'You'd struggle to find that much fun doing almost anything else' - Serena Brotherton aiming for another Ascot win aged 53

Frankie Dettori is not the only 50-something with an array of prizes thanks to notable riding triumphs at Ascot. Serena Brotherton won the traditional women’s amateur race three times when it was part of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes card, dating back to 2002. 

And, having shown she still has what it takes at 53 by landing the Queen Mother's Cup on Lord Melbourne at York in June, the multiple former champion is full of hope for Terries Royale in this new replacement version sponsored by luxury women’s outfitters LK Bennett.

“I feel very fortunate to have a ride,” she said. “It’s hard to get them in any of our races now as pretty much everyone has an amateur of their own.

“We were so disappointed when we lost our ladies' race on King George day, but Ascot has been really good and worked hard to give us a replacement and it's nice to see it well supported.

"I was very lucky in the old race. The first time on Taranaki was when De Beers sponsored so I got a diamond. And Rosko and Peril won me two very different but equally gorgeous Longines watches. This is sponsored by LK Bennett and Jo Supple got some really nice things when she won last year so they’ve stepped up, which is really spoiling for us!”

Can she win it again, on a lightly raced four-year-old who was placed twice at Nottingham in the summer?

"It depends on the weather as they're forecast heavy rain," Brotherton said. "On good ground it's quite tight, but if the ground changes I'm hoping it will benefit me.

"I can see last year's winner Crystal Casque and Law Supreme running very well if it's soft, but I'm hoping I'll be in the mix. 

"He looks a nice horse, he's more unexposed than a lot of them and if the cut in the ground benefits him he could be there or thereabouts."

Dettori famously changed his mind over retirement last year and Brotherton, who has ridden approaching 150 winners in a Flat career that began in 1994, has no intention of quitting any time soon.

"While I'm fit and healthy and I can still get rides, and as long as I'm not messing up, there's no reason not to carry on," she said. "Not when I enjoy it so much – you'd struggle to find that much fun doing almost anything else."

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