International Women's Day
A Female-only race meeting for flat and jump jockeys at Southwell.
Pictured above are trainer Gay Kelleway (centre) with jockeys (left to right) Rhona Pindar, Josephine Gordon, Ella McCain, Gemma Tutty, Nicola Currie and Hayley Turner, also pictured with Southwell officials Tricia Drabble and Amanda Boby
This Sunday Southwell racecourse will stage a unique all-female race meeting for flat and jump jockeys on International Women's Day. Following a number of phenomenal performances from female jockeys in 2019, Southwell’s all-female racecard will bring together female stars of the sport with a thrilling day’s racing. The Southwell fixture will feature a mixed card of four Flat and four Jump races, restricted to female jockeys only. The eight-race fixture, split between the two racing codes, is to be held at the Nottinghamshire track on 8th March. It is thought to be the first course in Britain to host a mixed racecard restricted solely to female riders. "We are getting more and more recognition so this is a fantastic opportunity to showcase women in racing" said rider Hayley Turner.
Organisers hope that the meeting will be staffed mainly by women, including female British Horseracing Authority (BHA) officials and racecourse executives. There will also be a workshop ahead of racing to look at issues faced by working mothers in the racing industry. "We ride against and at the same level as men so don't think of ourselves as female jockeys, but this is a great way to celebrate the talented women in our sport" added Turner.
Here is the card for Sunday and our selections will appear here by Friday evening when declarations are available;
13:50 Watch Sky Sports Racing On Sky 415 Female Jockeys' Handicap Chase
(Class 4, 2m 4f 88y, 7 runners)
Our first all female meetings starts with a Handicap Chase and with a field of seven headed by Nesterenko, the 11yo hasn't won for some years, but does place frequently enough, seems a safe enough jumper to complete but is passed over for the win purposes. Bryony Frost is clearly going to be popular over the obstacles this afternoon and has a decent chance with Silent Steps [WON 9/1] who is at least a course winner, we'll pick that one together with Battleofthesomme against the field to kick us off with.
Result -- 1st Silent Steps 9/1. (great start for us)
14:20 Betway Female Jockeys' Handicap
(Class 5, 4f 214y, 7 runners)
Looks like we'll alternate between NH and Flat action as the next event is a 5f sprint where top weights Big Time Maybe and Global Melody will do well to concede the weight to Simba Samba with local star Hayley Turner in the saddle. the very lightly raced 4yo Final Legacy [WON 3/1] has been almost exclusively racing around here and shame there's not eight runners as a certain place bet would have followed.
Result -- 1st Final Legacy 3/1
(Class 4, 3m 60y, 5 runners)
Back over the fences again now and only the five are declared which is a shame, it might well pay to side with the two six year olds here against their elders, that's Eclair de Guye [WON 2/1] (Bryony Frost) and Tractor Fred (Page Fuller). Since it's been over a year for Uhlan Bute's last win the 12yo might have too much on his plate here, while Dylanseoghan would probably prefer his racing around Plumpton and still looks too high in the weights also which leaves the bottom one Virnon has at least won around here just over a year ago and at 10/1 might be worth including.
Result -- 1st Eclaire de Guye 2/1.
(Class 5, 1m 13y, 9 runners)
Runner up here at 16/1 Casina Di Notte should go well again with 7lbs less to carry than previous winning effort at Yarmouth, seems to hold their form well enough and that run here should put them spot on for this. Three C's [WON 6/1]has had three runs in February here and won two of those (runner up on the last try) so getting plenty of weight here is in good heart too and worth another try for a third win in four.
Result -- 1st Three C's 6/1. [A very good day, we should have more female only meetings at this rate.]
(Class 3, 2m 4f 88y, 8 runners)
Possibly the best race on the card and can go to the winner of a maiden hurdle and a last time out success in a Sedgefield handicap Lord Roccoco and the 6lb rise for that victory is offset by his riders 7lb claim so should be right there with a decent round of hurdling. And in receipt of lumps of weight from the field Ladronne [WON 11/2] was also a winner last time out in an amateurs race at Newcastle so we take that pair against the field.
Result -- 1st Ladronne 11/2.
(Class 4, 6f 16y, 5 runners)
A winner of a Cork maiden even on his first visit to a racecourse Highland Dress now appears for trainer Archie Watson and ridden by Hollie Doyle should go close in their first handicap if taking to this surface. Wasntexpectingthat [WON 15/8] has three wins and two runner up efforts for trainer Richard Fahey has meant a rise up to this current mark but is clearly in good heart and Megan Nicholls takes off a useful 3lbs.
Result -- 1st Wasntexpectingthat 15/8.
(Class 5, 2m 4f 88y, 7 runners)
Although has yet to show much in three races Toad could be interesting at a big price in such a low key contest, was 3rd at 100/1 in his second race chasing down a 2/7f and this should be much more to his liking with plenty of time to improve. While support for Willie Butler having his first go over hurdles (already a bumper winner at Huntingdon) should also be noted and we'll chance the two decent prices against the field today.
Result -- 1st Dublin Four 3/1.
(Class 5, 2m 102y, 7 runners)
Our finale on the level, and a stayers event can go the way of Cotton Club who is 5lb lower than when runner up at Newcastle and if you also factor in the riders claim surely has a decent chance again in this field. While Colwood [Non Runner] is now a non runner we will replace that one with October Storm who has won better races than this at tracks like York and Goodwood and was a runner up at Lingfield while trained by Mick Channon and is now in the hands of Donald McCain so maybe a hurdles campaign later?
Result -- 1st Oleg 5/2.
Wow that was a great day and very profitable here, hope they repeat this seems like a good idea.
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