Tag Archives: horse racing

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WANT TO LOOK LIKE FRANCESCA CUMANI AT ROYAL ASCOT?

June 18, 2020

ITV Racing’s Francesca Cumani & Sarah Kate Byrne are thrilled to launch their Royal Ascot 2020 raffle prize draw! For just £10 you can buy a ticket for the raffle to be drawn on 30th June – Click Here to Enter.

The charity initiative is in support of two charities – JAMES’ PLACE (which is important to both Sarah & Francesca) and KCAT CAMPHILL CALLAN a cause close to Sarah’s heart.

With the extremely generous support of the 5 milliners Francesca wears during Royal Ascot 2020, Francesca’s 5 different looks from each of the 5 days racing will be raffled off. Sarah has donated the 5 dresses & each of the 5 milliners have agreed to donate their headpieces. Raffle draw winners will also receive a signed photograph from Francesca.

Two bonus prizes for the 6th & 7th tickets drawn have been kindly donated by jeweller Annoushka & shoe designer Emmy London, brands Francesca will be wearing each day of the meeting to compliment the clothing & millinery choices of her stylist Sarah. We are thrilled to be showcasing British brands & small businesses as well as sustainable fashion with the chosen looks.

fashion at Royal Ascot

DAY 1 PRIZE – a headpiece donated by Jess Collett Millinery & a vintage Luisa Spagnoli dress donated by Sarah Kate Byrne.

DAY 2 PRIZE – a headpiece donated by Lock & Co. Hatters & a vintage dress donated by Sarah Kate Byrne.

DAY 3 PRIZE – a headpiece donated by Laura Hanlon Designer & a vintage palazzo jumpsuit donated by Sarah Kate Byrne.

DAY 4 PRIZE – a headpiece donated by Laura O’Hanlon Millinery & a vintage Tulip skirt suit donated by Sarah Kate Byrne.

DAY 5 PRIZE – a headpiece donated by Juliette Botterill Millinery & The Cotswold Hat Club & a dress donated by Sarah Kate Byrne.

BONUS PRIZE 6 – a piece of Annoushka jewellery.

BONUS PRIZE 7 – a pair of ready-to-wear shoes from Emmy London.

fashion at Royal Ascot

Enter the raffle draw by buying tickets for £10 per ticket. You can enter as many times as you like to increase your chances of winning the dress, hat & signed photo as well as the bonus prizes!

The draw will take place on 30th June and the first 5 tickets drawn will win one of the 5 outfits (dress/hat/photo). Winners will pick their chosen outfit in line with the order in which their tickets are drawn. Outfits will be dispatched to the winners thereafter.

Ticket 6 will win the piece of Annoushka jewellery & ticket 7 will win a pair of Emmy London ready-to-wear shoes. Both of these winners will also receive a signed photograph of Francesca.

Written by Horse Scout team member Ellie Kelly.

General

TEARS AND BEERS AT CHELTENHAM

March 16, 2019

Magners Cheltenham Festival Roundup

The Cheltenham Festival never fails to throw up emotion tales but this year set a precedent in the “weep stakes”. The magnificent Al Boum, provided Irish trainer Willie Mullins with a first victory in the G1 Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup. Mullins who is the Festival’s most successful trainer with 65 winners over several decades, has made 26 attempts to win the Gold Cup, finishing second six times.

“I had resigned myself to never winning a Gold Cup,” said Mullins, whose father Paddy Mullins trained Dawn Run to win in 1986. It was also a first Gold Cup win for Irish jockey Paul Townend who has ridden for Mullins since he was 17 years old.

It was a number of formidable efforts by women which really stirred the souls this year. There was the winning owner of Klassical Dream, Joanne Coleman, whose husband had died from bone marrow cancer just nine months earlier. John Coleman who sadly never lived to see his horse race and had never had a Festival winner was there “in spirit” though. Joanne carried his ashes in her handbag. Another widow is the spotlight was trainer Kayleigh Woollacott, who had taken over her husband’s trainers license after he took his own life last year. Despite being one of the favourites, sadly it was not Lalor’s day to shine but we hope to see him back next year.

Bryony Frost was our favourite winner of the week and had the crowds in rapturous applause, after making history as the first female jockey to win a Grade 1 (top-level) race over jumps at The Festival. The 23-year-old claimed one of the hardest fought battles to win by little more than a length over Charlie Deutsch and Aso, trained by Venetia Williams.

Frost’s reaction to her win was one of humility and empathy and made the front pages of several newspapers. Interviewed after the race, she reflected all the glory on her horse Frodon. “I can’t explain how much I love that horse. He is the most incredible battler. When he got overtaken two out, most horses would quit, but he grabbed me by the hands and said don’t you dare give up, don’t you dare not send me into the last, I want this more than you, now come on!”

“He would not lie down. It’s a lesson for us. Sometimes you might go down but you’ve got to get up and get going again, and at the last, he was just magic. Then when he got to the front he did his usual and took it all in. Just like I did.”

An hour later, Paisley Park claimed the G1 Sun Racing Stayer’ Hurdle, for female trainer Emma Lavelle and the horse’s owner Andrew Gemmell, who has been blind since birth. The following race of St Patrick’s Thursday was won by a bold front-running performance from Lizzie Kelly who said “I watched Bryony and thought ‘that was my game plan’. When Irish jockey Rachael Blackmore claimed another Grade 1 race, making that her second win of the week, it reminded us that, in the words of leading trainer, Dan Skelton “I think it is about time we stopped talking about lady jockeys and just call them jockeys”.

Indeed the sight of Blackmore on the winners podium in Ireland is a weekly one. The 29-year-old has claimed an incredible 84 winners in Ireland and currently sits a close second behind Paul Townend in the stake to become Irish Champion Jockey. Speaking after Blackmore’s victory in the G1Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, the winning trainer Henry de Bromhead said of the jockey; “We’ve been so lucky to have her. She’s a brilliant rider. What can you say- she just wins.”

There were record crowds every day for this year’s Festival with 266,779 people attending over four days. Willie Mullins won the Leading Trainers’ title whilst Nico de Boinville finished the week as leading jockey with three wins. Rachael Blackmore finished in an impressive sixth place.

Amy Murphy Racing

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FEMALE FOCUS AT THE FESTIVAL

March 12, 2019

We are proud of the fact that Horse Scout is an enterprise run by women. We not only love what we do both in business and in our equestrian pursuits, but we have never seen our gender as a limitation. So you could say that for us, every day is International Women’s Day. We also go to great lengths to provide as much coverage of great female equestrian athletes as we do. This week we will be championing the great female jockeys heading to The Magners Cheltenham Festival. Last year history was made when there were four female winners at The Festival, which really is the Olympics of Jumps Racing. The jockey entries have not yet been confirmed but we are expecting to see more girls on the cards than ever before including Lizzie Kelly, Bridget Andrews and Harriet Tucker who all won last year as well as Bryony Frost, Lucy Alexander and Rachael Blackmore who lies second in the Irish jump jockeys table. Will they go beat last year’s record by scoring even more Festival victories and take a share of the? Can Bryony Frost be the first ever woman to win the Gold Cup?

National Hunt Racing has always been a sport contested by men and women. Yet of all equine-related activities, it has been the most challenging for women to make their mark in, over sports like Eventing, Dressage or Showjumping. There have been World Champions in all three Equestrian disciplines but there has never been a female Champion Jockey, in either Flat or National Hunt. Maybe this is because racing is a sport where the boys massively outnumbered the girls. Some say there have been fewer opportunities for women to excel, with many trainers and owners favouring a male jockey over a female for reasons that include physical strength or because they don’t like seeing girls get hurt. Or maybe the female jockeys have simply not been as good as the men.

