ANN SAUNDERS AND LADY OAKSEY ANNOUNCED AS JOINT WINNERS OF CHELTENHAM LADIES’ AWARD
Cheltenham Racecourse today announced that Ann Saunders and Lady Chicky Oaksey are joint winners of this year’s award for ‘the outstanding contribution made by a lady to Jump Racing’.
Ann is company secretary of the Professional Jockeys Association and Lady Oaksey is senior almoner of the Injured Jockeys Fund. The panel of judges, consisting of Zara Phillips, Clare Balding, Jacqui O’Neill and Gee Bradburne, cast their votes and the top two could not be separated, so two awards will be presented this year.
Others on the shortlist were Jessica Harrington, Nina Carberry, Melanie Langford (a key member of staff at Henry Daly’s yard) and Denise Large (from Channel 4 racing).
Commenting on the news, Edward Gillespie, Managing Director of Cheltenham Racecourse, said: “I am delighted that both of these ladies who have given so much to our sport will be recognised, in the first dead heat at The Festival since the 1950s!
“It is fitting, given the it is the horses and their riders who will be thrilling us next week, that Lady Oaksey and Ann Saunders are winning this award for their work with current and former jockeys.”
Ann Saunders said: “I’m honoured and particularly pleased that Chicky will also be recognised, as I know at first hand the great work that she does.”
Lady Oaksey added: “This is a great thrill and lovely recognition for both the Injured Jockeys Fund and the Professional Jockeys Association.”
The awards will be presented in a ceremony before racing on Ladies Day, Thursday, March 13, in the Winner’s Enclosure at Cheltenham Racecourse.
Lady Oaksey
No-one in racing is in any doubt as to the debt owed by the sport to the Injured Jockeys Fund, a charity established in 1964 by journalist, amateur rider and broadcaster Lord John Oaksey. And no-one connected with the IJF is in any doubt as to the debt owed by the charity and its beneficiaries to John Oaksey’s wife Chicky, the senior almoner of the fund who has done so much in so many ways over almost 20 years to help jockeys past and present.
The IJF has a team of nine independent almoners who are responsible for identifying, supporting and keeping all the beneficiaries under review. As the senior member of that team, Lady Oaksey travels extensively to keep the trustees in constant touch with all injured jockeys. As she explains: “My job is to visit anybody who is in need of help – whether that is an arm around a shoulder, financial assistance, advice on how to receive benefits, or even some company to take the sting out of loneliness”. This work, although rewarding, is immensely time consuming and can, at times, be emotionally draining, but the last person you would ever find complaining would be Chicky Oaksey. She is a shining example of someone who devotes their life to making the lives of others a little better and is quick to dismiss any suggestion that she is doing something extraordinary. The people she helps and those who love the sport of Jump Racing know only too well that she is, indeed, an extraordinary woman.
Ann Saunders
Ann Saunders would not be well known to the wider racing public.
However, several generations of jockeys hold her in the highest possible regard – which is not really surprising as she has worked for the Professional Jockeys Association (until recently known as the Jockeys Association of Great Britain) for over 30 years, more than half of that time as company secretary.
From the likes of John Francome and Steve Smith Eccles through to the modern day masters such as AP McCoy and Richard Johnson, she has been the unofficial godmother to countless jockeys, helping them in so many ways. With the unswerving support of her husband Mick, Ann has been the administrative glue that has held the PJA together throughout the last three decades.
Michael Caulfield, who was head of the organisation for 15 years, praised her ‘amazing personality’ and described her as “The queen of admin, who is so efficient she could probably trace every tea bag that we’ve used in the last 30 years!”
Modest to a fault, Ann’s calm and meticulous manner has seen her run all aspects of the company over the years, even including a period as acting chief executive, with her devotion to the sport and to ‘her jockeys’ resulting in an MBE seven years ago.
SMITH CONFIDENT OF SECOND BETFAIR MILLION BUT FINDLAY BULLISH ABOUT DENMAN
Betfair Million winner Kauto Star and his Paul Nicholls-trained stable companion Denman go head-to-head in a clash of the heavyweights in the Cheltenham Gold Cup on March 14 and the leading betting exchange Betfair brought owners Clive Smith and Harry Findlay face to face for some friendly sparring at Sandown Park today.
Smith has enjoyed remarkable success with Kauto Star, who, after winning the magnificent Betfair Million last season, courtesy of victories in the Betfair Chase, the King George VI Chase and Gold Cup, is primed to complete the same hat-trick next week and carry off another huge Betfair windfall.
