Enjoying her first visit to the UK, Rachel Venniker told the Sporting Post that she is ‘super excited’ ahead of Saturday’s Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup where she will join Rachel King and Nanako Fujita in the Rest Of The World team. Rachel has five rides on the day and walked the course on Thursday.
One of the world’s great jockey competitions, the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup sees three riders in each of four teams – Great Britain & Ireland, Rest of the World, Ladies and Europe – battle against each other.
Rachel made history in the Hollywoodbets Durban July this year (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
There are six races limited to 10 runners, with two or three jockeys from each team. Subject to full fields, each jockey has five rides across the afternoon. This is to ensure that in the event of an injury, there is a spare jockey on each team who can assume mounts. There are two reserves for each race, which can be substituted for non-runners up until 45 minutes before the advertised race time.
The first race is carded for 14h35 on Saturday.
Stunned and completely taken in by the experience of ‘horsey heaven’ that is Newmarket, Rachel says she has also been amazed at the distances folk travel by car in Britain.
Having spent some quality family time with her Mom Marian and UK-based sisters Angela and Alex, Rachel told the Sporting Post that she had been kept very busy since her arrival last Sunday, and had done all the ‘touristy things’ like riding on the Underground, enjoying the nerve-wracking London Eye (a challenge with her vertigo!), and even savouring a pint at one of the world’s oldest watering holes, Ye Olde Cock Tavern in Fleet Street.
SA Champion Apprentice in 2021/22 and 2022/23, Rachel recently became the first woman to ride in the prestigious Hollywoodbets Durban July earlier this year.
She told the local media that she was stable rider for Michael Roberts.
“It is brilliant to have an ex-Champion Jockey, in Britain and South Africa, as my guv’nor. He has all the wisdom in the world to pass down. I am always trying my best to apply the knowledge I pick up. My strengths are probably my natural understanding of horses. I have worked with them since I was barely out the womb. I think it helps a lot to know the horses and understand them. Mr Roberts has given me plenty of advice and I am sure I will be getting more now I have had a look at the track – a few tips about what to do and how to do it properly. He was an incredible jockey and is always trying to help me. I am sure it will pay off.”
Rachel told the Sporting Post that when walking Ascot on Thursday, she had felt such emotion to see Michael Roberts’ name on an honours board.
“I took a pic of myself with the board and sent it to him,” she laughed, as she told how she had phoned ‘the boss’ immediately she had known what her carded rides were.
“It is an honour and privilege to be invited to ride in the Shergar Cup. I have been to the Saudi International Challenge but to be invited to this is incredible. When I am not racing myself, I am always watching what is happening over here and I have seen quite a bit of the racing.The interest back home is massive. All the trainers I ride for and the owners in my main stable are super excited and can’t wait for me to send them all my rides. I arrived on Sunday and this is my first time in the UK. It was such a privilege to see Newmarket and to ride out for Mr [William] Haggas.
On the anticipation of Saturday itself, Rachel said that she would probably not sleep tonight.
“It will be incredible to be riding in the first Shergar Cup with a 50-50 split of female and male jockeys and I am so proud to be part of it. It shows how much the sport is changing.”
The Rest of the World captain Rachel King was among the jockeys who spoke to the media at Ascot on Thursday.
King is looking forward to showcasing her talents to a UK audience, having spent the last 10 years establishing herself in Australia.
During that time, the 34-year-old was crowned Sydney’s Champion Apprentice in 2016/17 and has notched five Gr1 victories, most recently on Ozzmosis in November’s Coolmore Stud Stakes.
Before moving to Australia, she rode for Alan King, Mark Usher and Clive Cox, as well as working as a secretary for Hillwood Stud in Wiltshire.
King, who had two rides at Royal Ascot this year, said: “Coming back to Britain in June to get married and have a couple of rides at Royal Ascot was really special, especially finishing second on Strutting in the Sandringham Handicap. Being back is bringing back a few memories and I want to get it right on Saturday and get my head in front.
“It is a proud moment to come back after proving myself. My career was steady here. I never got a proper rhythm going. It is nice to come back established with a bit of a name behind me and hopefully ride some winners.
”It is great to be a team captain and even better Ascot have decided to have the 50-50 split of female and male jockeys this year. It shows the strength of the female riders and shows the turn of the times.
”In Australia, we are very rarely known as female jockeys, we are just jockeys. That is happening more and more around the world – maybe slightly slower than in Australia and New Zealand – and shows how dominant female jockeys are becoming.
“I have to be back to ride in Australia on Wednesday – the flight doesn’t get any shorter – but I am honoured to compete at the Shergar Cup. I have ridden in similar jockey challenges around the world in the last 12 months, with amazing opportunities in Japan and Hong Kong, but this is one I have always wanted to do. I am very excited. My dad is even more so and has a coach load of people coming.
”I have only had a quick look at what I ride on Saturday but I see I have a ride on Insanity for Alan King, which is very special. Alan was my first proper boss in racing. I went there and told him I wanted to be a Jump jockey. He looked at the size of me and thought I was mad. I worked there for five or six years. It will be a big occasion to ride for him again.
“I used to get asked a lot if I was Alan’s daughter and one person did ask if I was his granddaughter, which he was quite offended about! He was happier with the daughter thing. He put me up in a lot of lady amateur races, flat and jumps, and he was really supportive. I learnt so much there from people like Choc Thornton and Wayne Hutchinson. It was an incredible place to work.”
The two Rachels are joined on the Rest of the World team by Japan’s Nanako Fujita.
Making her second appearance at the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup, Fujita remains Japan’s most successful female jockey, with 165 domestic wins to her name.
Fujita said: “It is my second time riding in the Shergar Cup. When I came in 2019, everything was really new and I was more tense. My best finish was fourth. Riding in the Shergar Cup last time was a great experience and a boost to my career.
“This time I know more about the horses and the track, and I am more relaxed. I am hoping I can perform better. I am looking forward to winning a race.”
The first is off at 14h35.
