr Michael Mitchell

1

5

* Jack Quinlan

1

5

Miss Sally Randell

1

5

 

 

FEGENTRI 2012

20-02-2012

uk-flag11.gifIt was a difficult choice to select two Fegentri representatives from a huge number of excellent applicants but the AJA are pleased to announce that the lucky pair to represent Great Britain for 2012 will be HAYLEY MOORE and MIKEY ENNIS.   They travel out to Qatar where the Fegentri 2012 General Assembly takes place in Doha on Monday 27th February with a men’s race and 2 ladies races over the following 3 days.  Sadly Hayley missed the first Fegentri ladies race of the year in Oman as this was originally non-Fegentri and offered a great chance for PERNILLA HERMANSSON to represent GB; similarly Mikey missed out at Cagnes-sur-mer last weekend with no invitation extended from France but such is the nature of Fegentri and plenty of rides worldwide await both jockeys.

Thanks to the kind invitation of Lara Sawaya, Festival Director to HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nayhan’s Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival, more opportunities than ever before can be shared between our lady jockeys with the running of a new Arab series, THE SHEIKHA FATIMA BINT MUBARAK LADIES IFAHR CUP 2012.  HELEN CUTHBERT enjoyed the first race of this series in Oman in January.

421943_296428663748121_100001429681458_845832_1004025517_n1.jpgPIP TUTTY visited Moonee Valley Racecourse in Melbourne a fortnight later finishing 2nd and enjoyed the added bonus of seeing Black Caviar recording another historic win.  Visit  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ktz5YuBoGoU to get a flavour of the great atmosphere.  ADELE MULRENNAN will represent GB next in Houston, Texas in early March.

We really appreciate the bonus of these Arabian races to allow more lady jockeys a share in the unique experience of race riding abroad.  The series asks for a different rider for each race and, unlike Fegentri, riders do not need 5 wins to participate.  We are working on more opportunities for our gentlemen riders in the near future to level out the playing field.

First jumps victory a royal one for Nico de Boinville

17-02-2012

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Many congratulations to Nico de Boinville (3rd for Great Britain in last year’s Fegentri Mens Jump Championship) on joining an elite band of winning royal jockeys by enjoying success today at Fakenham for Her Majesty the Queen aboard Nicky Henderson’s Barbers Shop bred nearby at Sandringham.

This was Nico’s first NH winner under Rules with Barbers Shop jumping his two rivals into submission.  He now has the Christie’s Foxhunter Chase at Cheltenham in his sights but needs to win or finish second in a Hunter Chase or win a point-to-point before the end of February in order to qualify.  After the race Nico said “It was a real privilege and an honour.  It was the perfect way to register my first winner over jumps.  He jumped well and travelled great.  Obviously there has been talk of the Queen Mother Memorial and the Foxhunters but I would not have a clue where he will go at this moment in time.”

Derek O’Connor ruled out of Cheltenham with broken leg

17-02-2012

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Ireland’s champion point-to-point jockey Derek O’Connor, successful at last year’s Cheltenham Festival on both Zemsky (pictured above) and Chicago Grey, broke his leg at Musselburgh yesterday when taking a heavy fall from Simonsberg in the hunter chase.  Unfortunately the horse was fatally injured.

Derek said “I might be getting an operation later today.  Its disappointing obviously and I am probably looking at 8 to 10 weeks out of action.”  The timing could not be worse with not only Cheltenham but also the Irish Grand National, Aintree and Punchestown looming over the next few weeks.  We all wish Derek well for a speedy recovery.

SWC and Long Run victorious at Newbury

17-02-2012

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Congratulations to Sam Waley-Cohen on getting off the mark at Newbury this afternoon with Long Run in preparation for the Gold Cup only a few weeks away.  Seeming happy with their performance, Sam said “That is what we came here to do and you never know whether you are going to do it or not.  I was really pleased with his jumping and that is exactly the sort of confidence booster you want to go to the Gold Cup with.  He has gone out there and done it really well.”

Sam Waley Cohen - Jockey

 

In spite of challengers from What A Friend and stable companion Burton Port, when Sam asked Long Run for a big one at the last he jumped brilliantly. Next stop Cheltenham and we all wish the partnership all the best in their bid to repeat last year’s incredible success.

Sam Waley-Cohen’s prize money funds JAMIE HAMILTON’S FIRST WINNER AT KELSO

15-02-2012

Today’s Amateur Jockeys Association Amateur Riders’ Handicap Chase at Kelso was the first of three races utilising a £20,000 fund of prize money earned by Sam Waley-Cohen from Long Run’s Gold Cup success and Oscar Times’ Grand National second place and chosen by Sam via the BHA to be invested in amateur races in 2012.  The intention to build a stronger platform from which amateur jockeys can launch their riding careers was put to perfect use with such a skilled performance by rookie jockey Jamie Hamilton.

Many congratulations are due to Jamie on winning his first race under rules, partnering TARTAN SNOW owned by the Whitemoss Gold Syndicate for trainer Stuart Coltherd.  This was a decent handicap chase which produced a shock result with Tartan Snow being the complete outsider and with four in line at the last it was a great spectacle as Jamie went on to score with ease.

Stuart Coltherd said “Full marks to Jamie.  He gave him a cracking ride and did everything I told him.”  Jamie works for Richard Fahey who tweeted: ” Nice to see Jamie Hamilton riding a winner at Kelso.  He’s attached to our yard and I’m sure he will go a long way – Flat and jumping.”

The remaining races which will use this fund are yet to be confirmed.

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National Hunt Chase honours HM the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee

25-01-2012

Cheltenham Festival have renamed the National Hunt Chase in honour of Her Majesty the Queen’s 60 year reign.  Now in its 142nd year, the 4 mile NH Chase is one of the oldest races at the Festival run as the opener on the Wednesday.

Cheltenham supremo Edward Gillespie said “The royal connection with Cheltenham is something that we are particularly proud of and we are delighted to be marking the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee year by renaming the most historic race of the festival in her honour.  In recent years, the National Hunt Chase has been restored to its former glory and is now the foremost novices’ chase for long distance steeplechasers.  I am sure that the 2012 running will produce a thrilling spectacle amd highlight the talents of more big race winners of the future.”

The AJA are also particularly proud that one of our showcase races should be chosen to receive this prestigious title.