- All-Apprentice racecard to take place at Goodwood Racecourse on Friday 6 June.
- Supporting young, emerging talent in the British horseracing industry.
- Groove Armada to DJ on the opening Three Friday Nights racing fixture.
- Limited tickets and hospitality available at Goodwood.com.
We are delighted to announce that racing action on Friday 6 June features an all-apprentice jockey racecard, continuing Goodwood Racecourse’s industry initiative of supporting apprentice jockeys. This exciting fixture on the track coincides with Three Friday Nights, where DJ act Groove Armada will be playing a stellar set in the parade ring after racing has concluded.
The concept, which first began in 2022, was created to give apprentices the ultimate race day opportunity and to celebrate emerging talent in the weighing room. The racecard runs on a points-based system with a totaliser to decide who will be crowned Goodwood Racecourse’s Leading Apprentice jockey.
Kaiya Fraser, the 2024 Leading Apprentice Jockey, said: “Goodwood’s all-apprentice fixture is a great experience for us coming up into the sport because it gives us a chance to ride for other trainers, new trainers and someone might even give us a nice horse.”
“It was very good for me because I had a double hit last year with Marcus Tregoning and after that he started using me more and I had a few more rides for him. It put my name on the scene and other people started using me - it’s a great thing for us young apprentices coming up to be at and show what we can do.”
The six races on Friday 6 June will count towards the Apprentice Jockeys’ Championship, which runs throughout the British flat racing season.
Apprentice jockeys are young riders aged between 16 and 26 years old, who can claim a weight allowance of between 3lbs and 7lbs to compensate for inexperience. Although they regularly ride in races alongside professional jockeys, Apprentice races provide valuable opportunities to compete against riders of a similar standard.
Senior Racing Executive at the Professional Jockeys Association, Adam McNamara, said: “The all-Apprentice raceday from Goodwood has always been an initiative the PJA is fully behind. It cannot be understated how beneficial it is to our apprentice jockeys to have the opportunity to showcase their talents in front of a big crowd on a premier track. Over the last number of years, it has been the springboard for a number of apprentices to kick start their seasons and potentially their careers.”
The open fixture of the racecard on Friday 6 June at 5.25pm is The Bet Clever BetGoodwin Apprentice Handicap Stakes, followed by a further five races before the 2025 Leading Apprentice Jockey will be crowned.
The Leading Apprentice award is calculated on a points system throughout the fixture, along with the Performance Award for the jockey who performs the best that evening.
After the racing has concluded, the Parade Ring will be transformed into an open-air dancefloor as iconic dance act Groove Armada will take centre stage performing as the night draws in.
Gates open at 4pm, with very limited tickets and hospitality to Three Friday Nights racing fixtures in June available at Goodwood.com.
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