The Betfair Million, the biggest bonus ever seen in jump racing, is awarded to the horse that can win the £200,000 Betfair Chase at Haydock Park in November, Kempton Park's King George VI Chase or the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown during the Christmas period and the Cheltenham Gold Cup .
If Kauto Star wins a week today, Smith stands to collect £700,000 Betfair Million, with £100,000 going to the trainer, £100,000 to the winning jockey(s) and £100,000 split between the successful yard's stable staff.
Findlay, who owns Denman in partnership with Nicholls’ landlord Paul Barber, is hoping his star, Denman, unbeaten in eight starts over fences, including a breathtaking victory under top-weight in the Grade Three Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Newbury in November and a relentless front-running triumph in the Grade One Lexus Chase at Leopardstown in December, can land a knock-out blow in the Cheltenham Gold Cup..
The Kauto Star/Denman clash is being billed as the biggest Gold Cup face-off since 1964, when the great Arkle lowered the colours of the brilliant Mill House and, with Kauto Star chasing the Betfair Million for a second time, the stakes are high.
Smith, while an admirer of Denman, has no doubts as to the destiny of the 2008 Gold Cup.
He stated "I think we can beat Denman and we will beat Denman. As Frankie Dettori summed it up (recently), he thinks that we have the class act. I think we can quell once and forever this Denman upstart."
The owner also reported that a second Betfair Million has been on the agenda since the eight-year-old’s victory in a thrilling renewal of the Betfair Chase at Haydock in November.
Smith said: "The plan was always to go for the Betfair Chase at Haydock and you’ve got to win that to be in it. We went for the race and hoped we’d be good enough to win.
"The ground went against us a bit but I thought that was one of his very best races, to win on going that he didn’t like particularly.
"Having won a second Betfair Chase, we started focusing on the Betfair Million again. Then it was on to Kempton for the King George VI Chase and that victory really put the focus on the bonus.
"I really want to win the Gold Cup again for the horse. He deserves to win it, not me. It would be great if he could win because the Betfair Million would be spread around again. Paul Nicholls gets £100,000 and we will sort something out with Ruby (Walsh) and Sam (Thomas). Of course, the stable gets £100,000 and it would be great for the lads and lasses there.
"It would be tremendous if he could win at Cheltenham because it would stamp him as one of the very best of all time and right up there, perhaps, with Arkle. But he’s got to win it - it’s going to be a great race - and I think he will win it."
Smith is of the opinion that Kauto Star is a better horse this year and is in peak condition following his victory in the Grade One Commercial First Ascot Chase on February 18, which was his 11th success from 15 starts over fences in Britain.
He added: "Clifford Baker (Nicholls’ head lad) always said last year that Kauto Star would improve 7lb for this season, so if he’s 7lb better than when he won the Gold Cup last year then he's some horse.
"He looks better than ever and his performances in the King George and at Ascot show that he’s spot on. I think Ruby will be able to lay up alongside or maybe a little behind and then we can take Denman in the straight."
The ebullient Findlay is equally confident about the chances of Denman, who was successful at last year’s Festival in the Grade One Royal & SunAlliance Chase. The front-running eight-year-old’s only defeat in 13 starts came in the Grade One Ballymore Properties Novices' Hurdle at the 2006 Festival.
Findlay, a self-proclaimed fan of Kauto Star, opined: "There's a lot of talk about a close finish and a real struggle but I don’t quite see it that way. I think that if Kauto Star beats us he’ll probably take us between the last two (fences).
"Everyone says no-one has won the Gold Cup from the front and it’s the last thing you want to do, but there's never been a Denman before.
"These are two completely different types of horse with two completely different styles of running. Someone who knows nothing about racing can tune into the Gold Cup two minutes before the race and know what’s going to happen. The tank (Denman) is going to be there and, as Clive says, the Maserati (Kauto Star) is going to come at us. That is going to happen.
"Denman is going to come down the hill in front, Kauto Star is going to come at us. If he does it on the bridle and if he stays, he will go past us. If he doesn’t, and it comes to war, Denman will crush him.
"To beat a real sporting champion you normally have to break them and I think that's what we will have to do with Kauto Star. I think we’ll really have to find that chink in his staying armour."
Findlay and Smith differ as to the odds they feel their horses should be for Gold Cup victory.
Findlay said: "I make it 5/4 each of two", while Smith commented:"We deserve to be favourite, so perhaps we should just shade favouritism."
Latest Betfair prices for the Cheltenham Gold Cup
6/5 Kauto Star (Ruby Walsh rides)
15/8 Denman (Sam Thomas rides)
17/1 Exotic Dancer
33/1 Halcon Genelardais
47/1 Neptune Collonges
49/1 Knowhere
74/1 Star De Mohaison
94/1 Racing Demon
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