Monday 21 March 2022

The Lincoln Meeting

 As the start of the flat season looms ahead, we have a look into the history of the Lincoln meeting. 

The meeting initially started at Lincoln's racecourse which was open from 1773 to 1964. A year after the racecourse shut the meeting relocated to Doncaster. 

The racecourse shut after the Betting Levy Board stopped financially supporting them and regardless of council pleas the closure still happened. 

Lincoln racecourse first ran the Lincoln Handicap in 1849 and since then the name has altered starting as the Lincolnshire Handicap then going to the Lincoln Spring Handicap before changing to the name we are familiar with now. The race itself has changed a huge amount going from a 2 mile race to a 1 mile in 1855. Allegedly the Lincoln Handicap had the biggest field ever in 1948 with 58 horses running. 

Since the meeting began there's been a handful of occasions where the meeting was run in different places like Lingfield in 1961, Pontefract 1942-1944, Redcar in 2006 and Newcastle in 2007. The more recent relocations were a result of redevelopment work at the normal course. 

Despite,  Lincoln racecourse shutting in 1964 the Grand Stand and the rails are still up and there have been multiple rumours over the past couple of years about it reopening to no avail. 

The two-day meeting has grown to new a scale with there now being other huge races run like the Brocklesby and the Doncaster Mile Stakes. The entries will be made today for the first day of the meeting; let's hope to see some new stars for the start of the flat season. 


Sunday 20 March 2022

Interview with Josie Gordon

Josie Gordon won Champion Apprentice Flat jockey in 2016 and a year later she became the second female jockey to ever ride 100 winners in a season. She took time out of her busy schedule to speak to me. 


Josie didn't grow up in the racing industry but her mother was a riding instructor and this began her love for the animal. Gordon wanted to be a jockey since she was 12-years-old and had a little bit of a background in the pony racing circuit before she followed the route of attending the British Racing School in Newmarket for a nine weeks course. They then gave her a placement in a yard to be an apprentice. “I’ve been into horses and ponies since I was little that got me into racing. There are lots of things I love about being a jockey, you get to ride horses, I love the speed and going quick on them. I like the racing community too as everybody who works in racing does it because they love the horses. 


“The racing course is good because it takes you back to basics, so many people on my course hadn’t even ridden a horse. I’d only ever done show jumping, eventing and cross country. I think race riding is the complete opposite of that.” The tone of her voice you can hear a smile thinking back to the early stages of her riding career, she believes if you want to be a jockey, racing schools are the best things to do because once you’ve got that basic knowledge, they then put you into a yard. She believes this practical experience is vital. 


“I think in the back of my head because I was so young and naïve, I thought because I could ride a horse it’ll be easy but you’ve got to be working hard.” Being an apprentice jockey is tough due to the highly competitive nature, there can be multiple apprentice’s in one yard all fighting for the same rides. “You’ve got to be the one who’s working the hardest to get the most rides.”


Commenting on the weights Josie doesn't struggle with hers, naturally riding light, in the last 12-months her lightest has been eight stone one. “I’m lucky, I don’t struggle. Girls are naturally lighter than boys. It's something to do with the bones being lighter. If I had an eight stone I'd probably have a little sweat and watch what I eat for a few days - I normally go for a run too.”  She doesn't have to check everything she eats but doesn't believe she'd be a jockey if she had to because she loves food.


The racing industry has changed a huge amount since Gordon began riding, her among some other female jockeys like Hayley Turner and Hollie Doyle have put women on an equal playing field to their male counterparts. When she first started out, there were times when she was the only female jockey in the weigh-in room. Now, this has changed and she believes that in another ten years the genders will be equal and the weigh-in rooms will have to keep making room for more women. 

When asked if she had faced any sexism in the industry, she had a long think before responding, only one memory came into her mind. She said: “Years and years ago, I was on the way to the races, it was a three hour journey and I was about one hour away and my agent rang me and said the horse wasn’t running. It had won the past two races and I asked why. He told me it was because the owners found out I was a girl. I thought he was joking.” There's still a bit of disbelief in her voice. This was the only time she could think her gender had impacted her. 


Gordon has proved gender has no impact on the ability or capability to win as she won the Champion flat apprentice of the Year, this means she rode more winners than any other apprentice and she was crowned at her favourite track Ascot. “I think when I was 16 in my head I thought I was going to be the best jockey”, she giggles reflecting on her youthful foolishness.  She added: “I think you have to kind of have that in your head but I realised how hard it was then I was like I’m kind of getting knocked down a few steps here. I think you have to have some ambition to aim at.” Her aim to win Champion Flat Apprentice of the year came after her agent said they should give the All-weather apprentice championship a try.  When she won this, she thought she could have a chance at the turf title. She said: “It was brilliant but if you want to do it you have to throw everything at it. I was knackered, it was chaos but it took dedication and hardwork but it worked.” 


In the racing industry, there are a few jockeys who are admired by many like Frankie Dettori and Ryan Moore. Gordon said: “Ryan Moore is a very respected person and jockey. Ryan keeps himself to himself but if you want advice you can ask him. 


