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LEADING LADY APPRENTICE
ARC LAUNCHES THE SILKS SERIES FOR FEMALE JOCKEYS
New £100,000 race series for female jockeys across ARC racecourses in 2017
Author: Tallulah Lewis/07 March 2017/Categories: In the News
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On the eve of International Women’s Day, Arena Racing Company (“ARC”) is delighted to announce further details about the forthcoming
Silk Series - an exciting new race series exclusively for female jockeys.
The Silk Series is a new initiative which will see female jockeys, both professional and amateur, compete in races hosted at nine Ladies’ Days
across ARC racecourses in 2017.
The nine races will have total prize money of £100,000. The first eight races in the series will be Class 4 Handicaps worth £10,000 each and the final race,
on Ladies’ Day of the St Leger Festival at Doncaster Racecourse, will be a Class 3 Handicap worth £20,000. Full details of the conditions for each race will be
published by British Horseracing Authority (“BHA”) in due course as part of the programme of races for the year.
The dates of the races are listed below:
Racecourse Date Prize Fund
Lingfield Park Friday 12 May £10,000
Chepstow Friday 14 July £10,000
Great Yarmouth Wednesday 19 July £10,000
Newcastle Saturday 29 July £10,000
Royal Windsor Monday 31 July £10,000
Brighton Thursday 10 August £10,000
Wolverhampton Friday 18 August £10,000
Bath Saturday 19 August £10,000
Doncaster Thursday 14 September £20,000
Leading apprentice jockey Hollie Doyle is the official ambassador of The Silk Series and will be seeking to compete in the series over the summer.
Hollie said: “The Silk Series is a wonderful opportunity for female jockeys to showcase their talents to a wide audience. In the long run, I hope it
can help encourage owners and trainers to use female jockeys more often on their horses. I am really looking forward to taking part in The Silk Series.”
Jockeys will be awarded points for winning and being placed in each of the nine races. The points system will be as follows:
1st Place: 20 points
2nd Place: 16 points
3rd Place: 12 points
4th Place 8 points
5th Place: 4 points
6th Place: 2 points
If there is a dead heat for first place the two jockeys will each receive 18 points (based on splitting the points available for first and second) and the third jockey to cross the line will receive 12 points.
The leading female jockey at the end of The Silk Series will be awarded ‘The Tufnell Trophy’ in memory of Meriel Tufnell MBE who was Great Britain’s first Female Champion Jockey in 1972, a feat she matched in 1973 along with also becoming European Female Champion Jockey. In addition to her success on the racecourse she also founded the Lady Jockeys’ Association – the first such body in the world. The presentation of The Tufnell Trophy will take place on the afternoon of Thursday 14 September at Doncaster Racecourse.
As part of hosting The Silk Series ARC is excited to partner with Cancer Research UK to raise money for the charity’s pioneering work into the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. From the sale of each ticket sold for ARC’s 2017 Ladies Day series, 75 pence will be donated to the charity. Cancer Research UK will have a presence at all nine Ladies’ Days fixtures with racegoers having the opportunity to engage with and support the charity.
ARC Group Director of Partnerships, David Leyden Dunbar said: “We were delighted with the support we received in October when we announced that The Silk Series would be part of our summer flat racing programme. On the eve of International Women’s Day, we are pleased to be able to confirm further details about the series ahead of it commencing in May at Lingfield Park.”
Executive Director of Philanthropy and Partnerships at Cancer Research UK, Frances Milner, said: “We’re delighted to be working with ARC and The Silk Series. It’s a brilliant opportunity to raise awareness of our life-saving work and the money raised at these races will help fund vital research into beating cancer sooner.”
 By way of background the timeline below shows some of the major milestones for female jockeys in the last 45 years: 1972 – First ever race for female jockeys at Kempton Park which was won by Meriel Tufnell 1972 - Meriel Tufnell becomes Great Britain’s first Female Champion Jockey 1973 – Meriel Tufnell becomes European Female Champion Jockey 1976 – Diana Thorne becomes the first woman to ride a winner under National Hunt rules
1982 – Geraldine Rees becomes the first female jockey to complete in the Grand National finishing 8th on Cheers
1987 – Gee Armytage becomes the first female jockey to win at the Cheltenham Festival winning the Kim Muir Challenge Cup and Mildmay of Flete Challenge Cup in the same year
GEE ARMYTAGE
Grand National Ladies – Gee Armytage
Posted by Allison Graham | Mar 27, 2011 | Girls with Guts, Grand National Ladies | 0 |
One of the best female riders of her generation, Gee Armytage had been victorious twice at the Cheltenham Festival before partnering the aptly named Gee-A in the 1988 Grand National.
