October
NovemberA way to go
There’s little doubt that female jockeys are getting greater opportunities than ever in Australian racing.
However, there is still a long way to go to convincing trainers, and more so owners, that they can hold their own against the men. This was highlighted strongly during Melbourne Cup week.
488 horses competed at Flemington last week, of which just 20 were ridden by female jockeys. That’s a tick over four per cent and when the brightest spotlight is on our game, that’s a blight on the industry.
Despite all the headlines and plaudits that female jockeys have got in recent years, those numbers just don’t represent the talent that is out there among the female ranks.
Well done to those connections that had the faith during our biggest week to use the talents of Mallyon, O’Hara, Meech, Kah and Beriman.
The latter three all rode winners and did themselves proud.
Let’s hope the progress of female riders in our industry is better reflected at Flemington in November 2018.
Caulfield (Vic)