Josephine Gordon, the reigning champion apprentice, has said she will not follow Hayley Turner’s example and seek to take advantage of the weight allowance offered to female jockeys by French racing. While Turner said on Saturday that it is “a no-brainer” for her to exploit the 2kg advantage by riding in France this winter, Gordon is planning to spend the off-season in Britain, with perhaps an occasional foray to the Middle East, and has no plans to use the profile she has gained in the past year to break into France. “If Hugo Palmer or another trainer was sending a horse over to France and wanted me to ride it, of course I’d do that,” Gordon said. “If I find myself riding there, then of course I’d embrace it [the allowance]. Hayley
Steven Matz Youth Jersey Turner to race in France due to female jockeys’ weight allowance Read more “But I’ve never gone away for the winter. I think that’s the time when you can build up your connections in this country, riding on the all-weather. I did go out to Dubai for a weekend last winter and I may possibly go out there again.” Indeed, it would be no surprise if Gordon were a frequent participant in the Dubai Carnival in the early months of next year, having become a regular in the blue silks of Godolphin this year. Having described the French allowance as “a bit offensive” six months ago when it was first announced, Gordon says her feelings on the subject have not changed, although she acknowledges statistics from France-Galop that show female jockeys have had more rides and more winners as a result. But she rejects the idea that any similar scheme would be appropriate in Britain. “I think it’s a lot different here. If you were looking at the situation here 10 years ago, then maybe it would be something to consider. But there are a lot more female jockeys around now compared to when the likes of Hayley were starting.” It is a sign of where Gordon is in her career that she has had to give up her place in Saturday’s novelty Shergar Cup event because Palmer has Group-race entrants at Haydock and Newmarket and will need her at one of those venues. Any young jockey would seize on the chance to ride in a Group race, although Gordon must have had mixed feelings on the subject, having told this reporter two hours before news of her switch that she had been looking forward to the Shergar Cup for three months. Advertisement Turner immediately stepped in to take the vacant slot in the Ascot jockeys competition. She will combine riding in
http://www.officialmetsproshop.com/Stolmy_Pimentel_Jerseyfive races with being a part of the ITV presenting team. Meanwhile, the British Horseracing Authority is to give its first formal consideration to the question of a weight allowance for female jockeys as a result of a “Diversity in racing steering group” that is now being recruited. “We continue to monitor the developments in France with interest,” a BHA spokesman said. “When the group is established, one item on their agenda will be to conduct a benchmarking exercise to see what steps international horse racing authorities have taken to encourage diversity, including in relation to the career progression of female jockeys.” The BHA also announced some changes to novice chases in time for the core jumps season that will start this autumn. Most notably, the handicapper will not now be allowed to raise the rating of beaten horses in all but the best novice chases. “A preconception exists among trainers that running in close proximity to a higher-rated opponent in novice chases may result in a significant rise in a horse’s handicap rating,” a spokesman said. “To encourage more horses to run in weight-for-age novice chases, trainers’ preconceptions of the handicappers’ reaction needs to be addressed.” Nicky Henderson, the champion jumps trainer, welcomed the changes as “really excellent” and said they would “help the good horses to come through the system. The very good
http://www.officialmarinershop.com/Hisashi_Iwakuma_Jerseyhorses have always been well catered for but it’s the ‘good without being really top-class’ horses that will now be so much better catered forCoronation Day, a one-and-a-half length winner at Brighton earlier in the month, seems sure to start favourite here from a 7lb higher mark and could well find the necessary improvement as her last outing was also her first at a sprint trip since her two-year-old days. Davy Russell punching his horse was a serious blow to racing’s image Read more Brighton also shares some characteristics with Epsom, but it is not quite the same thing and Coronation Day faces two horses with strong form at today’s track. Highland Acclaim and Huntsmans Close were separated by a short-head over course and distance in July and while Highland Acclaim came out on top and the two horses now meet on identical terms, Highland Acclaim has run below form on two subsequent starts. Huntsmans Close, by contast, ran up to form at Yarmouth on 1 August and
Ichiro Suzuki Jerseyreturns to a track where he has run well on all four of his previous starts. Cordite (4.20) has run 34 times without success since taking a Leicester maiden as a juvenile in 2013, but has been impressively consistent through his career and ran one of his best races when fourth at Windsor last time out. He is edging towards a winning mark and is in a weak race by Epsom standards this afternoon, while Flyboy (3.45) and Av A Word (4.50) also have plenty to recommend them on the same card. Euro Mac (6.45) got off the mark in her 15th race last time out, finding some improvement in the process, and she could follow up on the card at Carlisle this evening, while Veejay (3.25) and Theglasgowwarrior (5.30) both look solid on the card at Ripon this afternoon
