Isabel Williams believes that securing her next victory of the jump season will feel like a milestone passed.
At 27-years-old, Williams is Wales’ top female jockey and is just one win away from completing her claim and transitioning into a full-fledged professional.
A claim is a weight allowance granted to less experienced jockeys to give them a competitive edge. Once a conditional jockey reaches 75 career wins, they lose this advantage and enter the ranks of fully qualified professionals.
Hailing from Llancarfan in the Vale of Glamorgan, Williams currently stands at 74 wins, meaning her red-letter day victory could arrive at her next race meeting.
Her latest success came at Doncaster on March 1, when she guided Patriotik to victory in a three-mile hurdle event.
“As the 75th creeps closer and you have another winner and another winner, all you want is more,” she says.
“I’ve got one more win to ride out my claim and I suppose that’s quite a big thing to do. I don’t know the exact percentage of jockeys who get their licence and go on to ride out their claim, but I think it’s pretty small.”
Statistics indicate that only 10 to 15 per cent of jockeys who begin as conditionals ultimately progress to the professional level.
One of the reasons many riders do not reach 75 wins is the intense physical toll of maintaining race weight, coupled with the ever-present risk of serious injury.
Williams, the daughter of renowned Welsh trainer Evan Williams, started riding ponies at just five years old. Despite competing in 658 races, the worst injury she has sustained is a fractured cheekbone.
“It wasn’t even during the race, it was cantering up to the start and the horse decided he wanted to go faster than I wanted him to,” she says.
“That was really sore, but other than that I’ve had no really serious injuries, touch wood.”
Concerns about jockey safety have been brought into focus recently following the tragic passing of 24-year-old Cheltenham Festival winner Michael O’Sullivan, who suffered fatal injuries after a fall at Thurles on February 6.
“What happened to Michael O’Sullivan was heart-breaking – for his family, obviously, but also for everyone in racing because it touches everyone in a close-knit community,” says Williams.
“And the reality is it can happen to anybody. But I suppose you can’t think like that. You have to live your own life and do what you want to do.
“If you thought about the risks involved in anything, then you might never get in a car in the morning, or get on a plane to go on holiday.
“Yes, the sport is dangerous, but it is also made as safe as it can be.”
