THERE are no fillies in this years Hollywoodbets Durban July (HDJ) field, but Rachel Venniker, who will become the first female jockey to ride in the HDJ, will represent the fairer sex in Africas greatest horseracing event on Saturday.
Venniker will be riding the bay gelding Without Question, trained by Justin Snaith and owned by Nick Jonsson, who is also Vennikers sponsor. Without Question has three wins and five placings in 19 starts.
One of the five placings was third place at the World Sports Betting Cape Town Metropolitan with Venniker in the saddle. Without Question is sired by the stallion The United States out of the dam Sienas Star. She rides for the Michael Roberts stable.
Venniker is no stranger to the world of firsts in horse racing, just like her famous namesake in British racing, Rachael Blackmore. In 2021, she became the first female jockey to win the Grand National in the 182-year history of the race.
In February this year, Venniker recorded a historical in the desert Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. She won Saudi Arabias US$400,000 (R7,63m) Invest International Jockeys Challenge Stakes over 2100m on the King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Saudi Arabia. It was the first by a South African female rider and the race included seven of the worlds best male jockeys.
