A reader noticed a large number of female jockeys at the Gore meeting on Saturday, which led her to wonder what the record number of women riding at a meeting would be. In all, 11 women rode on Saturday, outnumbering their male counterparts by one. New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing advised me it does not keep records on the number of female jockeys at a meeting, but it did get me pondering.
. . . it for . . .
The reader and I weren't the only ones pondering the balances of the sexes in thoroughbred racing, though. A story in an Australian paper this week tells us the majority of apprentice jockeys coming through the ranks in Australia are females and within 10-12 years, the male jockey will be in the minority. I'm not convinced the culture will change that quickly in Australia, especially at the highest level, where female jockeys have been a rarity in group 1 events, but as the human race gets heavier, the advantages of a naturally lightweight jockey are obvious.
. . . the girls . . .
Oddly enough, the Aussies have it over us in the driving ranks in harness racing. Drivers such as Lisa Miles, Kate Gath and Natalie Rasmussen have been fixtures - and winners - in big races in recent years, while on this side of the Tasman, we have Rasmussen (who, let's face is, probably still considers herself a West Islander since her move in 2011) and Nicky Chilcott and that's pretty much it. Samantha Ottley is forging a good record, and Nicole Mollander - who is now based in New South Wales - was the first reinswoman to win a group 1 in New Zealand in 2006, but if anything, our female drivers tend to end up training, or working on the fringes of the industry.
. . . for how long?
The reader raised another pertinent point. We see very few older female jockeys riding regularly - bar the likes of Trudy Thornton - so if women were to assume the majority, would we see a higher turnover rate of jockeys as they drift away from race riding in their late 30s or early 40s? Answers on the back of an envelope please. Or then again, just email me.
The Ace
Contrary to popular belief, I do not have a crush on King Kenny. That said, he is my stand-out chance for the week. He got cramped for room in the straight at Ascot Park last week, and should atone in race 4 at Invercargill tomorrow at 1.10pm, especially with a smaller field to contend with.
