Rachel Venniker has had a number of firsts in South African racing and will now add another to her tally by becoming the first woman jockey to have a ride in the Betway Summer Cup.
Venniker will be aboard on Shango for trainer Sean Tarry at Turffonetin on Saturday, and she is looking forward to the occasion.
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“Mr Tarry has been very good to me since I started riding and I appreciate his support,” Venniker said this week.
“I know Shango is an outsider but if you’ve got a ticket, you’ve got a chance.”
‘Any other race’
At this stage Venniker knows little about her mount but she will be going through the form and prepare herself for the ride.
However, she has no intention of letting the occasion get to her or in any way feel overwhelmed.
“I’m just going to look at it as any other race and enjoy the occasion,” she said.
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Venniker might not be content, however, with just having the ride.
“A win would be amazing. That’s what dreams are made of.”
As far as being a trailblazer for women jockeys is concerned, Venniker keeps herself fully focused on her goals.
“I don’t really think about it, I just try to be as good as I can be and set the standard.”
