Josephine Has The Will To Reach Top

Jonathan Powell catches up with woman jockey Josephine Gordon

Josephine Gordon’s first winner on Chester’s littlegem at Bath in September, 2013, was followed by a drought of such lengthy proportions that she wondered if she had a future in racing.

It would be 21 months before the young girl from the West Country managed to win a race again and by then she was beset by so many doubts she was planning to move abroad in a last ditch attempt to revive her career.

Yet time spent by apprentices riding moderate horses in modest races in the early stages of their development is seldom wasted. The late, great Pat Eddery ran up a total of almost 60 losing rides before his canny boss Frenchie Nicholson thought he was ready to step up on a horse called Alvaro trained by Michael Pope.

In the space of a few weeks Eddery enjoyed a sequence of victories on Alvaro which set the boy on the way to a glittering career.

The many months that Josephine Gordon spent waiting for a second winner may have left her in despair at times but the strength of character she showed then was an early indication of the toughness of spirit she needed on her way to being crowned Stobart Champion Apprentice at the age of 23 last season, a feat that brought a handy bonus in the shape of a cheque for £5,000 from the sponsor.

She is only the third woman to claim the apprentice title following Hayley Turner (2005) and Amy Ryan (2012).

Flat racing is an unforgiving sport. Too many fine apprentices quickly fade away after they ride out their claim as trainers, who once employed them, turn to the next up and coming youngster who can use a valuable weight allowance.