In the last five years, the tide is has turned and since Lizzie Kelly shot to fame in 2015 when she became the first female jump jockey to win a Grade One race when she won the Novices’ Chase on Tea for Two at Kempton Park in 2015. It is now a regular occurrence to see women first past the post. Furthermore, trainers are giving them rides on good horses and there are more female jockeys turning professional than ever before. It is perhaps significant that 10 time Champion Jumps Trainer, Paul Nicholls employs Bryony Frost as one of his leading stable jockeys.

There have been 14 winning female jockeys at The Festival in total but with 23 winners between them. The first woman to win at was Caroline Beasley who won in 1983 on Eliograty and Gee Armytage was the first woman to have two winners in one year. The first professional female jockey was Lizzie Kelly last year on Coo Star Sivola who she plans to ride again this year. Whilst the most successful female jockey to date is Nina Carberry with six winners in total.

Female trainers have had their fair share of Festival winners. There have been 27 winning female trainers over the years with 68 winning horses between them. The first was Jackie Brutton who trained Snowdra Queen to win in 1966. The most successful so far has been Irish trainer Jessica Harrington, with 11 winners in total, including training Sizing John to win the Gold Cheltenham Cup in 2017. Jenny Pitman was the first woman to train a Gold Cup winner, when Burrough Hill Lad won in 1984, one of two Gold Cup victories for Pitman. The second success came in 1991 when Garrison Savannah won, ridden by her son Mark Pitman. She was also the first woman to train the winner of the Grand National courtesy of Corbiere in 1983. Once again, an achievement she would repeat when Royal Athlete who in 1995.

One of the most popular female trainers of all time has to be Henrietta Knight, who trained the legendary horse, Best Mate to three Gold Cup victories and had seven Festival winners in total and over 700 winners throughout her career.

This year, there are a number of female trainers presenting some promising horses to the mix. Emma Lavelle saddles Paisley Park, one of the favourites for the Stayers’ Hurdle and Jessica Harrington’s Supasundae will be a decent contender in the same race. Small time trainer, Kayley Woollacott’s Lalor is a strong hope for the Arkle Trophy. Also seen on the entries list are Venetia Williams, Sue Smith (wife of Harvey Smith), Lucinda Russell, Rebecca Curtis and Horse Scout’s ambassador Amy Murphy.

Last year’s Festival really reinforced the Women’s Revolution in racing with so many female winners. You can see three of those Festival winners, Lizzie Kelly, Bridget Andrews and Harriet Tucker on this video, discussing what the sport and the win really means to them.

https://youtu.be/F0NOgtvXPCE

General

OUTBREAK OF EQUINE FLU COULD CAUSE COMPLETE LOCKDOWN OF EQUESTRIAN SPORT

February 11, 2019

The whole equine community looks on with trepidation as six racehorses horses have tested positive for equine influenza this week, all of whom were vaccinated. The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) ordered that all racing be cancelled until next Wednesday at the earliest. The BHA are working with the Animal Health Trust who have been testing thousands of horses from over 100 training yards that could have been exposed to the disease.

The outbreak was first discovered in leading trainer Donald McCain’s yard in Cheshire, where three horses testing positive for the disease on Wednesday 6th February. Then on Friday 8th, another three from the same yard also came back with positive results. McCain was quick to inform the authorities and has been praised for his professionalism. He had horses running at Ayr and Ludlow racecourses earlier that day, potentially exposing a number of other horses from both the UK and Ireland to the disease. A number of other big yards including Champion Trainer Paul Nicholls have had all their horses tested and quarantined.

Vaccination against equine influenza or equine flu is compulsory for all racehorses and horses used competitively for other any equestrian sport. What is most alarming is that all the horses who tested positive were vaccinated against the disease which might suggest that a new strain of flu is present. If it is not quickly contained, this could spread rapidly through the racehorse population and potentially affect the UK equine population as a whole. Both the British Equestrian Federation (BEF) and the FEI have been issuing statements on a daily basis.

“The concern is that equine influenza is highly contagious” explains vet, David Mathieson of the Donnington Veterinary practice, who look after a number of racing yards in the South of England. “It has a very short incubation period- as short as 24 hours. It is spread readily between horses and personnel from one horse to another. It can also be airborne.”

On Friday 8th February, the BEF issued a statement saying “We continue to urge owners to be vigilant and follow the recommended guidelines on how to detect and prevent the spread of this infectious disease. We also urge any owners with suspected cases to take immediate veterinary advice. If flu is confirmed by laboratory testing, they should contact their relevant member body. If your horse is currently vaccinated, but it has been longer than six months since their last vaccination, we recommend that you discuss a booster with your vet”

The symptoms of equine flu include high temperature, coughs, snotty nose, enlarged glands, swollen or sore eyes, depression, loss of appetite and swelling in the lower legs. With modern veterinary treatment, is it rarely fatal but horses can take months to recover fully. The disease can take up to three days for symptoms to be visible, which means that the BHA will not be able to draw a conclusion from all the information until Sunday at the earliest.

For the racing fraternity, it could become a living nightmare. At least 23 fixtures will be cancelled by next Wednesday which will cost the industry millions. Added to this, we are just five and eight weeks off two the most prestigious racing festivals in the world- The Magners Cheltenham Festival (12-15^thMarch) and the Randox Health Grand National Festival at Aintree (4-6^thApril). Not only is The Cheltenham Festival the fourth largest attended sporting event in the UK, but some 1.5 million people also tune in to ITV racing for the signature race, The Gold Cup. Around 8.5 million watched the Grand National on ITV last year and it has a race attendance of over 140,000 people over the three day Aintree festival.

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LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE MARES AT THE LONGINES WORLDS BEST RACEHORSE AWARDS

February 1, 2019

Just as women are changing the game in today’s world of sport, business and politics, you may have noticed that the “fairer sex” of the four-legged variety, are making headlines in the equine world. A number of leading mares have claimed world titles prestigious accolades recently. And at the end of last month, the winner of the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Awards was announced as Winx. The Australian flat race mare has won 29 consecutive stakes races including 22 Group 1s.

Winx is not the only mare to dominate the racing scene. The British thoroughbred Enable, who featured eighth in the 2018 Longines world rankings, has been one of the most dominant middle-distance horses in Europe for several years. Last year, after winning the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe for the second time she went on to win the Breeders’ Cup Turf. Making history in the process, as the first horse to achieve this feat.

2018 was also a great year for mares as well as girls in Equestrian sport. The 15-year-old mare Classic Moet, won Badminton under Jonelle Price- the first female rider to win in 11 years. Whilst show-jumper Simone Blum riding DSP Alice and Dressage stars, Isabel Werth on Bella Rose were individual winners the showjumping and dressage world titles at the FEI World Equestrian Games in Tryon.

But back to racing and the grand affair that I was lucky enough to be invited to. On Wednesday, January 23, Longines and its long-time partner the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), hosted the 2018 Longines World’s Best Racehorse, World’s Best Horse Race and World’s best jockey ceremony in the Landmark Hotel, London. With an equal rating of 130, Winx and Cracksman were together declared the 2018 winners. Frankie Dettori celebrated the leading jockey award, a clear leader with the highest number of points. It was a French victory as the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe was chosen as the best horse race in the world.

