The final race of this year’s AJA Novice Riders Series of 8 races (for amateurs who have ridden no more than 3 winners at 1st April) was held yesterday at Royal Windsor.
13 went to post under the watchful eye of Jockey Coach Tim Reed with a coursewalk having been conducted earlier in the day. Sadly Nathan McCann was denied a run with his horse AEGEAN MIST bursting out of the stalls and subsequently having to be withdrawn.
Congratulations to Philip Thomas who enjoyed an unforgettable day with his first ever win under Rules aboard Dave Evans’ SMOKEY LANE. Jason Weaver caught up with him afterwards and Philip explained how he reverted to amateur status following serious injury when he broke his neck. Well done to winning connections and brilliant to see the mare follow up and win again today by a neck at Leicester!
It was a fine finale to a great series and well done to Imogen Mathias who is Series Winning Jockey with 16 points and to Shannon Watts finishing Runner Up with 13 points. A great achievement – well done all!
Congratulations to Imogen Mathias on winning at Salisbury last night in the ladies race with Mark Loughnane’s SILVINGTON who broke his maiden after 23 attempts no less in The Gift of Sight Handicap.
Imogen is enjoying a great season with 2 wins already enjoyed in the AJA Novice Riders Flat Series. Well done Imogen!
Congratulations to Katy Brooks who enjoyed her first career success under Rules at Brighton yesterday, her home racecourse, when scoring on Gary Moore’s LIGHT OF AIR by a nose in a thrilling finish, wearing down the valiant LUNA MAGIC and Brodie Hampson in a battle to the line.
Well done Katy and congratulations to winning connections!
August Bank Holiday weekend racing at Goodwood Racecourse, Sunday August 25th –
5.50pm The Silk Series Lady Riders’ Handicap Stakes (Class 4) (Pro-Am Lady Riders’ Race)
Photo by Liz Finlayson
The pro/am ladies Silk Series has provided an occasional platform for some of our lady riders (who, in revised conditions for 2019, must have had at least 5 rides under Rules) and the long journey from North Yorkshire for Becky Smith must have felt like a pop down the road after her memorable success at Goodwood on Sunday!
Partnering BLUE MEDICI for Mark Loughnane in a bid for a hat-trick (having won at both Nottingham and Newbury in July), Becky held her horse up in the early stages of this 1m4f Handicap. Shaking him up a furlong out, the pair locked horns with Hayley Turner aboard LIGHTENING DANCE for a battle royal to dig deep and run gamely to the line, just holding on by a short head.
What a finish! Many congratulations to our reigning lady champion on a great ride and on a 100% strike rate with Blue Medici! And well done to winning connections on a memorable victory!
Epsom Racecourse with its long history holds a special place in many people’s hearts, and none more so than that of our multiple champion Simon Walker who enjoyed his third career success in this prestigious race on Monday, repeating his victory of 2017 aboard C’EST NO MOUR for Peter Hedger. (Simon also won this race in its first year run outside the Fegentri calendar in 2019 on HIBIKI.)
Whilst 2 riders apart from Simon, Philip Collington and Patrick Mullins, have won this prestigious race twice, this is the first time in the race’s history that the same horse and rider have repeated wins in the race and the first time that a jockey has won it thrice!
Able to repel the late challenge of Pat Millman and ALLEGIANT by half a length, Simon said “The visor has definitely helped him, he hasn’t been doing it, but he travelled round all the way. He was never going to get beat, even though he was pulling up in front. You couldn’t have asked for more. It’s great – its the race you want to be in, as it is the biggest race for amateurs. It is good to get a ride in it and you want one with a chance and luckily this horse came back this year.”
Well done Simon on a tremendous achievement and many congratulations to winning connections!
Congratulations to Imogen who enjoyed a first career winning ride at Leicester in 31 degree heat on Wednesday evening 24 July when partnering WINKLEMANN for John Flint. Owned by her father and trained by John Flint, Winklemann was slowly into stride in this 7 furlong sprint but responded to Imogen’s urgings to make headway a furlong from home through the 15 runner field, running on well to deny Sarah Bowen and CHETAN by a length with Nathan McCann and CONFRERE a further 2 1/2 lengths 3rd.
It was excellent to see Imogen ride her first winner, particularly after her dramatic first ever ride at Chelmsford last December, again on Winklemann, when her weight cloth slipped off a furlong from the start. Imogen won easily but was subsequently disqualified and this win at Leicester firmly put that memory to bed. Well done Imogen!
What a dramatic weekend in the USA with racing cancelled at both Parx (Philadelphia) and Laurel Park due to 38C heat! Thanks to some serious hard work and cooler temperatures (32 degrees!), Parx was rescheduled for today Monday (original plans having been for Delaware) and news is just in that its a WINNER for GB!
Many congratulations to Pat Millman on a great ride to fly at the finish and get up on the line in a three horse photo!
Well done Pat and massive thanks to Don Yovanovich for all of his dedication and hard work to make this raceday happen in the most difficult of circumstances.🥂🇬🇧🥂🇺🇸🥂❤️
Alyson Deniel is no stranger to winning on Arabian horses internationally, having enjoyed success in the second race of 2014 of the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship held at Caulfield Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia (below).
A bit closer to home, another winning ride was enjoyed by Aly recently when representing the UK in Romania on 6th July at the Hippodrome Ploiesti near Bucharest.
Many congratulations to Aly who now looks forward to the finale to be held in Abu Dhabi on 24th November, when all winning riders will participate.
Many thanks to Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, Chairperson of the International Federation of Horse Racing Academies (IFHRA), Chairperson of Ladies & Apprentice Racing Committees in the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR), for giving our lady riders such unique opportunities
Congratulations to Matt Ennis on a great ride when winning the first of this year’s AJA Novice Flat Amateur Riders races at Catterick on 17th July aboard Ruth Carr’s course specialist BE PERFECT. Holding his horse up until making steady headway from about half a mile out, the partnership stayed on well to score by 3 lengths from Joey Dunne and Gavin Cromwell’s SHEILA’S EMPIRE with Joshua Scott and OROBAS 3rd.
Congratulations also to Emily Bullock who led up the winner and won Best Turned Out!
Many thanks to Kim Tinkler, BHA Jockey Coach, for sharing her expertise and conducting the course walk and jockey de-brief. Thanks also to Catterick for accommodating this race, the 1st in the 8 race series.
Well done Matt who now leads the tables with the next leg of the series taking place this Wednesday at Leicester, the biggest field of the day with 16 declared.
A reminder that this series is for any amateur jockey who has ridden no more than 3 winners under rules at 1st April 2019, with point-to-point and Arab racing wins disregarded. Jockeys are invited to walk the course with a BHA Jockey Coach 90 minutes before each race and to attend the de-brief following weighing in.
Beverley Racecourse hosted the 28th running of the Dorothy Laird Memorial pro-am ladies race on 16th July, remembering a remarkable woman authoress and founder member of the Lady Jockeys Association.
Congratulations to Amy Collier on her 2nd winner of the season when enjoying repeat success with Karen Tutty’s THORNTOUN CARE on 16th July having partnered him to victory at Haydock in early June.
Held up until making headway a couple of furlongs out, Amy switched to the outer and came with a strong run inside the final furlong staying on well to snatch victory from Emily Easterby in the final strides, winning by a head. Well done Amy!