Gee-A was still going well on the second circuit before being pulled up before the 26th fence by his 22-year-old rider after she strained a muscle in her back. Her amateur rider brother Marcus, a journalist with The Daily Telegraph, won the Grand National on Mr Frisk in 1990.
Since retiring from the saddle, Gee has married jockey Mark Bradburne and is personal assistant to 15-time champion jump jockey Tony McCoy.
Here she tells Eclipse Magazine about her experience in the National:
Family planning…
“It has always been an ambition for my family to win the Grand National, so yes I did want to ride it, and I wanted to win it. My father trained some horses to run well in it before I was riding at that level. My brother Marcus was an amateur rider and won in 1990 on Mr Frisk.”
Credit where it’s due…
“I didn’t have problems [being taken seriously as a female jockey in the race], because I had already proved myself winning two races at the Cheltenham Festival the season before; and I was regularly competing in the top races against the top lads. My Grand National ride on Gee-A was not family connected. I would have had several rides in the Grand National but for injury forcing me out of the race at the last minute. As it was I only had one.
“We had our own changing room away from the main lads’ one. It was a bit lonely in that respect but we came to expect that, and the year I rode I think there were three of us starting out.
“It was always a responsibility to do well as a lady jockey: if something had gone wrong in any race, as a girl it was always going to be your fault – but as a bloke it was just one of those things.
“As I said I had the respect of the lads in the Weighing Room because of the results I had already had. The great thing about riding in the National is that everyone wishes everyone else well and means it.
Male comments…
“Yeah, funny really, they love the attention! I never responded to any of that – if anything it helped us, as it took the pressure off in a funny way. And how I loved proving them wrong!”
Could this be the year…
“The jumps [now] are slightly smaller and safer but still take a good round from horse and rider to complete. The standard of all riders has gone up so much, therefore I don’t think it has got any easier.
Nina [Carberry] could win it any day: she is a great rider and could well get on a horse good enough to win the National. It is only a matter of time before the race is won by a woman, in my opinion.”
High on excitement…
“It was memorable alright, but not the high point of my career. It would have been if I had won of course! [But] I would do it all over again in a flash; it has a really exciting build-up, unlike any other race in the world. You could win a thousand races, and numerous Championship races, and the general public wouldn’t have a clue – but the one race all people will talk about is the Grand National.”
 1987 – Gay Kelleway is first woman to win at Royal Ascot on board Sprowston Boy in the Queen Alexandra Stakes
“Gay has been training for over 20 years and has not only had a successful career as a jockey, highlighting the 1st woman to ride a winner at Royal Ascot, she has also trained Group and major Handicap winners”
1993 – Julie Krone is the first female jockey to win an American Classic at the Breeders’ Cup on board Colonial Affair in the Belmont Stakes
1997 – Alex Greaves became first woman to win a Group 1 when dead-heating in the Nunthorpe Stakes at York on board Ya Malak
ALEX GREAVES
Wednesday, 30 March, 2005,
Greaves decides to quit riding
Greaves rode her first winner in 1989 as an amateur
Britain's most successful female jockey Alex Greaves has decided to retire after riding around 300 winners.
Greaves, 36, made history as the first woman to ride a Group One winner when Ya Malak dead-heated for first in the 1997 Nunthorpe Stakes at York.
She was also the first woman to ride in the 1,000 Guineas and the Epsom Derby.
"As a girl in this game you have to work twice as hard to prove yourself and after 15 years of pushing hard I know it's the right choice," she said.
After starting out as an amateur with David Barron, Greaves rode her first winner at Southwell in 1989 and landed her first big success aboard Amenable in the 1991 Lincoln.
In addition to her riding career, she has also built up a successful training establishment with husband David Nicholls, but the battle with the scales has finally forced her to call it a day.
"Most girl riders get on because they are light, but I've always struggled with my weight and it doesn't get any easier," she told the Racing Post.
"I rode nine lots of work the other day in a sweatsuit, then got on the treadmill, had a swim and lost only half a pound.
"It will be a change to have time for family and friends and be able to enjoy a good meal.
"I'll miss it like hell but there are other challenges I'd like to take up - so there is plenty to look forward to."
2008 – Hayley Turner becomes the first woman to ride 100 winners in the UK
2011 – Fourteen years after Alex Greaves’ success Hayley Turner becomes only the second women to win a Group 1 on board Dream Ahead in the Darley July Cup at Newmarket
2011 – Carlisle Racecourse hosts the first ever race meeting solely for female jockeys
2012 – Katie Walsh remains the highest place female jockey in the Grand National finishing 3rd on Seabass
2015 – The Girls team claims its first victory in The Shergar Cup at Ascot Racecourse and Sammy-Jo Bell wins the Silver Saddle as the leading jockey at the race meeting
2015 – Michelle Payne becomes the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup in Australia on board Prince of Penzance at odds of 100/1
2015 – Lizzie Kelly becomes the first female jockey to win a Grade 1 over jumps riding Tea For Two to victory in the Feltham Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day
2017 – ARC launch The Silk Series – a pioneering new £100,000 race series for female jockeys.
