Tale of pioneering female jockey an inspiring example of resilience in spite of the odds - and Lester Piggott

Nothing makes for a more compelling tale than victory in the face of adversity.

In the world of racing, such victories tend to be centred on the sport's biggest races; retellings of shock Grand National winners, history-making Classic successes or a small trainer making it big at the Cheltenham Festival.

A mile contest at Salisbury hardly seems like the setting for one of British racing's most important triumphs and when Karen Wiltshire passed the post first on The Goldstone in the Winterbourne Handicap in 1978, very little fanfare was made about the victory. Yet 46 years later, it is evident it was a vital piece of history slotting into place.

The success marked the first winner for a female professional jockey in Britain, and Wiltshire has chosen to recount her remarkable story in No Place For A Girl, written in collaboration with Nick Townsend. Her tale is one of extraordinary perseverance in defiance of a sport that sought to exclude her, and a poignant reminder of the hardship female jockeys faced trying to prove themselves.

Women were traditionally regulated to point-to-point races in Britain until the early 1970s, when amateurs were gradually introduced before female professional licences were allowed in 1975. Wiltshire was among the first to take up the Jockey Club's offer, driven by a fascination with racing and an "almost obsessional desire to become a jockey".

She shunned the concept of women-only races as an assumption of "second-hand jockeyship" and was determined to compete on a level pegging with her male counterparts, but had to endure relentless and overt sexism to reach her goal.

Harassment at the yard, bullying from her colleagues and unwelcome advances from other jockeys were all part and parcel of the tribulations Wiltshire faced on a daily basis by those unwilling to accept her presence in the sport. It would be enough to make most quit but Wiltshire's dogged resolve to show she was capable of winning against professionals spurred her on.

She writes: "I remember Lester Piggott, observing me in my silks and breeches, commenting, 'I didn't know there was a ladies' race on the programme’. I replied, 'No, nor did I'. In the presence of one of racing's legends, such a smart comeback may have been rather impudent. But his attitude summed up the commonly held view at the time: women race-riding was a completely separate entity to the world of male professionals."

While discrimination plagued her career, Wiltshire's tale is also a celebration of those willing to defy tradition and champion women in racing. Chief among them was trainer and World War II veteran Bill Wightman, who took Wiltshire on as an apprentice and tried to conceal her gender, all the while fighting owners to provide her with rides. Demanding at times and a stickler for professionalism, Wightman was a vital source of support for Wiltshire and a steadfast presence in her life until his death in 2009.

Yet as much as this book is about Wiltshire's own journey, it is also a recognition of female jockeys worldwide who paved the way for the Hayley Turners and Hollie Doyles of today. Wiltshire writes with admiration about the women now at the top level but is notably frustrated by the lack of substantial progress compared to her experience four decades ago, calling for more action to address the gender imbalance still present in racing.

"I felt that, in my own way, I had at least helped to crowbar open the door of opportunity for the next generation to benefit," Wilshire reflects.

She certainly did that, and this tale is an inspiring example of resilience in spite of the odds. Her story may not be well-known, but it is one that deserved to be told.
Catherine Macrae

No Place For A Girl by Karen Wiltshire
Pitch Publishing, can be purchased here for £25

The sculpture of Kitty's Light by Zoe CarmichaelCredit: Todd-White Art Photography

Kitty's Light sculpture centre stage at Osborne Gallery

Kitty's Light is no world-beating champion, but for many he was the undisputed star of the 2022-23 jumps season. His wins, in some of the hottest handicap chases of the campaign, were played out against the poignant backdrop of the illness suffered by Betsy Williams, young daughter of trainer Christian, as the racing world united behind horse and family in a way that stirred deep emotions.

Betsy was battling hard against acute lymphoblastic leukaemia as the gelding went on his spree in the Eider Chase, Scottish Grand National and bet365 Gold Cup. Welshman Christian, a former top jump jockey, and his wife Charlotte were working against the odds to support her. Friends and well-wishers joined the quest to raise a six-figure sum for the children's cancer charity Latch, and Kitty's Light just kept winning.

Now a striking sculpture, commissioned by the owners of the eight-year-old, has gone on public display at the Osborne Studio Gallery in Motcomb Street, London. The bronze, with a polished marble base, is the work of rising star sculptor Zoe Carmichael and captures the remarkable chaser in full flow, reliving the spirit of a memorable seven-win career that resumed at Chepstow this month.

Carmichael's impressive bronze is the centrepiece of what will be her first London exhibition, a one-off show bringing together her work with that of photographer Ripley, both of whom were given exclusive access to the Household Cavalry.

Running to November 2, it includes Ripley's 12 stunning large-scale portraits of the regiment set against iconic London backdrops. The Household Cavalry Foundation will benefit from orders and sales arising from the exhibition.
Peter Thomas

Ripley and Zoe Carmichael will run at the Osborne Studio Gallery, 2 Motcomb Street, London SW1 until November 2

An old favourite comes up trumps yet again

Racing Post Guide To The Jumps (edited by David Dew)
£14.99, published by Pitch Publishing

The tradition and continuity of British jumps racing are two of its key selling points. It's not a bad thing, it's just that you shouldn't head to the new season expecting wholesale change. Likewise with the Post's Guide To The Jumps: the names and faces will be different, to a degree, but prepare yourself for the same fantastic read, with the upcoming action analysed to the hilt by some of the best judges in the game, with the aim of illumination, heightened anticipation and, with luck and a following wind, a little profit along the way.

Sometimes, if it ain't broke, you can tinker with it a little but don't try to fix it. That said, it's nice to see a relatively unfamiliar visage staring out from the opening pages, with talented Buckinghamshire trainer Stuart Edmunds giving the lowdown on his stable stars and a newcomer he believes "slipped through the net at various sales" and could be a handy prospect.

A wealth of well-sourced stats and data pepper the pages, backed up by shrewd professional interpretation and a wealth of first-hand input from all the biggest names in the training game. Nicky Henderson, Paul Nicholls and Dan Skelton take centre stage, but think of your favourite trainer from the upper echelons and there’s every chance you’ll find them.

Take Anthony Honeyball, for example, recognised as one of the game's shrewder operators. You’d probably be interested to know which of his horses has had a breathing operation and will be spot on for the Badger Beer at Wincanton. I know I was.

Likewise Emma Lavelle, who has a winning point-to-pointer at home bought to replace retired stable star Paisley Park who will be a force to be reckoned with in novice hurdles in the autumn, so the trainer says. Just the kind of horse to rekindle the magic of the jumps.

It's not all about trainers, though. The Post's experts are on hand to steer you through the season, with Paul Kealy already on the case of the Cheltenham Festival, ante-post guru Nick Watts looking ahead to the main events, Richard Birch looking for well-treated creatures worth following and Robbie Wilders going 'below the radar' to find ones that have passed most people by.

All of this plus a reminder of the key horses who will shape the campaign, and everything neatly indexed for simplicity.

The jumps fire is sparking into life and this book is the way to make sure you don’t get your fingers burned.
Peter Thomas

The Racing Post Guide To The Jumps can be ordered for £14.99 here

Pick up your copy of The Big Jump Off, packed with everything you need for the 2024-25 National Hunt season. Our 72-page supplement includes ante-post tips, pro punter insight, trainer and jockey analysis and much more. Grab your copy free in the Racing Post newspaper on Monday, October 21, also available via the Racing Post Digital Newspaper as part of Members' Club Ultimate, our unrivalled subscription package.