For Winx, this was the third year in a row that the nine-year-old has won the award. In addition, she has been the highest rated filly/mare in the world since 2016 as well as the top-ranked turf horse. In 2018, her season culminated in her becoming the only horse in history to win the Ladbrokes Cox Plate four times. What is also significant about this tough mare, is her longevity in a sport which is rarely a long career for horses. Winx has consistently won over five seasons and is going into her sixth with no immediate plans to retire. Yet she has proved her versatility, speed, and staying power, by winning over a range of distances from 6 ½ furlongs (1300 metres) to 11 furlongs (2200 furlongs).

What is also unique, is that unlike many elite racehorses, Winx does not have a particularly long stride. Her stride was measured at 6.76 metres compared to 8.5 metres for other horses of similar calibre. Instead, her success has been attributed to a freakish stride rate that allows her to take 14 strides for every 5 seconds, compared to 12 for her rivals. According to Dr. Graeme Putt, who has studied the science of racehorse success, this is a unique advantage. “This means she can settle or accelerate at any time during a race.”

Winx was sold as a yearling for 230,000 Australian dollars (just under £128,000) at the 2013 Magic Millions Gold Coast sale. She has already amassed around A$23 million dollars (around £12.74 million) in prize money under trainer Chris Waller and her principal jockey Hugh Bowman. She is owned by Magic Bloodstock Racing, Richard Treweeke, and Debbie Kepitis. Most of her connections came over to collect the Longines prize and we were lucky enough to get an exclusive interview with Debbie Kepitis about the courageous mare who has changed their lives.

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AP McCoy on being a dad, sporting idols and why he is coming to the Liverpool International Horse Show

October 19, 2018

The rider line-up for the Theraplate UK Liverpool International Horse Show is always a star-studded one. It’s popular with the Whitakers, Harry and Peter Charles and Scott Brash is a regular. But this year, we can expect to see the whole McCoy family there. That’s AP McCoy- perhaps one of the best known and most loved jockeys of all time, plus wife Chanelle, daughter Eve and son Archie. Horse Scout’s blogger Ellie Kelly was lucky enough to interview AP and Chanelle recently and this is what they had to say…

“I was told I had to be in Liverpool by the 30th December by my daughter Eve. It just shows you how things change in your life when you start getting bossed around by your eleven-year-old daughter” says twenty times Champion Jockey, AP McCoy. Now retired from National Hunt racing, despite being one of the greatest figures in sporting history, he now finds himself “being dragged to shows and mucking out ponies!”

Eve who is an avid young showjumper and clearly a chip off the old block will be competing in the mini-major competition, together with a number of young riders competing alongside celebrity showjumpers. The mini major will feature approx. 14 pairs of kids paired up with top professionals all in fancy dress. Previous pros that have competed in this class include the very fast GB rider Matt Sampson, John Whitaker, and the UK’s leading lady rider Laura Renwick. The class will be the feature of the afternoon performance on Sunday 30th December.

“Eve is mad excited about going to Liverpool and I was told I had to be there so I’m flying back from Leopardstown especially” says AP. “She really loves competing and she’s got plenty of bottle which you can’t teach a kid. I see certain traits in her as I have- she’s not a great loser and she gets upset with herself. Even when it goes wrong or I shout at her, she comes back for more. No matter how much a parent gives their kids they can’t give them nerve and desire, that has to come from within. You can feed it and nurture it but at the end of the day it has to come from the kid.”

AP talks about the importance of having sporting idols and watching those riders in order to improve. For Eve, Nick Skelton is her hero.

“I took her and a friend up there last year and Nick and Laura Kraut gave them a riding lesson. For her, it was the best thing ever, she was more interested in him than she was in me.”

“We’ve planned the Christmas around it” says an excited Chanelle. “We have no expectations, Eve does of course. But I think it’s a brilliant experience for kids to feel the pressure of the big day when they are young. It really prepares you for the later in life and when you do go into the working world, it helps if you know those emotions already.

“She’s very conscious of impressing her dad which is nice but we had to sack AP as an instructor because of that clash of personality” she laughs. “AP and I were very relaxed as to whether she was into ponies or not, it had to be something that came from her but she really loves it and she wants to be the best. It’s lovely that she is so ambitious. It must be in her DNA that she is not satisfied taking part, she wants to win.”

“Nick Skelton is her hero, she once asked me if Nick was too old for her to marry. She was so in awe of him when she went up for a lesson. She had lots of questions for him and I thought well isn’t it great that she’s got an icon like Nick rather than some social media influencer.”

Chanelle talks about the differing emotions she feels when watching her daughter show jump in comparison with watching AP race.

“Watching Eve, I feel excited. With AP it was a different emotion because with being a jump jockey, injury was very much part of the course, so you’re always worried. Watching my daughter showjumping is so enjoyable and I get quite emotional when she does well.”

Even though I don’t miss AP riding because I’m so grateful that he has retired in one piece and he doesn’t have any severe injuries but I think we would miss the buzz if we had nothing. Whereas now, there is not a nicer weekend for me where we load up the lorry and head off to show.

www.liverpoolhorseshow.com

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ROYAL ASCOT: What Meghan Markle should know.

June 19, 2018

300,000 people from around the world will flock to Royal Ascot this week, making it the third most attended sporting event in the UK.

It is one of the premier race meetings on the global horse-racing calendar since racing began. It draws the best bloodstock, jockeys and trainers from around the world and is probably the most famous fashion parade in sport. For centuries, Royal Ascot has been “the place to be seen” on the social calendar and the fashionistas, networkers and socialites arrive in their droves, some scarcely seeing a horse.

Because Horse Scout is all about sharing our enviable contacts and insider knowledge, we bring you hot-off-the press Royal Ascot insight, directly from ITV’s racing PR team. So here’s a few things you probably don’t know about one of the greatest sporting events on the planet.

The Royals

The Queen first attended Royal Ascot in 1945 at the age of 19, and has had 23 winners there since
Ascot is the only place at which the Queen has ever been seen running in her life
In the earlier days of her historic reign, she used to gallop down the track in the early mornings before racing started – In 1960 she finished fourth to other members of her party of seven in an unofficial ‘race’
Her reign has seen many years of social change, even at Ascot – until 1955 divorcees were not allowed into the Royal Enclosure
Every day The Queen and her procession travel down the straight in front of the stands at precisely 2pm – this year, Meghan Markle, the new Duchess of Sussex, is hotly tipped to make her Royal Ascot debut

The Fashion

There are four enclosures at Royal Ascot, the Royal Enclosure being the most prestigious. Each has their own strict dress codes
The last few years has seen the rules relaxed somewhat and last year, jumpsuits were successfully introduced in the Royal Enclosure
However, banned for the first time were gentlemen’s ankles and socks are now compulsory for men
Every year the bookies bet on the colour of the Queen’s outfit – and this year they no doubt will be doing the same with the Duchess of Sussex. ITV’s fashion expert, Mark Heyes thinks she will be “low key, sleek and elegant in a pastel shade.”

