Horses are in the blood of highly respected Australian racing media personality Lizzie Jelfs, the first rider announced to be lining up in the 13th running of the Markel Magnolia Cup at Goodwood Racecourse on Thursday 1 August during the Qatar Goodwood Festival.
British born, Lizzie started out her career in the UK in Lambourn with aspirations of becoming a jockey but was steered away from it as a viable career choice for her. Her love of racehorses led her to a working holiday to Australia that turned into 17 years employed with renowned trainer David Hayes. Lizzie held senior roles managing their Sydney satellite stable and working as a travelling foreperson taking horses all over the world. Following this she then took up an opportunity to expand her skills and put her expertise and knowledge to use in the media. Lizzie hasn’t looked back and is now an influential voice of Australian Horse Racing across the TV race day coverage on the free to air broadcasts of Channel 7 and Racing.com, and as host of panel show Get On Extra.
Lizzie underpins everything the Markel Magnolia Cup sets out to achieve, to overcome the boundaries within the sport. She has successfully pursued and carved out her own career in a male dominated industry and loves nothing more than seeing women supporting and championing other women to succeed. Lizzie is driven to provide her daughters and other females within the sporting landscape, role models, opportunities, and pathways to thrive and experience the sport of racing with no gender divide.
Given her front of camera roles within the media, Lizzie will be documenting her journey as she returns to British soil to contest the five-and-a-half-furlong race down Goodwood Racecourse’s straight. On taking up the challenge of riding in the Markel Magnolia Cup, Lizzie Jelfs said: “I am so excited to be able to return to the UK and ride at a premier track like Goodwood Racecourse during the Qatar Goodwood Festival. I’ve watched the Markel Magnolia Cup with great interest from afar since its inception and am thrilled to be invited to participate in this years edition of the race.”
The Markel Magnolia Cup has raised a phenomenal £2.4 million for charitable causes since its inception. Fundraising has now begun for the 2024 Markel Magnolia Cup via Just Giving here.
Tickets, dining and hospitality are on sale for the Qatar Goodwood Festival, which takes place from 30 July to 3 August. Visit Goodwood.com or call 01243 755055 to find out more.
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Editor’s Notes:
Social Media:
Official hashtags: #MarkelMagnoliaCup #QGF #GoodwoodRaces
To follow the riders as they train for the Markel Magnolia Cup, please visit Goodwood Racecourse’s social media channels.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/goodwoodracecourse
Twitter: www.twitter.com/goodwood_races
Instagram: https://instagram.com/goodwood_races
About the Markel Magnolia Cup
On Thursday, 1 August, twelve dedicated amateur jockeys will ride in the Markel Magnolia Cup following months of intensive training.
In 2019, the race captured the eyes of the world when Khadijah Mellah galloped to glory up Goodwood’s home straight. Mellah won in spectacular style just months after sitting on a horse for the first time at the Ebony Horse Club, a club that aims to transform young lives through horses in south London’s most disadvantaged communities.
Previous jockeys have included doctors, Olympians, CEOs, journalists, students, models, and presenters, among them Edie Campbell, Sara Cox and Vogue Williams.
Fundraising takes place through race and horse sponsorship, as well as at the Regency Ball, a stunning themed evening held at Goodwood House after the Markel Magnolia Cup.
About Markel International
Markel International is a division of Markel Corporation, a US-based holding company trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: MKL). Markel International writes insurance and reinsurance business through six divisions and offices across the UK, Europe, Canada, and Asia Pacific. Markel International’s insuring entities include Syndicate 3000, Markel International Insurance Company Limited, and Markel Insurance SE.
Its UK national markets business also provides legal and professional fees insurance cover as well as legal and tax consultancy services. For more information, please visit: www.markelinternational.com
About My Sisters’ House
Helping women thrive, not just survive
My Sisters’ House is a women’s centre operating across the Arun and Chichester Districts working with women to improve their welfare and wellbeing, reduce their risk of domestic abuse and support recovery, and help them reach their goals for employment, education or training.
Founded in 2014, the charity supports any self-identifying women with multiple disadvantages, offering wrap-around support, specialising in domestic abuse, wellbeing and welfare. In 2015 My Sisters’ House supported 28 clients, but by 2023 this increased dramatically to 1756 new clients (on top of existing ones), showing the escalation of need within the West Sussex community.
With a mission to help women “thrive, not just survive”, My Sisters’ House provides trauma-informed, holistic support in responsive, women’s-only spaces. With 2 hubs in the heart of the local communities of Chichester and Bognor Regis, the highly-trained team acts as ‘the net-beneath-the-net’, being the consistent, non-judgemental advocate for women with multiple and complex needs. For more information, please visit: www.mysistershouse.info
About the Qatar Goodwood Festival:
The Qatar Goodwood Festival is one of the undisputed highlights of the British flat racing season.
Affectionately known as ‘Glorious Goodwood’, the world-famous five-day festival is a sporting and social occasion like no other, unrivalled style, superb racing, and hospitality experiences to savour mean it’s not to be missed.
The 2024 event takes place from Tuesday 30 July to Saturday 3 August. The week is headed by three Group 1 races, including the Qatar Goodwood Cup, the Qatar Sussex Stakes, and the Qatar Nassau Stakes.
Tickets, dining, and hospitality are now on sale for the Qatar Goodwood Festival. Visit Goodwood.com or call 01243 755055 to find out more.
For editorial enquiries please contact:
Emma Chamings, emma@jsccomms.co.uk, 07887792980
