This International Women’s Day, we’re taking a look back at some of the incredible women who have made history at Newbury Racecourse.

 

To celebrate women’s achievements in racing, we’ve picked out some memorable moments that celebrate all the amazing things that female jockeys and trainers have accomplished on our track over the years.

 

1984 Hennessy Gold Cup: Jenny Pitman

The Jenny Pitman trained Burrough Hill Lad defied top weight of 12 stone to win the 1984 Hennessy Gold Cup. Ridden by John Francome, he justified 100/30 favouritism to land a four-length victory. Earlier that year, Burrough Hill Lad won the Cheltenham Gold Cup whereby Pitman became the first woman to train the winner of the iconic race at Cheltenham before becoming the first woman to train the winner of Newbury’s feature staying handicap chase.

1991 Long Distance Hurdle: Mary Reveley

In only the second running of the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury, Mary Reveley trained 5/4 favourite Cab on Target to win the Grade 2 contest under jockey Peter Niven. Run over 3m½f he was driven out to win by half a length to the Mick Easterby trained Burgoyne.

1995 Greenham Stakes: Lady Harries

Celtic Swing was trained by Lady Harries in Arundel, West Sussex. Having won the accolade of top European two-year-old colt at the Cartier Racing Awards in 1994, there was much anticipation going into his three-year-old career. He stepped back in trip for his seasonal re-appearance at Newbury in the Greenham Stakes which he went on to win by one and a quarter lengths under Kevin Darley.

1998 Solaglas Long Distance Hurdle: Jenny Pitman

Princeful was sent off a 16/1 outsider in the 1998 Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. Having stayed on strongly to win by two lengths, he returned in the November of that year to be third favourite in Newbury’s staying hurdle race, the Long Distance Hurdle. Ridden by Richard Dunwoody, he stayed on gamely to beat Shooting Light into second.

1998 Hennessy Gold Cup: Venetia Williams

The memorable grey, Teeton Mill, helped propel the training career of Venetia Williams. In only her third season as a trainer she sent out the former hunter chaser to win four consecutive races in the 1998/1999 season including the Badger Beer Handicap Chase, Hennessy Gold Cup, King George VI Chase and the Ascot Chase. Sent off 5/1 second favourite at Newbury, Teeton Mill landed a fifteen-length victory under Norman Williamson.

2002 Hennessy Gold Cup: Lavinia Taylor

Lavinia Taylor trained Gingembre from her yard at Uplands in Lambourn. Having finished second in the 2002 renewal of the Hennessy Gold Cup, Gingembre was awarded victory fourteen months later after Be My Royal who passed the finish line first was disqualified for failing a post-race drugs test.

2010 Horris Hill Stakes: Jane Chapple-Hyam

First run in 1976, The Horris Hill Stakes is a Group 3 contest over seven furlongs run during the last flat fixture of the calendar at Newbury. Jane Chapple-Hyam remains the only woman to the have trained the winner of the race when Klammer produced a late finish under Jamie Spencer to beat Dux Scholar by a nose. It was to be the juvenile’s last run for Chapple-Hyam after he was moved to Hong Kong following his Group 3 victory.

2016 Betfair Super Saturday

Betfair Super Saturday 2016, a thrilling seven-race-card that became an afternoon for the ladies. All three of the feature races, the Betfair Hurdle, Betfair Denman Chase, and Betfair Exchange Game Spirit, were either trained or ridden by females.

2016 Betfair Hurdle: Lizzie Kelly

In 2016, Lizzie Kelly become the first female jockey to win Britain’s richest handicap hurdle, the £155,000 Betfair Hurdle aboard Agrapart. Trained by her stepfather Nick Williams, the 16/1 shot made history with Kelly being the only female jockey to have won the race since its inception in 1963. The previous season she had made history by becoming the first woman to win a Grade One over fences with Tea For Two in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase.

2016 Betfair Exchange Game Spirit Chase: Kerry Lee

In her first season after taking over the training licence from her father Richard, Kerry Lee trained Top Gamble to win the 2016 Grade Two Betfair Exchange Game Spirit Chase. Sent off 11/10 favourite under Richard Johnson, Top Gamble recorded a ten-length victory over reigning Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Dodging Bullets.