LEADING LADY APPRENTICE 2017
HOLLIE DOYLE
 Leading lady apprentice is Hollie Doyle with 31 wins from 269 rides a strike rate of 12%.
In the the Stobart Apprentice Jockeys Championship. Its decided on ridden winners of all Flat and All Weather races taking place from Saturday 6 May 2017 to the last race
at the Qipco British Champions Day meeting on Saturday 21 October 2017.
An Apprentice Jockey can “claim” a weight allowance of 7lbs until they have 20 wins,
5lbs until 50 wins, 3lbs until 95 wins (special allowances apply in races for Apprentices only).
Final Standings:
Jockey Wins Rides Strike Rate Level Stake Win Prize Total Prize
David Egan 53 448 12% -84.80 £290,204 £572,817
Kieran Shoemark 52 393 13% -66.59 £387,614 £592,073
George Wood 41 294 14% +28.49 £373,201 £530,582
Hollie Doyle 31 269 12% -51.94 £190,618 £349,875
 
LEADING LADY AND APPRENTICE JOCKEY 2016 JOSEPHINE GORDON
Devon jockey Josephine wins apprentice title
By WMNAGreenwood | Posted: October 15, 2016
By Herald Reporter
A 23-year-old jockey from Devon has been named as the top apprentice in the country.
Josephine Gordon, from Chittlehampton, has ridden a total of 50 winners across the 2016
British flat racing season.
She is only the third female jockey to win the apprentice championship with Amy Ryan
(40 winners) lifting the title in 2011 and Britain’s most successful flat jockey, Hayley
Turner (44 winners) jointly winning it in 2005 with Saleem Golam.
Josephine, who is based in Lambourn, Berkshire, was crowned the 2016 Stobart Champion Apprentice Jockey at QIPCO British Champions
Day at Ascot Racecourse today. During 2016 she has achieved an 11% winning strike rate and has ridden for more than a 100 trainers, making
her one of the most in demand jockeys on the circuit.
Last year’s champion apprentice Tom Marquand finished in second with 45 winners and Adam McNamara in third on 39.
As well as being apprentice jockey to Stan Moore, she has received the patronage from renowned trainers including former champion flat trainer
Sir Michael Stoute, classic winning trainer Hugo Palmer and three times champion jockey now trainer Richard Hughes.
This year Josephine has ridden seven winners from fifteen rides for Hugo Palmer, as well as securing a 100% strike rate on board Palmer’s Baydar
(2 wins from 2 rides) and Wall of Fire (1 win from 1 ride) at Doncaster’s St Leger Festival being one highlight.
She has also ridden Indera, trained by John Berry, to victory four times from eight rides, as well as producing five wins from ten races riding Gentlemen,
trained by Phil McEntee. Her record earned her a cheque for £5,000 in prize money and the newly commissioned Tom O’Ryan Champion Apprentice trophy.
Jospehine said: “Today is a great honour and I am very grateful to Stobart for sponsoring the apprentice championship and to everyone that has given me so
much support this season and helped me reach this amazing goal.
“This includes my family, my agent Phil Shea, Stan Moore and all the trainers and owners who have given me rides. And, last but not least I want to say a
big thank you to all the brilliant racehorses I have ridden.”
Phil Shea said: “For once I am lost for words. Having said that, watching Josephine progress during the winter on the all-weather and grow in confidence
with her riding, I always felt she had a serious chance of winning the apprentice title. “I am very proud of what she has achieved. If we can continue to receive the
support from trainers and owners with her riding, I would like to think Josephine could feature in the top tier of jockeys in the country as she progresses from
an apprentice to a professional”. Trainer Hugo Palmer added: “Josephine is a remarkably gifted and strong jockey. Myself and my owners have been delighted to support
her this year and we will continue to do so and I would expect to see her progress from here and to feature amongst the leading jockey rankings in the future.”
Gordon joins Spencer at 32Red to add further strength to Flat season content 32Red are delighted to welcome Josephine Gordon to their stable of brand ambassadors.
Gordon will join existing 32Red brand ambassador Jamie Spencer at 32Red – as well as our National Hunt team of Bryan Cooper, Paddy Brennan and Nico de Boinville – in
providing a regular blog, covering her prominent rides across the upcoming Flat season, including daily coverage at the major festivals.