“I look up to lots of jockeys for different reasons- when I was a kid I remembered watching the racing and Hayley Turner was the only female jockey on the uprise. I used to think wow I’m going to be like her one day and then when I started to compete against her, I was like wow this is amazing.” 


Gordon has ridden over 350 winners in her career, but it hasn't always been easy. When she started riding she struggled; there were 18 months between her first and second wins which made her contemplate quitting. Despite, her multiple big race wins, the win she’s most proud of is her first winner Chester’slittlegem at Bath, she said: “It was a little filly that I rode every day at home she was a little tricky but I knew her inside out and she knew me.” Gordon talks about how she wrote notes of things that she wanted to achieve, these included having a race ride, having a winner, riding against Frankie Dettori and riding on Channel Four. Her ambition has paid off as she achieved many of these things and 2022 looks bright for Josie Gordon as the start of the flat begins.

Wednesday 16 March 2022

Chelts tips day 2

 Let's hope we can have a better day than yesterday. My bets were only a 2nd, 3rd and one win. With them watering and the chances of rain I hope I'll have some more luck today.



Sunday 13 March 2022

Cheltenham day 1 tips

These are my tips from the first day of the Festival. I think favourites will do really well so I'm looking for some value in outsiders that could be places. Additionally, I think the ground will be a bit firmer so I think this will affect some of the racing. 



Sunday 5 December 2021

Interview with Harrison Shaw

Harrison Shaw is a 25-year-old, flat jockey based in the North of England. After losing his apprentice claim a year ago he has since become the stable jockey to Declan Carroll and regularly rides for Karl Burke and Bryan Smart among others.

Harrison first interacted with horses when his dad bought his younger sister a pony, "I got involved through the pony and then I went show jumping. I was show jumping against Amy Ryan and she told me to go into her dad's yard and give it a go", he said. His career started very quickly after this he went straight from finishing his A-levels to trying to get his apprentice license.

He's had an allergy to animals his entire life and this comes out like eczema in hives, watering eyes and red skin. His parents helped him get onto a medical trial with about five other people for a new drug. This amazingly worked. He said: "Everything else I tried medically didn't work until this. I get an injection regularly and it reduces my allergy symptoms from what was 90% to now below 20%. I wouldn't be able to be a jockey without it."

Harrison with Ireland's Eye
Harrison with Ireland's Eye 
Like many jockeys, Harrison often has to make low weights, his lowest in the last 12 months has been eight stone four, when he gets a cheat day he either has a Chinese takeaway or steak and chips. Commenting on these low weights, he says: "I don’t struggle with the weights but I could make it easier for myself. I like food too much and would rather eat and go for a jog to lose weight on the course than starve myself and be weak when riding." He praised his boss Declan Carroll for being understanding about the challenges jockeys can sometimes face making the of weight. Adding that Carroll would never push his limits.

One of the main horses Harrison has a buzz about for next season is Tweet Tweet her impressive wins at York, Haydock and Thirsk have shown her quick turn of pace. He feels confident about her getting black type in the future. He maintains the view that she is one to watch out for! 

Harrisons next ride is at Southwell on Friday on Sir Sedric, who won last time out. We wish him luck and a safe ride. 





Thursday 7 October 2021

Nottingham Races

The soft ground saw some non-runners. There was also a double on the day for Tom Marquand and David Egan, paired with outsiders winning made for an interesting race card. It is, however, always a shame that Nottingham Racecourse itself struggles with staffing issues and food shortages. 

In the 3:40 the big field made it tough to decide who was going to win. In the early stages, Gweedore took keen hold of the race but after two furlongs Larado took the lead. This left Arthur's Realm, Rogue Bear and War Defender chasing. From under four furlongs out headway was made by Masked Identity with Eloquent Arthur. Gweedore struggled from this point onwards. Three furlongs out headway was made by Rogue Bear. One furlong out Rogue Bear was ridden to lead disputing with Larado. Eloquent Arthur was finding it tough to get into the places. In the final stages of the race, Masked Identity went narrowly clear of Larado. First Rogue Bear 14/1 by 2 1/4 lengths- this win was very easy and I expect an interesting race next time out. The second was Masked Identity by a nose and the third was Larado by 2 1/4 lengths. 

The fifth race was a class three handicap, this was the second part of David Egan's double. Sharvara led with Typewriter, Sanitiser and New Pursuit close behind. Sharvara dominated for the majority of the race, leading the bunch until three furlong out. Then, New Pursuit and Typewriter were pushed along. Despite Sanitiser's efforts, he lost his place and struggled to maintain his place in the field. With one furlong left Sharvara lost the lead to Typewriter. In the closing stages, there was no catching of Typewriter. Implore did show a weak challenge. The rest of the field was far back. First was Typewriter by 2 lengths, second Implore by 7 lengths and third was New Pursuit by 3 lengths. Personally, Implore was the most impressive in the closing stages. However, I think Martin Harley left it too late, showing off the colts quick turn of foot but still not quite getting there. 

I'm not sure when my next blog will be but keep watching my Twitter for updates.

The Lincoln Meeting

 As the start of the flat season looms ahead, we have a look into the history of the Lincoln meeting.  The meeting initially started at Linc...