2016 Betfair Denman Chase: Venetia Williams

In the twenty-four-year history of the race, Venetia Williams is the only female trainer to have won the race when Houblon des Obeaux scored under Aidan Coleman in 2016. Having chased home Coneygree in the race the year previously, his Grade 2 victory at Newbury was one of eleven career wins for Houblon des Obeaux, a true warrior and lover of soft ground.

2016 Al Rayyan Stakes: Amanda Perrett

Amanda Perrett trained Astronerus to win the Group 3 Al Rayyan Stakes on Al Shaqab Lockinge Day in 2016. Ridden by Pat Dobbs, the 14/1 shot was a surprise one and a quarter length winner of the Group 3 contest.

2019 Ladbrokes Trophy & Ladbrokes Long Distance Hurdle Emma Lavelle

Emma Lavelle, one of five women to have trained the winner of Newbury’s feature handicap chase of the National Hunt season. Based in Ogborne Maizey near Marlborough, Lavelle trained De Rasher Counter to win under Ben Jones, providing both jockey and trainer with a first win in the race. The 12/1 shot hit the front four out and held on to give conditional jockey Ben Jones the biggest win of his career to date. It was a memorable weekend for Lavelle who also won the Ladbrokes Long Distance Hurdle on the opening day of the Ladbrokes Winter Carnival with the legendary Paisley Park. Sent off 8/15 favourite, Paisley Park was ridden by Aidan Coleman and stayed on to win by a length to Thistlecrack back in second.

2021 Betfair Denman Chase: Bryony Frost

Bryony Frost became the first female jockey to win the Grade Two Betfair Denman Chase when guiding Secret Investor to victory in 2021 for trainer Paul Nicholls. The 14/1 shot held off 6/5 favourite Clan Des Obeaux to win by a neck.

2021 Ladbrokes Trophy: Venetia Williams

Cloudy Glen provided Venetia Williams with her second win in the feature race following on from Teeton Mill’s victory back in 1998. It was a first Ladbrokes Trophy win for jockey Charlie Deutsch who partnered the 33/1 eight-year-old to a narrow victory from the Colin Tizzard trained Fiddlerontheroof.

2022 Weatherbys Super Sprint: Hollie Doyle

Since the Super Sprint was established in 1991, no female jockey or trainer had won the race until 2022. Hollie Doyle, riding the Archie Watson trained Eddie’s Boy, landed victory for racing syndicate Middleham Park Racing in the five furlong sprint worth £250,000 for two-year-olds.

2022 BetVictor Hungerford Stakes: Eve Johnson Houghton

First run in 1979, the Group 2 over seven furlongs takes place in August. Local trainer, Eve Johnson Houghton, became the first woman to train the winner of the race when William Buick guided Jumby to a length and three-quarters victory over Dubai Poet.

2022/2023 Betfair Exchange Game Spirit Chase: Venetia Williams

The combination of trainer Venetia Williams and jockey Charlie Deutsch landed back-to-back victories in the Grade 2 Betfair Exchange Game Spirit Chase with course specialist Funambule Sivola. His first win came on the crest of a wave, and he went on to finish second behind Energumene in the Betway Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival the following month. Having lost his way slightly, he returned to Newbury to seek to defend his title. His second victory came virtually unchallenged with defeat of odds on favourite Greaneteen who finished back in third, four and a quarter length behind the Williams trained 7/1 chance.

2023 BetVictor Carnarvon Stakes: Julie Camacho

Shaquille, now standing at Dullingham Park Stud, landed four victories on the trot in an emphatic 2023, including the Listed BetVictor Canarvon Stakes. Trained by Julie Camacho and ridden to a comfortable two-length victory by James Doyle, Shaquille became the first female trained horse to win the Listed six-furlong contest since its creation in 1988. The son of Charm Spirit went on to dual Group 1 success in both the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot and the July Cup at Newmarket. As a result of such successes, Camacho became the first female British flat trainer to win over £1million prize money in one season.

 

Watch the feature below which includes the emphatic wins by women at Newbury ⬇️

 

 

 

 

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