The Food and Festivities

There is a 100-year waiting list for one of the coveted ‘picnic’ parking spots in the Royal Enclosure’s Car Park One
There are more than 100 bars and food outlets around the racecourse and 225 private boxes, with 39 professional kitchens operating during Royal Ascot
There are three miles of festive bunting – which is over half a mile further than the longest race
60,000 finger sandwiches and 80,000 cups of tea are consumed across the five-day week of Royal Ascot – that’s almost the same number served at the three garden parties the Queen hosts at Buckingham Palace each year
56,000 bottles of champagne, 44,000 bottles of wine and 21,000 jugs of Pimm’s are drunk at Royal Ascot each year, which together is just slightly less than the 128,500 bottles of mineral water. Over the Wimbledon fortnight they drink a mere 29,000 bottles of champagne but 230,000 bottles of water
Despite the festivities, Thames Valley Police described Royal Ascot 2017 as a “well-behaved event” for the 300,000 racegoers

Horse Scout will be playing Paparazzi and if you are lucky enough to join the fun, please do tag us in your snaps and tweets. at the end of racing you may want to join in the communal sing-song with a huge gathering around the bandstand.

If you can’t make it this year, you can join the BAFTA award-winning ITV Racing team at the times below. This is why you should tune in:

Every race live and unrivalled access to the horses, jockeys and connections
Fascinating racing features including ‘AP McCoy meets Aidan O’Brien’
Coverage of the Royal procession every day – who is there and who’s wearing what
The best fashion around the course from vintage to high street to high end with ITV fashion experts, Charlotte Hawkins Mark Heyes

Tuesday 19 June:
ITV4 – The Opening Show- 0930-1030
ITV – Live Racing – 1330-1525
ITV4 – Live Racing – 1520-1800

Wednesday 20 June:
ITV4 – The Opening Show -0930-1030
ITV – Live Racing – 1330-1800

Thursday 21 June:
ITV4 – The Opening Show – 0930-1030
ITV4 – Live Racing – 1330-1800

Friday 22 June:
ITV4 – The Opening Show -0930-1030
ITV4 – Live Racing – 1330-1530
ITV – Live Racing – 1520-1800

Saturday 23 June:
ITV4 – The Opening Show – 0930-1030
ITV – Live Racing – 1330-1525
ITV4 – Live Racing – 1520-1800

Written by Ellie Kelly

General

FESTIVAL FINESSE: GET YOUR GLAM ON WITH GLOW & DRY

March 12, 2018

FESTIVAL FINESSE: GET YOUR GLAM ON WITH GLOW & DRY

If you are heading to the Cheltenham Festival, how do you fancy having your hair styled by a leading international stylist, just minutes away from the racecourse?

The Cheltenham Festival is almost as much about fashion and style as it is about sport. It is one of those quintessentially English events where men and women alike go to great lengths with their appearance . We all know that looking your best for an event adds excitement and sense of occasion. Which is why Horse Scout partnered with luxury styling concierge Glow & Dry. A dynamic team of backstage stylists to race-goers. These guys have even worked on international fashion shows like Victoria’s Secret and other exclusive events around the world.

Glow & Dry and Horse Scout have teamed up with smart hotel No 131, to present a pop-up salon offering Blow Drys and Up-do’s for the duration of the Festival. You can pre-book to avoid disappointment but there will be some walk in appointments available on the day. Prices start from just £40, so less than a bottle of champagne and a bad bet.

Glow & Dry was voted by Tatler Magazine as “Best All in One Service” for good reason. They are a luxury mobile styling concierge, offering a little black book of the best stylists who travel to you, wherever you are in the world. So if it is an event in LA, a smart party St Tropez or your daughter’s wedding at your home, they will source only the best stylist to make you look your best self. Their hand picked team has a wealth of experience in hair and make up, beauty, aesthetics, male grooming, personal shopping and fashion styling. Which is why Glow & Dry is recommended by Quintessentially, Harpers Bazaar, Forbes and Glamour Magazine.

Written by Ellie Kelly

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VIPs turn out for reopening of Jockey rehabilitation centre

February 24, 2018

VIPs turn out for reopening of Jockey rehabilitation centre

It was a right royal affair at the reopening Oaksey House in Lambourne. On a brisk February Tuesday, not only did HRH The Princess Royal, a Patron of the Injured Jockeys Fund attend but she accompanied by racing royalty including world-renowned sports journalist, Brough Scott MBE, 10 times Champion jockey, Sir Anthony McCoy OBE and ex jockey and now well-known racing journalist John Francome MBE and Jack Berry, the man whose vision became The Injured Jockey Fund (IJF).

This intimate occasion was to celebrate the extensive improvement of Oaksey House, the IJF’s Fitness and Rehabilitation Centre in Lambourn, Berkshire.

The Injured Jockey’s Fund was founded in 1964 following the horrific falls suffered by Tim Brookshaw and Paddy Farrell in the Grand National. Both resulted in severe paralysis, thus ending their careers. It was Jack Berry who was there in 1964, shaking a bucket to collect donations in order to help these jockeys. Since then the Fund has helped over 1000 jockeys and their families, paying out more than £18m in charitable assistance.

The IJF helps any rider who holds, or has held, a Professional or Amateur licence issued by the British Horseracing Authority including Apprentice, Conditional and Point-to-Point riders, including any spouse, partner, child or dependant they may have. Their policy is that they help these people for life. Furthermore, the money and assistance becomes available almost immediately, unlike many other charitable foundations who are forced to

Oaksey House, which first opened in 2009, now offers state of the art Hydrotherapy equipment- the ‘AP McCoy Hydrotherapy Pool’. The pool is beneficial in treating a multitude of injuries with its underwater treadmill, massage hoses and performance monitoring systems. It can also accommodate spinally injured patients.

There has also been a significant internal refurbishment including a new more extensive gym, which is open to all jockeys, not just those in need of rehabilitation. They also offer support and education services to jockeys such as nutrition and manual therapy to improve performance as well as careers advice in collaboration with JETS, The Jockeys Employment and training Scheme.

Those visiting can expect help from the very best practitioners, therapists as well as good banter from the jockeys. The team aim to keep it a positive atmosphere, more like a health club than a hospital and you certainly get that feeling when you walk through the doors.

The IJF has two Fitness and Rehabilitation Centres, Oaksey House in Lambourn and Jack Berry House in Malton which opened in 2015. Peter O’Sullevan House, to be built within the grounds of the British Racing School in Newmarket, will open in 2019.

HRH The Princess Royal was impressed by the new facilities and said:

“Having just come back from the Winter Olympics in South Korea and seeing the injuries some other sportspeople such as snowboarders suffer, your brains could be picked and the skills you have could be of such benefit to a range of other sports.

“It seems extraordinary that Oaksey House opened only nine years ago. The knowledge achieved in that time has been phenomenal.”

Sir Anthony McCoy, President of the Injured Jockeys Fund had received rehab and support from the IJF, during his career:
“I am delighted to be here today and that the Injured Jockeys Fund is able to now provide these amazing facilities for jockeys both injured and riding. If I’d had this 20 years ago, I’d probably still be going now!”

Lisa Hancock, CEO of the Injured Jockeys Fund commented:
“We are very committed to ensuring we provide state-of-the-art facilities in our centres and a Hydropool is essential to modern rehabilitation. Oaksey House can now provide all jockeys, riding and retired, and the local community with a facility that can support every type of injury. This is very much part of our charitable vision and we will complete the loop with the build of Peter O’Sullevan House in Newmarket, set to open in autumn 2019, and for which we are now commencing the fundraising campaign.”

The IJF is entirely dependent on donations and money raised through events. For more information on how you can get involved visit:

To learn about support and education available to jockeys before, during and after their careers visit:

www.jets-uk.org

Written by Ellie Kelly

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Glow&Dry partner Horse Scout

February 16, 2018

With CHELTENHAM LADIES DAY fast approaching Horse Scout recommends glow&dry…

Introducing glow&dry the luxury mobile styling concierge, with a team of unisex industry experts within the Hair & Make Up Styling, Beauty, Aesthetics,

Male Grooming, Personal Shopping & Styling Industry.