Gordon became only the third female jockey to win the Champion Apprentice Championship in 2016 – racking up an impressive 50 winners on her way to that crown – and
has continued that stellar form into 2017. With regular rides for leading trainers Hugo Palmer, William Haggas, Ed Dunlop, Sir Michael Stoute and Michael Bell, as well
as for Saeed bin Suroor, she is perfectly placed to challenge for the biggest prizes on the flat in 2017 and for many seasons to come. Josephine Gordon said:
“I am very excited to be joining the 32Red team and very much appreciate the opportunity. Having won the Champion Apprentice title last year, I am looking forward to
riding as many winners as possible in 2017!”
Matt Booth, Chief Commercial Officer, 32Red PLC added: "We are delighted to add Josephine Gordon to our ever-expanding stable of jockeys across both
the flat and national hunt disciplines. Josephine is one of the top jockeys on the flat circuit and did phenomenally well last season culminating in the Apprentice jockeys title.
We are really looking forward to seeing Josephine riding as many winners as possible and reading her thoughts during the flat racing season.”
LEADING LADY APPRENTICE 2015 SAMMY-JO BELL
“I left school when I was 17 and spent six months with Jim Bolger. It was an amazing experience and Mr Bolger is an incredible man, but with hindsight I’m not sure it was the best place to start off as I was a bit inexperienced and had to learn a lot in a short period of time,” she explained.
“After that I spent three and a half years working for Kevin Prendergast at the Curragh. It was a brilliant time, I learnt a lot, and Mr Prendergast gave me opportunities to ride and I rode 10 winners for him.
“In 2013, I was looking for a chance to ride in Britain, where there is more racing and greater opportunities for apprentices, and that’s how I came over.
“Life is great at Richard’s although he does keep you busy – I ride about eight lots a day! I don’t ride out for anyone else, but we have a large number of horses at Musley Bank, so there’s always lots to do. I live just down the road, so it’s not as if I’ve got far to travel. Sometimes it’s hard to get up early in the morning when you’ve been riding the night before at an evening meeting and you don’t get back home until late, but it’s just what you’ve got to do.”
A big contributer to Bell’s success has been sprint handicapper Arctic Feeling, with whom the rider has developed a relationship based upon a mutual affection!
“He’s just an absolute legend and I’ve won five races on him, including a big sprint at York last October,” she said.
“He’s a horse who really helped get things going for me and I’m very grateful to have been given the chances to ride him. It helps that he’s such a gentleman too and I love him to pieces. Every jockey needs a horse like him who keeps giving you his all and helps get your name noticed.”
Just as delighted with Bell’s slick form is Fahey himself, who has watched her improve as a jockey since joining the stable.
“I’m thrilled because she works hard for it and deserves the chances,” said the trainer. “She’s been getting some help from her coach, Tom O’Ryan, on the Equicizer and I think that is reaping its reward.
“We’re not short of horses for her to ride and I just hope she keeps riding winners for me!” Bell agreed that the extra coaching from O’Ryan, whose brother Robin is Fahey’s right-hand man at the yard, had proved valuable, but admitted that her own worst critic was closer to home.  “I record every race I ride in and watch them back again and again – I don’t think I’ve watched a ride of mine yet that I’ve felt really happy with!” she said. “I know some might find it a bit silly, but trying to improve every element of your riding is important, and I’m still learning!”
Bell rides next at Leicester on Tuesday evening. Whether she can add another win to her total or not remains to be seen, but the TV will evidently be recording in any case. Such attention to detail can only be admired.
LEADING LADY APPRENTICE JOCKEY 2014 JENNY POWELL
Jenny Powell Age: 17 Based: Manor Stables, Malpas, Cheshire (owned by Michael Owen) Status: Apprentice jockey to trainer Tom Dascombe Daughter of Grand National winning jockey Brendan Powell and sister to Brendan Jnr, up and coming jump jockey. 2014 Winners: 13
x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Leading Lady Apprentice 2013 at Doncaster.
Shelley Birkett Wins the Jockey Jan Leading Lady Apprentice 2013 the presentaion coincided with a trip to Dubai below Shelley speaks about her trip.
Dubai was a great trip and was a good opportunity to meet people from all round the world who are involved in racing. I finished 6th at Abu Dhabi races and it was my first time riding an Arabian. One person from each country was invited out to compete and the winner got a Rolex watch and £9,000!! It is run by EARS (European association of racing schools) and they have trips all round the world like America, France, China and Ireland.
Below Shelley in action.
Below Jenny Ferguson, Hayley Turner and Rossie Jessop collect Shelley's prize at Doncaster.
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2013
At Perth Pony Races on Sunday 14th July 2013
