The Amateur Jockeys Association of Great Britain

18/06/2026

The largest field of the day at Ripon this afternoon is a calendar highlight for our lady riders - the Ripon Racecourse Ladies' Derby Handicap which has attracted a competitive field of 12 runners.

Huge thanks to James Hutchinson and his team at Yorkshire’s Garden Racecourse for their loyal support.

Good luck to all connections, runners and riders🍀

16/06/2026

While all eyes are on the first day of 👒 Royal Ascot🎩, amateur jockeys have plenty to look forward to this evening at Wolverhampton!

The opening race on the card, the 1m1½f (1m142y) Download The At The Races App Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap (Class 5), has attracted 13 runners and riders.

Good luck to all 🍀

15/06/2026

What a great start to the week for amateurs with our race today at Chepstow divided 🎉

Good luck to all runners and riders in both divisions of the 1m 2f BJ Llewellyn Racing In Memory Of Gwilym Llewellyn Amateur Jockeys' Handicaps 🍀🍀

13/06/2026

This afternoon's card at York opens with a highlight of our female jockeys' calendar - their most valuable race of the season, the historic Queen Mother’s Cup.

The list of past winning jockeys is fascinating and provides a great illustration of how an amateur career can be the perfect launching pad for future success. Former winners include renowned TV presenter Francesca Cumani, Australia's top professional jockey Rachel King as well as top UK pros Jo Mason, Amie Waugh and Alice Stevens, Carol Bartley is now Clerk of the Course at Hamilton Park whilst of course our own Princess Royal also features in our winners' list.

Tradition dictates that the winning jockey takes home her own weight in champagne 🍾🍾🍾 and 9 go to post. Good luck to all runners and riders 🍀🍾🥂🍀

13/06/2026

Good luck Becks! 🍀

You know winning this race must be really important if someone has delayed their retirement to give themselves another chance of doing it for real.

While Becky Smith may be listed as the official winning rider of last year's Queen Mother's Cup, she missed out on all the celebrations and the traditional sit on the scales as the successful jockey is given her weight in champagne.

That is because she was actually beaten a head on Chillingham that day and was awarded the race 72 hours later, when the BHA whip review committee judged that Megan Jordan had hit first-past-the-post My Dream World four times over the permitted level.

Smith, 39, had been trying to win the prize for 14 years and admitted this race was one of the motivations when she fought her way back to fitness after suffering a career-threatening hip injury in 2023. She is back to try again on Chillingham, who has since been bought to join her at Micky Hammond's yard in Middleham, where she is assistant trainer.

"This has been the plan since we bought him in October and I'm looking forward to it," she said. "He dropped back in trip at York last month and it was a bit of lacklustre effort on paper, but he came out of it really well and it's sharpened him up, he's full of himself.

"We'll never know if I'd have been first past the post last year if Megan had stuck to the rules, but that's given me a little bit more fire in my belly to try and win it outright.

"It's going to be my last York as I'm going to go on the training licence with Micky sooner rather than later. This race has got away so many times and I'm having one more crack at it – if I win, I can retire happy, otherwise we have one in the ladies' race at Ripon on Thursday."

Smith, who had been placed four times in the Queen Mother's Cup previously, has since enjoyed an even more glittering success at York, where she and Hayley Clements were crowned Racing Come Dancing champions last November.

"Hayley will be there on Saturday to cheer me on," Smith said. "I think everyone is more confident than I am but he should run well."

She won the Queen Mother's Cup last year! 🍾

12/06/2026

It’s great to see our Flat calendar start to get busy, particularly after the disappointment of losing our amateur race at Haydock recently due to their abandonment after a hole in the track was discovered.

Like London buses, today features not one but two amateur Flat races. The first was the opening race at Chester, the 7f Allington Hughes Law Bicentenary Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap, which attracted 11 runners. Many congratulations to Amy Milburn on her winning ride. 👏

This evening, the closing race at Goodwood is the 1m Download The Track Radio App Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap. Good luck to all 8 runners and riders. 🍀

10/06/2026

The opening race at Hamilton this evening is the Hamilton-park.co.uk Amateur Jockeys Handicap.

Good luck to all 9 runners and riders who include Kayleigh Williams making her racecourse debut. Kayleigh follows in the footsteps of her mother, Hamilton Park’s Clerk of the Course Carol Bartley, a three-time Champion Lady Flat Amateur Jockey. Good luck all!🍀

01/06/2026

Diary date for military riders! ❤️

➡️ Save the Date! The Military Raceday at Wincanton Racecourse featuring the McCreery Military Hurdle will take place on THURSDAY 3 DECEMBER 2026. Put the date in your diaries and we will keep you updated on special dining/entrance packages available to past and present Military and their families!

Team Forces
The Jockey Club
The Amateur Jockeys Association of Great Britain
Army Equestrian Association
RAF Equitation
Royal Navy Equestrian Association
UK Armed Forces Equestrian Association

01/06/2026

Today Newbury Racecourse kindly host the Nirvana Spa HEROS charity race to start the afternoon’s racing with 10 runners and riders.

Huge thanks to all involved whether owners, trainers, stable staff, supporters, sponsors, jockey coaches or those at Newbury Racecourse.

Thanks also to the riders themselves who have done a fantastic job raising nearly £20k for such a great charity. We wish them all good luck and a wonderful day ahead 🍀

31/05/2026

Congratulations to our 2025/26 National Point-to-Point Award winners and especially the National Champions James King and Gina Andrews who of course also featured in our own championships.

James was only thwarted by late season abandonments from breaking Will Biddick’s all-time record but combined his p2p achievement with the Amateur Championship which is incredible. Gina nearly did the same, only missing out on the Ladies Championship by 2 points but secured the runner-up position. Congratulations to them both.