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LAST year Lizzie Kelly was the talk of the racing world when she became the first female jockey in more than 33 years to compete in the Gold Cup.
But a nasty tumble at the second fence saw the 24-year-old’s dreams fall flat.
This year she’s back in the saddle on the same horse – Tea For Two – and admits she’s ready to face her demons by giving it another shot.
Lizzie, the first woman to win a Grade One race in Britain, says: “Last year was gutting. There’s nothing else I can say. I felt like there was so much talk around me in that race and a long build up to it. So I feel like while I did the dress rehearsal I never got to do the full performance.
“I can’t describe what happened, only that he’d been so well behaved in the run and then on the second jump, which is closest to the crowd, he just got spooked.
“It’s never happened before and we’d done all we could. I felt bad for him. It was the first mistake he’d ever made. The fall was painful, but because of the adrenaline at the time I just got up and went on to ride in the next race. I didn’t really feel it until the next day. Looking back I was just pleased we could both stand up and walk away afterwards.
“This year I feel incredibly lucky to come back and give it another shot. I will be apprehensive about that second jump and will probably just shut my eyes! I’m trying not to feel any pressure this year and just enjoy it, but of course it’s there.
“On the day of the race who knows, but right now I am trying to stay calm. The support from everyone has been really good and I’m getting so many nice messages which I’m so grateful for.”
Of being a female jockey, Lizzie says: “I would rather just be known as a jockey than labelled as a female one!
“We are proving that we can be just as successful and when you are on the horse or in the weighing room there is no difference whatsoever.
“It’s only everyone else who makes a big deal out of it.
“But I am pleased at the warm reaction and the positive energy around our success and especially that of Bryony Frost this year. We are one of pay is the whether it race winn done on a good. And male-domi it as a bar less catty same. The weighing r
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