Female jockeys win every event at Moree Cup as women dominate racing apprenticeships

Apprentice jockey Mollie Fitzgerald grew up around race tracks, and used to think horse racing was a man’s world.

But she is the first to admit that is no longer the case in what used to be known as “the sport of kings”.

“When I was younger and I’d come to races with Dad, there wasn’t as many female jockeys,” she said.

Her perception is backed up by statistics from Racing NSW, which show that in September 2024, 50 of the state’s 73 apprentice jockeys were women.

In the 2023/24 season there were also 25 female riders who won 10 or more races. 

Executive officer of the Team Thoroughbred NSW Training Academy, Stuart Rich, said it was not just on the track where young women were making their mark.

“We’ve got an intake of around about 75 per cent women coming into the industry, whether it be stable hands, track riders or our apprentice jockeys,” he said.

For Fitzgerald, being a jockey is a dream come true.

“You can ride as many as 10 different horses in one day and I love getting to know different horses and creating a relationship with them,” she said.

“I also think it’s amazing that I can call it a job.”

Making racing history

Fitzgerald was one of eight history-making jockeys at the Moree Cup Race Day in September, where for the first time all eight races were won by women. 

The Moree Race Club took to social media to celebrate, posting “history was made today”.

Fitzgerald said the energy and excitement built throughout the day.

“We had a little bit of an ongoing joke all day, as the races kept going through we kept saying, ‘Oh the girls are winning all the races’, and we just kept hinting it’d be cool if we could ride the card,” she said.

“On a normal day of racing, it’s scattered between the girls and the boys.

“But I think it will hopefully happen more often [that] the girls are riding the card, which is pretty cool.” 

Fitzgerald said she was excited for the future of racing, and hoped more young women would come through the ranks.

“We only have to look at the apprentices coming through, there’s a lot more girls than boys, ” she said.

“I think it’s great, it’s becoming a lot more equal.

“It has really been a male-dominated sport, so we have our past female jockeys to thank for the hard work they’ve done in paving the way for us.”

On a national stage Melbourne Cup winning jockey Michelle Payne is considered a trailblazer for female jockeys, while Victorian jockey Jamie Kah is currently one of Australia’s top riders.

Scone-based race horse trainer Brett Cavanough has one female apprentice jockey on his team and two female assistant trainers.

He said there would not be an industry without women, and the perception that female jockeys were not strong enough was changing.

“They’re as strong as anyone and a lot of the girls get stronger with experience and age,” Mr Cavanough said.

Careers on offer

Mr Rich said there were many career pathways offered by the thoroughbred racing industry that attracted women.

“We’ve got everything from licensing, to handicapping to stewards, the training department, to marketing and finance,” he said.

For Mollie Fitzgerald, that historic race weekend in Moree will be one she will not forget.

“It’s pretty amazing, it’ll be something in years to come that I will be able to look back and reflect on,” she said.