All bookings & enquires are provided with an individual request quotation, Horse Scout members 10% discount all bookings 2018.

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Tag Archives: horse racing

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WANT TO LOOK LIKE FRANCESCA CUMANI AT ROYAL ASCOT?

June 18, 2020

ITV Racing’s Francesca Cumani & Sarah Kate Byrne are thrilled to launch their Royal Ascot 2020 raffle prize draw! For just £10 you can buy a ticket for the raffle to be drawn on 30th June – Click Here to Enter.

The charity initiative is in support of two charities – JAMES’ PLACE (which is important to both Sarah & Francesca) and KCAT CAMPHILL CALLAN a cause close to Sarah’s heart.

With the extremely generous support of the 5 milliners Francesca wears during Royal Ascot 2020, Francesca’s 5 different looks from each of the 5 days racing will be raffled off. Sarah has donated the 5 dresses & each of the 5 milliners have agreed to donate their headpieces. Raffle draw winners will also receive a signed photograph from Francesca.

Two bonus prizes for the 6th & 7th tickets drawn have been kindly donated by jeweller Annoushka & shoe designer Emmy London, brands Francesca will be wearing each day of the meeting to compliment the clothing & millinery choices of her stylist Sarah. We are thrilled to be showcasing British brands & small businesses as well as sustainable fashion with the chosen looks.

fashion at Royal Ascot

DAY 1 PRIZE – a headpiece donated by Jess Collett Millinery & a vintage Luisa Spagnoli dress donated by Sarah Kate Byrne.

DAY 2 PRIZE – a headpiece donated by Lock & Co. Hatters & a vintage dress donated by Sarah Kate Byrne.

DAY 3 PRIZE – a headpiece donated by Laura Hanlon Designer & a vintage palazzo jumpsuit donated by Sarah Kate Byrne.

DAY 4 PRIZE – a headpiece donated by Laura O’Hanlon Millinery & a vintage Tulip skirt suit donated by Sarah Kate Byrne.

DAY 5 PRIZE – a headpiece donated by Juliette Botterill Millinery & The Cotswold Hat Club & a dress donated by Sarah Kate Byrne.

BONUS PRIZE 6 – a piece of Annoushka jewellery.

BONUS PRIZE 7 – a pair of ready-to-wear shoes from Emmy London.

fashion at Royal Ascot

Enter the raffle draw by buying tickets for £10 per ticket. You can enter as many times as you like to increase your chances of winning the dress, hat & signed photo as well as the bonus prizes!

The draw will take place on 30th June and the first 5 tickets drawn will win one of the 5 outfits (dress/hat/photo). Winners will pick their chosen outfit in line with the order in which their tickets are drawn. Outfits will be dispatched to the winners thereafter.

Ticket 6 will win the piece of Annoushka jewellery & ticket 7 will win a pair of Emmy London ready-to-wear shoes. Both of these winners will also receive a signed photograph of Francesca.

Written by Horse Scout team member Ellie Kelly.

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TEARS AND BEERS AT CHELTENHAM

March 16, 2019

Magners Cheltenham Festival Roundup

The Cheltenham Festival never fails to throw up emotion tales but this year set a precedent in the “weep stakes”. The magnificent Al Boum, provided Irish trainer Willie Mullins with a first victory in the G1 Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup. Mullins who is the Festival’s most successful trainer with 65 winners over several decades, has made 26 attempts to win the Gold Cup, finishing second six times.

“I had resigned myself to never winning a Gold Cup,” said Mullins, whose father Paddy Mullins trained Dawn Run to win in 1986. It was also a first Gold Cup win for Irish jockey Paul Townend who has ridden for Mullins since he was 17 years old.

It was a number of formidable efforts by women which really stirred the souls this year. There was the winning owner of Klassical Dream, Joanne Coleman, whose husband had died from bone marrow cancer just nine months earlier. John Coleman who sadly never lived to see his horse race and had never had a Festival winner was there “in spirit” though. Joanne carried his ashes in her handbag. Another widow is the spotlight was trainer Kayleigh Woollacott, who had taken over her husband’s trainers license after he took his own life last year. Despite being one of the favourites, sadly it was not Lalor’s day to shine but we hope to see him back next year.

Bryony Frost was our favourite winner of the week and had the crowds in rapturous applause, after making history as the first female jockey to win a Grade 1 (top-level) race over jumps at The Festival. The 23-year-old claimed one of the hardest fought battles to win by little more than a length over Charlie Deutsch and Aso, trained by Venetia Williams.

Frost’s reaction to her win was one of humility and empathy and made the front pages of several newspapers. Interviewed after the race, she reflected all the glory on her horse Frodon. “I can’t explain how much I love that horse. He is the most incredible battler. When he got overtaken two out, most horses would quit, but he grabbed me by the hands and said don’t you dare give up, don’t you dare not send me into the last, I want this more than you, now come on!”

“He would not lie down. It’s a lesson for us. Sometimes you might go down but you’ve got to get up and get going again, and at the last, he was just magic. Then when he got to the front he did his usual and took it all in. Just like I did.”

An hour later, Paisley Park claimed the G1 Sun Racing Stayer’ Hurdle, for female trainer Emma Lavelle and the horse’s owner Andrew Gemmell, who has been blind since birth. The following race of St Patrick’s Thursday was won by a bold front-running performance from Lizzie Kelly who said “I watched Bryony and thought ‘that was my game plan’. When Irish jockey Rachael Blackmore claimed another Grade 1 race, making that her second win of the week, it reminded us that, in the words of leading trainer, Dan Skelton “I think it is about time we stopped talking about lady jockeys and just call them jockeys”.

Indeed the sight of Blackmore on the winners podium in Ireland is a weekly one. The 29-year-old has claimed an incredible 84 winners in Ireland and currently sits a close second behind Paul Townend in the stake to become Irish Champion Jockey. Speaking after Blackmore’s victory in the G1Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, the winning trainer Henry de Bromhead said of the jockey; “We’ve been so lucky to have her. She’s a brilliant rider. What can you say- she just wins.”

There were record crowds every day for this year’s Festival with 266,779 people attending over four days. Willie Mullins won the Leading Trainers’ title whilst Nico de Boinville finished the week as leading jockey with three wins. Rachael Blackmore finished in an impressive sixth place.

Amy Murphy Racing

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FEMALE FOCUS AT THE FESTIVAL

March 12, 2019

We are proud of the fact that Horse Scout is an enterprise run by women. We not only love what we do both in business and in our equestrian pursuits, but we have never seen our gender as a limitation. So you could say that for us, every day is International Women’s Day. We also go to great lengths to provide as much coverage of great female equestrian athletes as we do. This week we will be championing the great female jockeys heading to The Magners Cheltenham Festival. Last year history was made when there were four female winners at The Festival, which really is the Olympics of Jumps Racing. The jockey entries have not yet been confirmed but we are expecting to see more girls on the cards than ever before including Lizzie Kelly, Bridget Andrews and Harriet Tucker who all won last year as well as Bryony Frost, Lucy Alexander and Rachael Blackmore who lies second in the Irish jump jockeys table. Will they go beat last year’s record by scoring even more Festival victories and take a share of the? Can Bryony Frost be the first ever woman to win the Gold Cup?

