Last week’s racing headlines scored top marks for variety. Jockeys dominated the first part of the week, with news of a breakthrough moment for black female riders at Kempton and the conclusion of a long-running, controversial case in Ireland. Moving towards the weekend, Newcastle got the Friday Night Live party started in style, while Nicky Henderson’s latest two-mile chase star strutted his stuff at Newbury on Saturday afternoon.
Aswat Enters the Record Books at Kempton
The rescheduled Irish Gold Cup fixture from Leopardstown took centre stage on Monday afternoon. With the headline act being a Class 3 handicap, the seven-race card from Kempton was cast firmly in the shadow of the Irish card. However, that didn’t stop the Sunbury-on-Thames venue from making the news, thanks to the exploits of a conditional jockey in the Best Odds Guaranteed Overnight At CopyBet Handicap Hurdle.
Heading to Kempton for one ride, 10-pound claimer Aamilah Aswat partnered the Kim Bailey and Mat Nicholls-trained Guchen on what was only her fourth racecourse appearance. Belying her inexperience, Aswat judged the pace to perfection. Racing prominently throughout, she kept enough in reserve to hold off the late challenge of the market leader Grand Conqueror.
Reflecting on our top stories from the week
A huge achievement for Aamilah Aswat and just the beginning❤️👏#ITVRacing pic.twitter.com/wCSkdbTIGB
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) February 7, 2026
Every jockey remembers their first winner, but this success also made an indelible mark on the history of British racing. Of Indian and Jamaican descent, 20-year-old Aswat became the first black female jump jockey to ride a winner in Britain. A product of the Riding A Dream Academy, Aswat received congratulations from the Royal Family soon after crossing the line. Reflecting on her achievement and status as the only conditional rider in the race, she stated:
“When you look at the racecard and think, ‘Oh God, I’m the only one,’ you feel a bit singled out, but as long as you believe you can, you can.”
Byrnes Cleared as Redwood Queen Saga Draws to a Close
Last week saw a line finally drawn under one of the most controversial races of 2025. The incident in question occurred at Wexford on 28th May 2025 and concerned the Charles Byrnes-trained Redwood Queen. Heading to the final hurdle in the Wexford Hurdle, Redwood Queen appeared to have the race at her mercy, only for jockey Philip (son of Charles) Byrnes to eject from the saddle having cleared the obstacle.
The unusual unseat sparked a clamour on social media. That clamour became all the louder when attention was drawn to the pre-race betting patterns. Priced at 6/4 earlier in the day, Redwood Queen had drifted out to 13/2 by the time the race began. Had Philip Byrnes simply been unlucky? Or did he deliberately jump from the saddle?
After eight long months, the Irish Regulatory Board has cleared the rider of any wrongdoing. In the absence of conclusive evidence as to whether the unseat was premeditated or motivated by financial gain, the regulator stated that the unseat came as a result of “poor horsemanship on the part of the jockey”. Charles Byrnes similarly escaped punishment for his comments regarding the incident and the subsequent investigation.
Flying Start for Friday Night Live
Friday, 6th February saw one of racing’s newest initiatives belatedly get underway at Newcastle. With its scheduled opening evening at Wolverhampton lost to the elements, the Friday Night Live series made its debut in the rain at the northeast track.
Backed by Arena Racing Company and the student events company Invades, Friday Night Live is aimed squarely at attracting a younger breed of racing fans. Screened live on ITV4, the event saw thousands of students descend on the course for a bumper nine-race card, backed by DJ sets, cheerleaders, and speed dating. That represents an unusual combination for a day at the races but appears to have struck the right note.
Commenting on the opening night, Entain UK PR Director Simon Clare stated:
“Betting turnover on Friday Night Live’s first outing was very encouraging and exceeded expectations by some margin across Ladbrokes and Coral channels.”
The next Friday Night Live event sees the action head to the Nottinghamshire track of Southwell on 20th February.
Lulamba Advertises Arkle Claims
The pick of Saturday’s racing came from Newbury, with a quality seven-race card producing several standout performances. Haiti Couleurs confirmed he was on track for the Cheltenham Gold Cup with a win in the Denman Chase, while Tutti Quanti produced an incredible weight-carrying performance to claim the William Hill Hurdle. Sandwiched in between those events, the Nicky Henderson-trained Lulamba confirmed himself as the horse to beat in the Arkle Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
Unbeaten in two chase outings, Lulamba stepped out of novice company for the first time in the Grade 2 Game Spirit Chase. Despite being at a significant experience disadvantage to his main market rivals, the five-year-old stamped his class all over the field. Overcoming a couple of niggly errors and seemingly not being in love with the soft ground, the mount of Nico de Boinville sauntered clear on the run-in to score by an easy six and a half lengths.
This represented the third time Henderson has won the Game Spirit Chase with a novice, following the successes of Sprinter Sacre (2012) and Altior (2017). Each of those runners won the Arkle on their next outing, by seven lengths and six lengths respectively, before going on to glittering, Grade 1-laden careers. The Arkle is next on the agenda for Lulamba, who is now priced at 5/4 for the second race on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival.
