ENGLISH TEXTS with a remarkable record that includes a title as Leading Jockey at the Cheltenham Festival( 6 wins in 2021), victories in all four Festival“ Championship” races- Champion Hurdle, Queen Mother Champion Chase, Stayers’ Hurdle, and the Gold Cup- and much more. A fine tactician and formidable in a finish, Rachael Blackmore was not initially destined to become a star jockey, turning professional only after her studies and a first career as an amateur rider, hoping for more opportunities … Thanks to her exemplary career, she’ s paving the way and sparking ambition in a new generation. Like Rachael Blackmore, Hollie Doyle isn’ t fond of the“ Female Jockey” label. They are simply jockeys, having proven themselves against the best male riders. But they embrace the role when it comes to inspiring young girls and drawing new fans to a modern sport where men and women compete and respect each other. In May, Hollie Doyle secured her 1,023 rd win, becoming the British female jockey with the most career victories, surpassing Hayley Turner, who retired in April.“ It’ s a great milestone, and I’ m very grateful to Hayley and all those who paved the way for me and those who will come after me,” she told the Racing Post, before setting new goals:“ It’ s great to be the woman with the most wins, but it’ s not the Champion Jockey title …”
A sign that the fight for equal recognition between men and women is being won: Ascot has removed the“ Girls” team for the 2025 edition of the Shergar Cup, an international jockeys’ championship. The women’ s team was introduced in 2012 and won six times in the past ten editions, but its time has passed- female jockeys will now be part of regional teams. Hollie Doyle will be one of the highlights of the event as captain of the Great Britain and Ireland team. However, women are, for now, absent from a new global racing league due to launch in 2026, led by twelve of the world’ s top male jockeys, including Christophe Lemaire, Mickaël Barzalona, Flavien Prat and Frankie Dettori. This lack of inclusion could come at a high cost for a competition seeking a modern image and broad media appeal. Hollie Doyle would be a fully legitimate contender for this league, as would Jamie Melham or Rachel King, both of whom regularly shine at the highest level in Australia. Meanwhile, in France, eight female jockeys are currently ranked in the top 50, including Delphine Santiago, double Group 1 winner Marie Velon, Norwegian rider Frida Valle Skar- winner of the German 2,000 Guineas in May. Maryline Eon, who paused her career to become a mother, defeated some of the world’ s best jockeys during the International Jockeys Challenge at the Saudi Cup last year. At a press conference with female trainers ahead of the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris, both Louisa Carberry and Daniela Mele emphasized that they felt no difference in treatment compared to their male counterparts. Let’ s hope we can say the same about jockeys very soon!
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HENRI MATISSE: AN IRISH HORSE STEEPED IN FRENCH HERITAGE
Never has an Irish winner of a Poule d’ Essai des Poulains( Gr. 1) been so steeped in French heritage. On Sunday 11 May, the Aidan O’ Brientrained Henri Matisse won the Poule d’ Essai des Poulains – a sixth victory in the race for the Irish maestro. It is a contest that has been well-supported by the team at Ballydoyle over the years, having won their first Poule d’ Essai des Poulains with Landseer in 2002. Their support is unsurprising: the 1,600m contest has consistently produced future stal-
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