National Hunt Racing has always been a sport contested by men and women. Yet of all equine-related activities, it has been the most challenging for women to make their mark in, over sports like Eventing, Dressage or Showjumping. There have been World Champions in all three Equestrian disciplines but there has never been a female Champion Jockey, in either Flat or National Hunt. Maybe this is because racing is a sport where the boys massively outnumbered the girls. Some say there have been fewer opportunities for women to excel, with many trainers and owners favouring a male jockey over a female for reasons that include physical strength or because they don’t like seeing girls get hurt. Or maybe the female jockeys have simply not been as good as the men.

In the last five years, the tide is has turned and since Lizzie Kelly shot to fame in 2015 when she became the first female jump jockey to win a Grade One race when she won the Novices’ Chase on Tea for Two at Kempton Park in 2015. It is now a regular occurrence to see women first past the post. Furthermore, trainers are giving them rides on good horses and there are more female jockeys turning professional than ever before. It is perhaps significant that 10 time Champion Jumps Trainer, Paul Nicholls employs Bryony Frost as one of his leading stable jockeys.

There have been 14 winning female jockeys at The Festival in total but with 23 winners between them. The first woman to win at was Caroline Beasley who won in 1983 on Eliograty and Gee Armytage was the first woman to have two winners in one year. The first professional female jockey was Lizzie Kelly last year on Coo Star Sivola who she plans to ride again this year. Whilst the most successful female jockey to date is Nina Carberry with six winners in total.

Female trainers have had their fair share of Festival winners. There have been 27 winning female trainers over the years with 68 winning horses between them. The first was Jackie Brutton who trained Snowdra Queen to win in 1966. The most successful so far has been Irish trainer Jessica Harrington, with 11 winners in total, including training Sizing John to win the Gold Cheltenham Cup in 2017. Jenny Pitman was the first woman to train a Gold Cup winner, when Burrough Hill Lad won in 1984, one of two Gold Cup victories for Pitman. The second success came in 1991 when Garrison Savannah won, ridden by her son Mark Pitman. She was also the first woman to train the winner of the Grand National courtesy of Corbiere in 1983. Once again, an achievement she would repeat when Royal Athlete who in 1995.

One of the most popular female trainers of all time has to be Henrietta Knight, who trained the legendary horse, Best Mate to three Gold Cup victories and had seven Festival winners in total and over 700 winners throughout her career.

This year, there are a number of female trainers presenting some promising horses to the mix. Emma Lavelle saddles Paisley Park, one of the favourites for the Stayers’ Hurdle and Jessica Harrington’s Supasundae will be a decent contender in the same race. Small time trainer, Kayley Woollacott’s Lalor is a strong hope for the Arkle Trophy. Also seen on the entries list are Venetia Williams, Sue Smith (wife of Harvey Smith), Lucinda Russell, Rebecca Curtis and Horse Scout’s ambassador Amy Murphy.

Last year’s Festival really reinforced the Women’s Revolution in racing with so many female winners. You can see three of those Festival winners, Lizzie Kelly, Bridget Andrews and Harriet Tucker on this video, discussing what the sport and the win really means to them.

https://youtu.be/F0NOgtvXPCE

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OUTBREAK OF EQUINE FLU COULD CAUSE COMPLETE LOCKDOWN OF EQUESTRIAN SPORT

February 11, 2019

The whole equine community looks on with trepidation as six racehorses horses have tested positive for equine influenza this week, all of whom were vaccinated. The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) ordered that all racing be cancelled until next Wednesday at the earliest. The BHA are working with the Animal Health Trust who have been testing thousands of horses from over 100 training yards that could have been exposed to the disease.

The outbreak was first discovered in leading trainer Donald McCain’s yard in Cheshire, where three horses testing positive for the disease on Wednesday 6th February. Then on Friday 8th, another three from the same yard also came back with positive results. McCain was quick to inform the authorities and has been praised for his professionalism. He had horses running at Ayr and Ludlow racecourses earlier that day, potentially exposing a number of other horses from both the UK and Ireland to the disease. A number of other big yards including Champion Trainer Paul Nicholls have had all their horses tested and quarantined.

Vaccination against equine influenza or equine flu is compulsory for all racehorses and horses used competitively for other any equestrian sport. What is most alarming is that all the horses who tested positive were vaccinated against the disease which might suggest that a new strain of flu is present. If it is not quickly contained, this could spread rapidly through the racehorse population and potentially affect the UK equine population as a whole. Both the British Equestrian Federation (BEF) and the FEI have been issuing statements on a daily basis.

“The concern is that equine influenza is highly contagious” explains vet, David Mathieson of the Donnington Veterinary practice, who look after a number of racing yards in the South of England. “It has a very short incubation period- as short as 24 hours. It is spread readily between horses and personnel from one horse to another. It can also be airborne.”

On Friday 8th February, the BEF issued a statement saying “We continue to urge owners to be vigilant and follow the recommended guidelines on how to detect and prevent the spread of this infectious disease. We also urge any owners with suspected cases to take immediate veterinary advice. If flu is confirmed by laboratory testing, they should contact their relevant member body. If your horse is currently vaccinated, but it has been longer than six months since their last vaccination, we recommend that you discuss a booster with your vet”

The symptoms of equine flu include high temperature, coughs, snotty nose, enlarged glands, swollen or sore eyes, depression, loss of appetite and swelling in the lower legs. With modern veterinary treatment, is it rarely fatal but horses can take months to recover fully. The disease can take up to three days for symptoms to be visible, which means that the BHA will not be able to draw a conclusion from all the information until Sunday at the earliest.

For the racing fraternity, it could become a living nightmare. At least 23 fixtures will be cancelled by next Wednesday which will cost the industry millions. Added to this, we are just five and eight weeks off two the most prestigious racing festivals in the world- The Magners Cheltenham Festival (12-15^thMarch) and the Randox Health Grand National Festival at Aintree (4-6^thApril). Not only is The Cheltenham Festival the fourth largest attended sporting event in the UK, but some 1.5 million people also tune in to ITV racing for the signature race, The Gold Cup. Around 8.5 million watched the Grand National on ITV last year and it has a race attendance of over 140,000 people over the three day Aintree festival.

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LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE MARES AT THE LONGINES WORLDS BEST RACEHORSE AWARDS

February 1, 2019

Just as women are changing the game in today’s world of sport, business and politics, you may have noticed that the “fairer sex” of the four-legged variety, are making headlines in the equine world. A number of leading mares have claimed world titles prestigious accolades recently. And at the end of last month, the winner of the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Awards was announced as Winx. The Australian flat race mare has won 29 consecutive stakes races including 22 Group 1s.

Winx is not the only mare to dominate the racing scene. The British thoroughbred Enable, who featured eighth in the 2018 Longines world rankings, has been one of the most dominant middle-distance horses in Europe for several years. Last year, after winning the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe for the second time she went on to win the Breeders’ Cup Turf. Making history in the process, as the first horse to achieve this feat.

2018 was also a great year for mares as well as girls in Equestrian sport. The 15-year-old mare Classic Moet, won Badminton under Jonelle Price- the first female rider to win in 11 years. Whilst show-jumper Simone Blum riding DSP Alice and Dressage stars, Isabel Werth on Bella Rose were individual winners the showjumping and dressage world titles at the FEI World Equestrian Games in Tryon.

But back to racing and the grand affair that I was lucky enough to be invited to. On Wednesday, January 23, Longines and its long-time partner the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), hosted the 2018 Longines World’s Best Racehorse, World’s Best Horse Race and World’s best jockey ceremony in the Landmark Hotel, London. With an equal rating of 130, Winx and Cracksman were together declared the 2018 winners. Frankie Dettori celebrated the leading jockey award, a clear leader with the highest number of points. It was a French victory as the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe was chosen as the best horse race in the world.

