Angela Jones creates history with more to come

By Jordan Gerrans

As Angela Jones broke new ground in Queensland on Wednesday, those that came before her in the female riding ranks believe her historic premiership triumph is just the start of a ladies takeover. 

The 24-year-old Jones created history at the conclusion of the 2024-25 racing season to become the first female rider to lift the Queensland metropolitan jockeys' premiership.

She did so with 66 victories. 

The talented rider from regional Queensland was chased all the way to the finish line by her close mate Emily Lang who finished second in the premiership with 64 winners. 

Of the top 20 in the Brisbane city title this season, seven of those were females. 

It has been a slow burn for the ladies on the metro front, but all the numbers indicate that it is their time to shine. 

If you wind the clock back to the 2019-2020 term, there was only one female in the top 20. 

Former jockey Bernadette Cooper believes Jones and Lang’s unprecedented riding feats this season will open the door to a new era in the Sunshine State. 

“It signals change,” Cooper said.

“It has been a long, slow road to get here but it definitely signals change, as we have seen in other states."

With seven ladies fighting out the premiership in town this season, it is only going to be a matter of time before the fairer sex outnumbers the men. 

The Brisbane Racing Club already have plans to expand their females jockey room with the influx of hoops that is expected in the coming seasons.

The numbers are overwhelming when it comes to the female revolution of the riding ranks. 

Of the 64 apprentice jockeys currently licensed to ride in races in Queensland, 50 of those are female, while 14 are male.

When it comes to the 42 trackwork riders currently enrolled in a Certificate III in Racing (trackwork rider), there are 35 females and seven males.

Jones and Lang’s record-breaking riding this campaign has created headlines for the sport that rarely come at this time of year in Brisbane. 

It is hoped it will help inspire the next generation.

Just last season Cejay Graham finished second to James Orman in the premiership chase.

The talented Graham points to the fact that being a jockey is one of the rare pursuits in sport where men and women are on a level playing field competing against each other without a handicap being offered to the ladies.

“Any female in any sport will see this milestone and feel some significance towards it,” Graham said.

“It was always going to take someone to do it for it to feel achievable for someone like myself or someone coming through after me. It is amazing.”

Former jockey and SKY Racing presenter Cooper says the smiling faces of Jones and Lang plastered across the media landscape is key for the growth of the sport.

“It is incredibly inspiring for the younger girls,” Cooper said.

“The ratio of females to males is hugely stacked on the side of the females for the incoming apprentices. They are wonderful inspirations for them, both professionally and off the track, as well.

“They are great advertisements for racing; they do what they do and they do it well.”

While a female had never won the Brisbane jockeys' premiership before this week, several have gone close in recent times.

Just last season, Jones ran fourth and Graham was second with 59 winners. 

Jones finished third two seasons ago behind Orman and Ben Thompson.

Tegan Harrison was a force in town during her apprentice days when she claimed the city apprentice title while she was also highly competitive in the 2015-16 season.

Harrison previously held the record for most Brisbane metropolitan winners in a season by a female jockey with 51, which she set in 2015-16.

Tiffani Brooker rode 50 winners in the 2016-2017 campaign when she ran into fourth in the city title.

Harrison has been away from race riding for the last couple of years, but she has been watching on with admiration.

“It is so inspiring,” Harrison said.

“I will always remember going close to the title myself, the fact that all these years on a woman jockey has taken the premiership is significant to any woman who has been in this sport.

“It has not been an easy journey and we always appreciate those before us who made it possible for us to compete against the men.

“It is such an honour for the girls to be responsible for making all of us fellow riders proud.

“It’s not about whether your female or male, it’s about your ability to ride racehorses and it’s great for them to be recognised amongst the men as simply good jockeys, also.”

The humble Jones will go down in the record books as the first female rider who broke through.

But, Cooper, who rode through the 1990s and 2000s, says the ladies she rode with and against in those days always believed winning the city title was an attainable goal.

“I do not think women ever doubted that they had the talent to do that or they dreamt big enough to do it,” Cooper said.

“It was a matter of moving enough men out of the road (laughs).

“It is incredibly tough to do what Emily and Angela have done this year; you have got to be great.

“The cream rises to the top and it is no fluke what these women have done this year. It is talent.”

Reflecting on her own top-five finish in the premiership, it still gives Brooker a sense of pride for what she achieved.

Brooker selected Harrison as the jockey she followed in town and from then, Lang, Jones and Graham have filed through. 

“Angela has got some of the best hands I have ever seen on a jockey,” Brooker said.

“She is very balanced and a has a cool, calm head on her, even in the jockeys' room. You really notice that about her and that takes her a long way.

“She is also very strong on them, as well. She puts all that together and it makes a very good rider.”

Graham believes the world is Jones and Lang’s oyster and has no doubt offers will come from interstate and overseas for their riding services. 

While Lang was forced to settle for second in the senior riding premiership, she was a comfortable winner of the apprentice title for the 2024-25 term.