RACING has come a long way in 33 years.
But trailblazer Gay Kelleway says the sport is still lagging behind when it comes to inclusivity.
In 1987, Kelleway became the first woman to ride a winner at Royal Ascot when booting home Sprowston Boy in the Queen Alexandra for her dad and trainer Paul.
But if some expected the floodgates to open for female jockeys on the back of that landmark win, they were wrong.
Kelleway ended up riding in New Zealand because of a lack of opportunities, and it wasn’t until Hayley Turner won on Thanks Be last year that the drought at the Royal meeting finally came to an end.
Kelleway said: “It was all quite alien at the time, it was particularly snobby in those days and a woman riding at Royal Ascot was unheard of.
“I changed in a huge room with the female members of staff who worked at the track. It was separate from the weighing room so I didn’t have access to the parade ring.
“I remember walking across in my silks to ride and an official stopped me. He thought I was winding him up when I told him I was a jockey.
“Girls weren’t taken seriously in those days, it was pretty prehistoric and it was a huge challenge riding in this country.
“Racing has improved but it needs to become more inclusive and open to people from all walks of life, no matter where they work, their race, their sexuality. We need to keep promoting it as a sport for all.
“We want normal people to get involved in ownership, it’s not just a rich man’s game. We’ve had some success stories with syndicates here but people outside of racing circles would never dream that they could afford to get involved, when actually they can.
“We have definitely made strides, there are some brilliant girl jockeys riding now, but we still have a long way to go.”
There wasn’t so much a glass ceiling for female riders in the 80’s but one made of solid steel – which made Kelleway’s victory all the more momentous.
She said: “The day Sprowston Boy won, I actually wanted to go up to Scotland because we were running a certainty up there.
“I thought riding at Ascot in a race where I couldn’t use my 5lb claim against the likes of Pat Eddery, Lester Piggot, Willie Carson was going to be really tough, even though the horse was talented.
“Our horse stayed all day, so I jumped out and rode him very positively. I kicked coming out of Swinley Bottom, and in the straight I was pushing away and just waiting for something to come down the outside and catch me.
“I could see all the colour of the crowd about a furlong out and looked round and couldn’t believe that I was seven lengths clear. Passing the winning post was the best feeling I’ve ever experienced in my life.
“It’s something that can never be taken away from me, I was the first to do it and now I want to be the first woman to ride a winner at Royal Ascot and trainer a winner there too.”
And while the bookies reckon the chances of that happening this year are a longshot, Kelleway is quietly confident.
She saddles Alexander James in the Buckingham Palace Handicap, the opening race of the new-look Royal meeting.
Kelleway said: “Alexander James will probably be my only runner of the week but he has a good chance.
“I had a short-head second in the Buckingham Palace a few years ago which was pretty agonising! I’m glad they’ve brought the race back this year.
“He had some nice form in France, he was trained by my ex-partner Anne-Sophie Crombez. We set up a training operation up in France and Alexander James’ owner Craig Buckingham came on board.
“We’ve decided to race him in Britain because there aren’t many races in France for him.
“First time out the stiff 7f at Ascot will really suit him as he is very fresh and well at home. The ground is going to be in his favour, he is very tough and we reckon he is going to run a big race.”
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