For Winx, this was the third year in a row that the nine-year-old has won the award. In addition, she has been the highest rated filly/mare in the world since 2016 as well as the top-ranked turf horse. In 2018, her season culminated in her becoming the only horse in history to win the Ladbrokes Cox Plate four times. What is also significant about this tough mare, is her longevity in a sport which is rarely a long career for horses. Winx has consistently won over five seasons and is going into her sixth with no immediate plans to retire. Yet she has proved her versatility, speed, and staying power, by winning over a range of distances from 6 ½ furlongs (1300 metres) to 11 furlongs (2200 furlongs).

What is also unique, is that unlike many elite racehorses, Winx does not have a particularly long stride. Her stride was measured at 6.76 metres compared to 8.5 metres for other horses of similar calibre. Instead, her success has been attributed to a freakish stride rate that allows her to take 14 strides for every 5 seconds, compared to 12 for her rivals. According to Dr. Graeme Putt, who has studied the science of racehorse success, this is a unique advantage. “This means she can settle or accelerate at any time during a race.”

Winx was sold as a yearling for 230,000 Australian dollars (just under £128,000) at the 2013 Magic Millions Gold Coast sale. She has already amassed around A$23 million dollars (around £12.74 million) in prize money under trainer Chris Waller and her principal jockey Hugh Bowman. She is owned by Magic Bloodstock Racing, Richard Treweeke, and Debbie Kepitis. Most of her connections came over to collect the Longines prize and we were lucky enough to get an exclusive interview with Debbie Kepitis about the courageous mare who has changed their lives.

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AP McCoy on being a dad, sporting idols and why he is coming to the Liverpool International Horse Show

October 19, 2018

The rider line-up for the Theraplate UK Liverpool International Horse Show is always a star-studded one. It’s popular with the Whitakers, Harry and Peter Charles and Scott Brash is a regular. But this year, we can expect to see the whole McCoy family there. That’s AP McCoy- perhaps one of the best known and most loved jockeys of all time, plus wife Chanelle, daughter Eve and son Archie. Horse Scout’s blogger Ellie Kelly was lucky enough to interview AP and Chanelle recently and this is what they had to say…

“I was told I had to be in Liverpool by the 30th December by my daughter Eve. It just shows you how things change in your life when you start getting bossed around by your eleven-year-old daughter” says twenty times Champion Jockey, AP McCoy. Now retired from National Hunt racing, despite being one of the greatest figures in sporting history, he now finds himself “being dragged to shows and mucking out ponies!”

Eve who is an avid young showjumper and clearly a chip off the old block will be competing in the mini-major competition, together with a number of young riders competing alongside celebrity showjumpers. The mini major will feature approx. 14 pairs of kids paired up with top professionals all in fancy dress. Previous pros that have competed in this class include the very fast GB rider Matt Sampson, John Whitaker, and the UK’s leading lady rider Laura Renwick. The class will be the feature of the afternoon performance on Sunday 30th December.

“Eve is mad excited about going to Liverpool and I was told I had to be there so I’m flying back from Leopardstown especially” says AP. “She really loves competing and she’s got plenty of bottle which you can’t teach a kid. I see certain traits in her as I have- she’s not a great loser and she gets upset with herself. Even when it goes wrong or I shout at her, she comes back for more. No matter how much a parent gives their kids they can’t give them nerve and desire, that has to come from within. You can feed it and nurture it but at the end of the day it has to come from the kid.”

AP talks about the importance of having sporting idols and watching those riders in order to improve. For Eve, Nick Skelton is her hero.

“I took her and a friend up there last year and Nick and Laura Kraut gave them a riding lesson. For her, it was the best thing ever, she was more interested in him than she was in me.”

“We’ve planned the Christmas around it” says an excited Chanelle. “We have no expectations, Eve does of course. But I think it’s a brilliant experience for kids to feel the pressure of the big day when they are young. It really prepares you for the later in life and when you do go into the working world, it helps if you know those emotions already.

“She’s very conscious of impressing her dad which is nice but we had to sack AP as an instructor because of that clash of personality” she laughs. “AP and I were very relaxed as to whether she was into ponies or not, it had to be something that came from her but she really loves it and she wants to be the best. It’s lovely that she is so ambitious. It must be in her DNA that she is not satisfied taking part, she wants to win.”

“Nick Skelton is her hero, she once asked me if Nick was too old for her to marry. She was so in awe of him when she went up for a lesson. She had lots of questions for him and I thought well isn’t it great that she’s got an icon like Nick rather than some social media influencer.”

Chanelle talks about the differing emotions she feels when watching her daughter show jump in comparison with watching AP race.

“Watching Eve, I feel excited. With AP it was a different emotion because with being a jump jockey, injury was very much part of the course, so you’re always worried. Watching my daughter showjumping is so enjoyable and I get quite emotional when she does well.”

Even though I don’t miss AP riding because I’m so grateful that he has retired in one piece and he doesn’t have any severe injuries but I think we would miss the buzz if we had nothing. Whereas now, there is not a nicer weekend for me where we load up the lorry and head off to show.

www.liverpoolhorseshow.com

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ROYAL ASCOT: What Meghan Markle should know.

June 19, 2018

300,000 people from around the world will flock to Royal Ascot this week, making it the third most attended sporting event in the UK.

It is one of the premier race meetings on the global horse-racing calendar since racing began. It draws the best bloodstock, jockeys and trainers from around the world and is probably the most famous fashion parade in sport. For centuries, Royal Ascot has been “the place to be seen” on the social calendar and the fashionistas, networkers and socialites arrive in their droves, some scarcely seeing a horse.

Because Horse Scout is all about sharing our enviable contacts and insider knowledge, we bring you hot-off-the press Royal Ascot insight, directly from ITV’s racing PR team. So here’s a few things you probably don’t know about one of the greatest sporting events on the planet.

The Royals

The Queen first attended Royal Ascot in 1945 at the age of 19, and has had 23 winners there since
Ascot is the only place at which the Queen has ever been seen running in her life
In the earlier days of her historic reign, she used to gallop down the track in the early mornings before racing started – In 1960 she finished fourth to other members of her party of seven in an unofficial ‘race’
Her reign has seen many years of social change, even at Ascot – until 1955 divorcees were not allowed into the Royal Enclosure
Every day The Queen and her procession travel down the straight in front of the stands at precisely 2pm – this year, Meghan Markle, the new Duchess of Sussex, is hotly tipped to make her Royal Ascot debut

The Fashion

There are four enclosures at Royal Ascot, the Royal Enclosure being the most prestigious. Each has their own strict dress codes
The last few years has seen the rules relaxed somewhat and last year, jumpsuits were successfully introduced in the Royal Enclosure
However, banned for the first time were gentlemen’s ankles and socks are now compulsory for men
Every year the bookies bet on the colour of the Queen’s outfit – and this year they no doubt will be doing the same with the Duchess of Sussex. ITV’s fashion expert, Mark Heyes thinks she will be “low key, sleek and elegant in a pastel shade.”

