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Goodwood Racecourse welcomes rising talent for all-Apprentice Racecard at Three Friday Nights

Horse Racing | Press Article 04/06/25

  • 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.

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors: 

The Apprentice Jockey evening on June 6 will culminate with two awards:

Performance Award

Leading Jockey Award

The leading award is calculated on a points-based system throughout the fixture, an award will be presented to the rider amassing the most points over the course of the evening along with performance of the evening.

Apprentice race points scoring system:

Winner - 15pts 

Second - 10pts

Third - 7pts      

Fourth - 5pts

Fifth - 3pts       

Non-runner - 4pts    

Tickets

Tickets, dining, and hospitality on sale with limited availability on the website. Visit Goodwood.com or call 01243 755055 to find out more.

Contact

For more information about Goodwood Racecourse events, please contact Louise Gould, Press Officer: Louise.Gould@Goodwood.com 

For all other press enquiries please contact: Media@goodwood.com

Imagery and news from Goodwood are available from our Press & Media site.

Stay up to date with all future announcements and on-event action across our social channels:

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About Three Friday Nights
Three Friday Nights is a celebration of fantastic horseracing and dance music, at Goodwood Racecourse, taking place on three consecutive Friday nights on 6 June with Groove Armada, 13 June with Hot Chip and 20 June with Artful Dodger and Woody Cook performing. After the final race has been run, the Parade Ring is transformed into an open-air dancefloor as top musicians and dance acts perform as the night draws in.

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About the Professional Jockeys Association

The PJA exists to champion Professional Jockeys interests and continually improve their wellbeing, earning potential and respect within the sport. The PJA is dedicated to supporting jockeys in all aspects of their lives, negotiating with all the racing authorities and other trade bodies to improve the jockeys’ standing.

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About Goodwood Racecourse
Introduced to the Goodwood Estate in 1802 by the 3rd Duke of Richmond, the Goodwood Racecourse has long been steeped in horseracing heritage. From Lord George Bentinck’s winning horse in the 1836 St Leger, which was transported in secret from Goodwood to Doncaster, to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s horse Love Affair taking its final win, the racecourse has been home to some significant moments in horseracing history. 

Situated on the South Downs and hosting 19 race days from May through October, thousands of racegoers flock to one of the world’s most beautiful racecourses each year to enjoy a season of top-class racing and entertainment. With a varied calendar of fixtures, race day highlights include Three Friday Nights, the May Festival, the Qatar Goodwood Festival presented by Visit Qatar and the Season Finale, to name a few.