The Food and Festivities

There is a 100-year waiting list for one of the coveted ‘picnic’ parking spots in the Royal Enclosure’s Car Park One
There are more than 100 bars and food outlets around the racecourse and 225 private boxes, with 39 professional kitchens operating during Royal Ascot
There are three miles of festive bunting – which is over half a mile further than the longest race
60,000 finger sandwiches and 80,000 cups of tea are consumed across the five-day week of Royal Ascot – that’s almost the same number served at the three garden parties the Queen hosts at Buckingham Palace each year
56,000 bottles of champagne, 44,000 bottles of wine and 21,000 jugs of Pimm’s are drunk at Royal Ascot each year, which together is just slightly less than the 128,500 bottles of mineral water. Over the Wimbledon fortnight they drink a mere 29,000 bottles of champagne but 230,000 bottles of water
Despite the festivities, Thames Valley Police described Royal Ascot 2017 as a “well-behaved event” for the 300,000 racegoers

Horse Scout will be playing Paparazzi and if you are lucky enough to join the fun, please do tag us in your snaps and tweets. at the end of racing you may want to join in the communal sing-song with a huge gathering around the bandstand.

If you can’t make it this year, you can join the BAFTA award-winning ITV Racing team at the times below. This is why you should tune in:

Every race live and unrivalled access to the horses, jockeys and connections
Fascinating racing features including ‘AP McCoy meets Aidan O’Brien’
Coverage of the Royal procession every day – who is there and who’s wearing what
The best fashion around the course from vintage to high street to high end with ITV fashion experts, Charlotte Hawkins Mark Heyes

Tuesday 19 June:
ITV4 – The Opening Show- 0930-1030
ITV – Live Racing – 1330-1525
ITV4 – Live Racing – 1520-1800

Wednesday 20 June:
ITV4 – The Opening Show -0930-1030
ITV – Live Racing – 1330-1800

Thursday 21 June:
ITV4 – The Opening Show – 0930-1030
ITV4 – Live Racing – 1330-1800

Friday 22 June:
ITV4 – The Opening Show -0930-1030
ITV4 – Live Racing – 1330-1530
ITV – Live Racing – 1520-1800

Saturday 23 June:
ITV4 – The Opening Show – 0930-1030
ITV – Live Racing – 1330-1525
ITV4 – Live Racing – 1520-1800

Written by Ellie Kelly

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FESTIVAL FINESSE: GET YOUR GLAM ON WITH GLOW & DRY

March 12, 2018

FESTIVAL FINESSE: GET YOUR GLAM ON WITH GLOW & DRY

If you are heading to the Cheltenham Festival, how do you fancy having your hair styled by a leading international stylist, just minutes away from the racecourse?

The Cheltenham Festival is almost as much about fashion and style as it is about sport. It is one of those quintessentially English events where men and women alike go to great lengths with their appearance . We all know that looking your best for an event adds excitement and sense of occasion. Which is why Horse Scout partnered with luxury styling concierge Glow & Dry. A dynamic team of backstage stylists to race-goers. These guys have even worked on international fashion shows like Victoria’s Secret and other exclusive events around the world.

Glow & Dry and Horse Scout have teamed up with smart hotel No 131, to present a pop-up salon offering Blow Drys and Up-do’s for the duration of the Festival. You can pre-book to avoid disappointment but there will be some walk in appointments available on the day. Prices start from just £40, so less than a bottle of champagne and a bad bet.

Glow & Dry was voted by Tatler Magazine as “Best All in One Service” for good reason. They are a luxury mobile styling concierge, offering a little black book of the best stylists who travel to you, wherever you are in the world. So if it is an event in LA, a smart party St Tropez or your daughter’s wedding at your home, they will source only the best stylist to make you look your best self. Their hand picked team has a wealth of experience in hair and make up, beauty, aesthetics, male grooming, personal shopping and fashion styling. Which is why Glow & Dry is recommended by Quintessentially, Harpers Bazaar, Forbes and Glamour Magazine.

Written by Ellie Kelly

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VIPs turn out for reopening of Jockey rehabilitation centre

February 24, 2018

VIPs turn out for reopening of Jockey rehabilitation centre

It was a right royal affair at the reopening Oaksey House in Lambourne. On a brisk February Tuesday, not only did HRH The Princess Royal, a Patron of the Injured Jockeys Fund attend but she accompanied by racing royalty including world-renowned sports journalist, Brough Scott MBE, 10 times Champion jockey, Sir Anthony McCoy OBE and ex jockey and now well-known racing journalist John Francome MBE and Jack Berry, the man whose vision became The Injured Jockey Fund (IJF).

This intimate occasion was to celebrate the extensive improvement of Oaksey House, the IJF’s Fitness and Rehabilitation Centre in Lambourn, Berkshire.

The Injured Jockey’s Fund was founded in 1964 following the horrific falls suffered by Tim Brookshaw and Paddy Farrell in the Grand National. Both resulted in severe paralysis, thus ending their careers. It was Jack Berry who was there in 1964, shaking a bucket to collect donations in order to help these jockeys. Since then the Fund has helped over 1000 jockeys and their families, paying out more than £18m in charitable assistance.

The IJF helps any rider who holds, or has held, a Professional or Amateur licence issued by the British Horseracing Authority including Apprentice, Conditional and Point-to-Point riders, including any spouse, partner, child or dependant they may have. Their policy is that they help these people for life. Furthermore, the money and assistance becomes available almost immediately, unlike many other charitable foundations who are forced to

Oaksey House, which first opened in 2009, now offers state of the art Hydrotherapy equipment- the ‘AP McCoy Hydrotherapy Pool’. The pool is beneficial in treating a multitude of injuries with its underwater treadmill, massage hoses and performance monitoring systems. It can also accommodate spinally injured patients.

There has also been a significant internal refurbishment including a new more extensive gym, which is open to all jockeys, not just those in need of rehabilitation. They also offer support and education services to jockeys such as nutrition and manual therapy to improve performance as well as careers advice in collaboration with JETS, The Jockeys Employment and training Scheme.

Those visiting can expect help from the very best practitioners, therapists as well as good banter from the jockeys. The team aim to keep it a positive atmosphere, more like a health club than a hospital and you certainly get that feeling when you walk through the doors.

The IJF has two Fitness and Rehabilitation Centres, Oaksey House in Lambourn and Jack Berry House in Malton which opened in 2015. Peter O’Sullevan House, to be built within the grounds of the British Racing School in Newmarket, will open in 2019.

HRH The Princess Royal was impressed by the new facilities and said:

“Having just come back from the Winter Olympics in South Korea and seeing the injuries some other sportspeople such as snowboarders suffer, your brains could be picked and the skills you have could be of such benefit to a range of other sports.

“It seems extraordinary that Oaksey House opened only nine years ago. The knowledge achieved in that time has been phenomenal.”

Sir Anthony McCoy, President of the Injured Jockeys Fund had received rehab and support from the IJF, during his career:
“I am delighted to be here today and that the Injured Jockeys Fund is able to now provide these amazing facilities for jockeys both injured and riding. If I’d had this 20 years ago, I’d probably still be going now!”

Lisa Hancock, CEO of the Injured Jockeys Fund commented:
“We are very committed to ensuring we provide state-of-the-art facilities in our centres and a Hydropool is essential to modern rehabilitation. Oaksey House can now provide all jockeys, riding and retired, and the local community with a facility that can support every type of injury. This is very much part of our charitable vision and we will complete the loop with the build of Peter O’Sullevan House in Newmarket, set to open in autumn 2019, and for which we are now commencing the fundraising campaign.”

The IJF is entirely dependent on donations and money raised through events. For more information on how you can get involved visit:

To learn about support and education available to jockeys before, during and after their careers visit:

www.jets-uk.org

Written by Ellie Kelly

General

Glow&Dry partner Horse Scout

February 16, 2018

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